Crop and Soil Monitoring
Jessica Sealby
Based in Australia, The Yield is an agricultural technology company trying to change the farming industry. Its mission is to digitize current growing practices and modernize data collection. The Yield’s technology can read, process and predict crop conditions and provide valuable information, impacting farm efficiency.
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The key to accurately predicting and adjusting crop success is with collecting data for micro-climates. This includes:
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Gathering specific information about temperature
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Humidity, wind speed and direction
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Soil moisture and sunlight
“We can help growers make more informed decisions and aim to provide a single platform that can help growers learn what’s going on in their crops," says Jessica Sealby, communications manager for The Yield. The company has invested a lot of money into AI in order to be effective and produce reliable data. Sealby says, “AI is reliant and as good as the data. However, some hardware on the ground isn't strong enough to manage AI. Therefore, we designed our own sensors and hardware solutions. Our AI measures down rows and on hotspots levels.” Most farmers rely on government weather stations data. However, stations are not always within close proximity to the crops and may not provide accurate information, proving micro-climate data collection is more precise and valuable for farmers.
AI in agriculture can tell farmers:
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When to plant
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When to feed crops
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When to irrigate
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When to protect
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When to harvest
Sealby says, “It can help growers optimize all of these things. It can improve the agriculture food supply chain, give longer shelf life and reduce waste.”
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Learn more about The Yield or watch their video with Microsoft
Ian Small, Ph.D. an assistant professor of plant pathology and researcher at North Florida Research and Education Center, says AI will optimize the farming process and help growers become more profitable.
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Small's expertise includes plant pathology, machine learning technology, image analysis and predictive models. Through his research, Small aims to identify, measure and prevent plant diseases.
Although AI in agriculture is in its early stages, Small does not believe it will have an immediate effect on human labor. He shares, "The more technology you adopt, the more people you need involved with different skills to operate and fix equipment, and to analyze the data you collect."
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This technology optimizes the logistics of farming, but there are some obstacles. Small explains, "Large data sets make it difficult to work with traditional modeling approaches." Another setback can be obtaining the many certifications necessary for operating a drone. This could pose a barrier for some farmers.
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Small explains how small farmers can incorporate AI in their farm. Some companies offer smartphones apps that enable farmers to take a photo of a plant, which will detect symptoms of plant disease. Although not an immediate solution, it is a quick and easy method that helps with the diagnosis. Farmers can also use smartphone apps to determine different types of plants based on distinctive features, detect weeds and use herbicides on targeted areas.
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Overall, Small is a strong proponent for incorporating AI in agriculture and believes it is crucial for optimizing farming and detecting plant diseases.
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Learn more about Ian Small
