Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to provide agriculture with a range of technology that can perform tasks more efficiently and effectively than humans.
Productivity gains generated from the use of AI have the potential to improve agricultural performance by up to 55% (McKinsey Global Institute, 2018).
Australia is currently researching use of AI in robots, and applications on farm are expected to grow, with horticulture and cropping sectors likely to be early adopters within the industry (ACIL Allen Consulting, 2018).
Can Artificial intelligence help the horticultural industry?
The 2018 Agrifutures Australia report “Emerging technologies in agriculture: Regulatory & other challenges” provides an overview of key applications and risks associated with use of AI in agriculture, alongside interesting case studies within the horticulture industry.
LettuceBot
According to the report, there is a robotic system known as “lettuceBot” developed by a US firm called Blue River Technology that can identify over 1.5 million lettuce plants per hour (ACIL Allen Consulting, 2018).
LettuceBot can be towed across fields to take photos using “computer-vision algorithms” for targeted herbicide spraying and identification of surplus plants (ACIL Allen Consulting, 2018).
Apple picking robots
A company called Abundant have been testing apple picking robots that use AI in Australia, with claims that the system can match the picking rates generated by a crew of ten people (Simonite, 2017).
Precision targeting of Australian farmers
Here at Allegiant Media, we utilise data from KG2 to gain access to qualitative and quantitative market research within the Australian agriculture sector. KG2 leverage their extensive farmer database to survey farmers from a range of industries, providing us with the most up-to-date research available.
If you are looking to target Australian farmers with maximum efficiency and minimum waste, be sure to contact the Allegiant Media team to find out how we can assist you reach your advertising goals.
This article was originally published on www.kg2.com.au on May 20, 2021.
Read the full Agrifutures Australia report here.
SOURCES:
ACIL Allen Consulting. (2018). Emerging technologies in agriculture: Regulatory & other challenges. Agrifutures Australia. Retrieved from www.agrifutures.com.au
McKinsey & Company. Notes from the AI Frontier: Insights from Hundreds of Use Cases. (2018). McKinsey Global Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Global%20Themes/Artificial%20Intelligence/Notes%20from%20the%20AI%20frontier%20Applications%20 and%20value%20of%20deep%20learning/MGI_Notes-from-AI-Frontier_Discussion-paper.ashx
Simonite T. (2017). Apple-Picking Robot Prepares to Compete for Farm Jobs. MIT Technology Review, May 2021, accessed on 7 May 2021 https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604303/apple-picking-robot-preparesto-compete-for-farm-jobs/
This article was originally published on www.kg2.com.au on April 22, 2021.