AI is Entering Agriculture and How!
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
Fulfilling food demands has been one of the most basic needs since the pre-historic era. But with more than 7 billion people to feed, it has become very difficult to accomplish this task. No wonder, then, that Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture is a healthy injection to this vexed situation.
There have been many developments in the field of agriculture in the past century, and we can produce more food than ever before. But the ever-increasing population makes it difficult for current food production methods to satisfy the hunger of such a humongous population. This needs new and improved technological solutions - solutions like AI in agriculture.
AI in agriculture
AI in agriculture means innovative solutions for a whole wide range of activities such as:
Sowing: AI has helped farmers in determining the right time and conditions to sow their seeds and methods to reap a healthy crop. Scientists at ICRISAT, in collaboration with Microsoft, have jointly developed a cloud-based predictive analytics application. This application makes use of Microsoft Cortana intelligent suite that helps arrive at a precise date for sowing. It gives insights on soil health and also recommends the appropriate fertilizers for maximising the produce.
Detecting weeds: AI can effectively be used for differentiating between weeds and crop seedlings. It is one of the most efficient non-chemical ways of reducing weeds. For instance, digital imaging can be used to separate carrot from rye grass and fat hen.
Protection against pests: Pest outbreak is often disastrous as it can destroy crops, and therefore, demands immediate attention. Countries like Taiwan, where pests are endemic, are using the power of artificial intelligence to fight against pests in farms. Due to an excessive population of fruit flies in Taiwan, they are manually monitored using traps after every 10 days. National Taiwan University in Taipei wanted to automate the process and consequently installed smart traps with infrared beams. Whenever an oriental fruit fly enters the trap, the beam is broken and a signal is sent to a local station via radio. This indicates that a new fly has entered; thereby helping to record their population.
Warehousing: Even after a good harvest, if the crops are not stored and taken care of, they may rot. Thus, good warehousing facilities are a must. AI can help in deploying correct grain storage techniques by maintaining the appropriate temperature, pressure, and humidity conditions, by adjusting its analysis according to different types of crops. It can also give real time information to the warehouse manager if there is any change in set parameters in the grain storage. Moreover, it constantly updates itself with the amount of grains remaining inside the warehouse so that they can be replenished.
Irrigation: AI helps in irrigating agricultural fields. It can monitor and analyse the soil moisture and other conditions, such as aridity or humidity in the surrounding atmosphere, and then open water valves to provide water to the fields automatically, without any human involvement. AI can alert personnel in times of drought and can also help mitigate wastage of water by releasing it only when it is required. Moreover, illegal consumption of water can also be prevented.
Thus, as capital costs of technology decrease and the software capabilities of AI in agriculture increase, we will see a jump in efficiency and sustainability, which will eventually meet the world’s food needs.
Allerin (India)