TALLINN, ESTONIA -- Farmers are often thought of as a pretty technologically backward lot, an image that belies an increasingly sophisticated, and data-driven, industry.

One of the more successful startups to target the agricultural sector is the Croatian Fameron, which helps farmers manage dairy herds.

Vital Fields is an Estonian startup that wants to help farmers manage their fields. But more than just manage them, it aims to offer advice on when to plant, harvest and offer guidance on pest management and use of chemicals.

At the heart of the web-based service is weather. "A lot of farming knowledge is in direct correlation with weather," said CEO Martin Rand, a former Skype employee (like a large swathe of the Tallinn tech scene) and ex-CIO at Estonia's Plant Production Inspectorate.

The company provides a seven-day, field-by-field, weather forecast. That understanding of the weather is what drives the system. "We can predict things like plant growth. We constantly monitor fields and then can say this year, these crops will be ready two weeks sooner, for example, so you should plan your harvesting equipment to be ready sooner."