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Technology advances ranging from better autonomous vehicles to smarter machines will help relieve the effects of an ageing agricultural workforce and a shrinking supply of workers.
The issue of agriculture sustainability is a people problem. However, it might be the robots that save humanity. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will help relieve the effects of an ageing agricultural workforce and a shrinking supply of field workers looking for less strenuous work. Self-driving agricultural machinery and autonomous drones mean farmers can spend less time watching the path in front of them and more time focusing on the path ahead to more sustainable harvests and profits. Data mining and predictive analytics will become common tools of the trade, enabling farmers to make better decisions, maximise resources and optimise yields.
Robots and machine learning are helping facilitate new, more sustainable agricultural methods that take farming inside and to new heights to conserve resources, minimise chemicals and shorten time to market. With more sustainable, fresher options from traditional growers, greenhouses and vertical farmers, the world’s population should be able to eat better, cleaner, smarter and more affordably.
AI-enabled weed control
Precision weed control gets a boost from AI. Using robotics and machine learning, farmers can pinpoint the application of fertilizers and herbicides.
In 2017, Deere expanded their agricultural arsenal with the acquisition of Blue River Technology, developer of the lettuce bot, an automated weed sprayer and the forerunner to their latest system. It uses computer vision with machine learning and advanced robotics to distinguish between a crop and a weed, and only spray the weed.
“The machine processes images at a rate of one image every 50 milliseconds,” Hergenreter said. “It compares those real-time images to a library of over 300,000 images, making sure only the weeds are targeted.”
This dramatically reduces the amount of herbicides used. Field tests have reported using only 10% of the herbicide needed in the past. The concept can be reversed to precisely apply fertiliser to only desired plants, thereby reducing waste while optimising yields.
Big Data for better decisions and a better crop
Data is one of the most valuable assets for farmers. Precision agriculture feeds on big data. Today’s farmers can use web-based tools to help them create prescriptions, or maps, of how much fertiliser to apply to certain areas of the field. That prescription can then be sent to the sprayer, and using GPS as it drives through the field, the sprayer will automatically adjust the rate to ensure the right amount of fertiliser is applied to a specific area.
All of this data exchange requires a lot of computing power. Deere has not only had to transition from traditional agriculture to precision farming with advanced robotics and AI, they have also transformed their knowledge base and resources to support Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, mobile apps and cloud services.
Give us a call to see how our FarmSight team can help you!