By Chris Kick
Aside from the weather, few things can decimate a crop like insects and weeds. Fortunately, the options to identify and treat both are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and efficient.
Two of the latest gadgets that can help with this issue will be displayed at this year’s Farm Progress Show Aug. 27-29 in Boone.
Arti Singh, an associate professor in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University, along with her team members, will release the InsectID app, which can identify around 4,000 insect species and be explicitly trained for Iowa insects. They will also showcase the beta version of a weed identification app called WeedID.
Both products are the result of countless hours of adding new data and perfecting the ability of the apps to identify threats to crops. The InsectID app was revealed at the 2022 Farm Progress Show, but it was still in beta version.
“For the last few years, we have been training these artificial intelligence models to identify insects and weeds, and now these models are starting to work in the field with high accuracy,” said Singh. “We are rapidly moving from digital agriculture to AI-driven agriculture.”
First-hand experience
A QR code for both apps will be available, allowing participants to test them in the palm of their hand.
The insect app will help producers identify insects that are pests, and also those that can be beneficial. It’s important to understand the difference, said Singh. Some beneficial insects that have been added include honeybees and butterflies, as well as insects that are considered predators.
The model can also be built to identify new insects entering a particular region.
In addition to both apps, their team will also be showcasing a sprayer drone, which is equipped to do site-specific herbicide application.
The application and utilization of sprayer drones are still in the experimental stages, but Singh and her team are rapidly expanding their usefulness in the field. Their goal is to equip robotic sprayers with AI technology that tells the robot where to spray.
Teaching the app
The model is working very well on Palmer amaranth but is getting stumped by waterhemp.
Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said that’s not surprising.
“Other apps and even people have difficulty differentiating waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, so it is no surprise it will take more training to teach this app the difference,” she said. “We are currently working on compiling images of waterhemp and other weed species to train the app better to identify these species correctly.”
She plans to have several weed species at the Farm Progress Show to demonstrate weeds that app identifies well, and others that still need work.
Public research
Although for-profit companies are working on similar technology, Singh said it’s important for Iowa State to bring this research into the public domain.
“As researchers, we need to bring the science of this technology to light, which will create opportunities for farmers and the general public, as well as other scientists and companies, to follow,” she said.
In addition to the drones and robots, her team will provide informational handouts that participants can use for further learning.
The Iowa State University exhibit space can be found at the corner of Seventh Street and Central Avenue.
Source : iastate.edu