Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming farming operations worldwide, from assisting smallholder farmers in Malawi to advancing dairy management in the United States.
AI technologies offer crop and livestock care solutions, data gathering, and climate resilience, proving indispensable tools in modern agriculture.
Innovative solutions for smallholder farmers
In Malawi, a mobile app named Ulangizi is changing the game for its 33 million smallholder farmers responsible for 70% of the continent’s food supply. This AI-driven app provides vital guidance on crop and livestock management, answering queries and diagnosing diseases through an intuitive voice-operated interface.
This tool has become especially crucial following the devastation caused by tropical cyclone Freddy in early 2023, which destroyed vast agricultural lands and affected millions. By replacing the need for extensive governmental support structures, Ulangizi helps farmers navigate the challenges of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and prepare for future climate-related disasters.
Enhancing productivity with AI
Across the United States, farmers are employing AI to enhance productivity and sustainability. In the dairy sector, technologies like the Cainthus system utilize artificial intelligence and computer vision to monitor cow behavior, manage feed, and optimize the herd’s overall health.
This technology enables farmers to check the cow comfort index daily, a significant advancement from previous methods limited to research applications. Similarly, AI platforms like ClimateAI empower crop farmers with precise weather forecasts and agricultural insights, aiding in crop selection, planting schedules, and yield optimization.
Robotic innovations in data collection
At North Carolina State University, the development of BenchBot 3.0 marks a significant leap forward in agricultural technology. This robot, operating in NC State’s Centennial Campus fields, is part of the NC Plant Sciences Initiative. It is tasked with capturing hundreds of thousands of crop images to create the largest open-source agricultural image repository.
The data collected by BenchBot is processed by a supercomputer equipped with the NVIDIA Grace Hopper 200, which facilitates the development of new AI tools. These tools will enable precision agriculture practices, such as targeted pesticide application, which can reduce chemical usage, lower costs, and increase crop yields. This robotic technology exemplifies how AI can assist in more intelligent decision-making for crop rotation, field mapping, and weed detection.