Farming’s New Frontier: AI Steers Path to Green Future
Dec 27, 2023
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Explore how AI and advanced cameras could help reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture, the economic benefits of green-on-green technology, applications of AI in the wine and banana industries, and the potential use of drones in farming. Discuss the limitations of drones, challenges of adopting AI in farming, and the need for incentives for smaller farmers.
Utilizing advanced cameras and AI for green-on-green detection in farming can help reduce pesticide use and its negative environmental impact.
The implementation of precision delivery technologies, such as green-on-green optical spot spraying, can result in significant cost savings for farmers while minimizing the negative consequences of pesticide use.
Deep dives
The Inefficiency of Broadcast Spraying
The podcast discusses how current methods of applying pesticides, specifically broadcast spraying, are highly inefficient. It is estimated that 95% of herbicides and 98% of insecticides do not reach their intended pests. This inefficiency leads to environmental damage and soil pollution, as well as negative impacts on bird, insect, and aquatic biodiversity. The podcast highlights the need for more precise delivery technologies to minimize the negative consequences of pesticide use.
Green-on-Green Technology: A Promising Solution
To address the inefficiency of broadcast spraying, new precision delivery technologies are emerging that utilize cameras and artificial intelligence. Specifically, the podcast focuses on green-on-green optical spot spraying, which involves cameras mounted on sprayers that use AI algorithms to detect and differentiate between weeds and crops. This enables precise targeting of individual weeds with pesticides while leaving the crops unaffected. The technology has shown promising results, with potential pesticide reduction of up to 97.5% compared to current methods.
Benefits for Farmers and the Environment
The implementation of green-on-green technology offers several benefits for both farmers and the environment. By reducing pesticide use and improving targeting precision, farmers can experience significant cost savings, with modeling showing up to 60% reduction in costs compared to broadcast spraying. Additionally, the technology helps protect soil health, beneficial organisms, and biodiversity by minimizing the negative impacts of pesticides on the environment. The podcast discusses the potential for widespread adoption of this technology, particularly in row crops, grains, oilseeds, and other large-scale farming operations.
Future Developments and Industry Response
The podcast explores the future potential of green-on-green technology and the integration of AI in agriculture. It predicts that by 2030, the technology may be able to detect and target fungicides, with insecticides to follow soon after. The episode highlights the role of large machinery manufacturers, startups, and partnerships in driving innovation in this field. While the pesticide industry faces challenges, such as legislative pressures and the need to adapt to changing agricultural practices, several companies have already invested in and embraced these technological advancements to improve the efficiency and sustainability of pesticide use.
Pesticides are considered an indispensable part of modern agriculture, but with links to environmental damage and soil pollution, their use comes at a cost. Could cutting-edge technologies that harness artificial intelligence help clean up farming’s chemical footprint?
On today’s show, Dana sits down with Alexander Liddington from BloombergNEF’s sustainable agriculture team. Together, they discuss the positive environmental impact and cost savings that ‘green-on-green’ detection could have for farmers, as advanced cameras and AI are deployed to identify the weeds hiding among crops. They also explore the limitations of drones for precision pest control and whether pesticide manufacturers are embracing the technological revolution.
Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.