Revolutionizing Farming Through Sensing Technology

A Lethbridge researcher is leading the effort to accelerate the digital transformation of the Canadian agriculture sector.

In modern farming, innovation is key to addressing both biotic and abiotic stresses. Exciting research being done out of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Remote Sensing and Phenomics Lab (RSP Lab) at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre is harnessing data-driven tools to transform farming practices, including helping accelerate the development of new crop varieties.

Keshav Singh, who leads the RSP Lab group, has dedicated several years to developing cutting-edge technologies that empower farmers. Over the past three years, Singh’s lab has worked to develop digital tools that help producers make better decisions using advanced technology.

One of his projects, supported by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), focuses on spectral imaging technology to estimate nitrogen (N) fertilizer-use-efficiency to optimize grain yield and quality in wheat and canola. This project uses high-resolution sensors to model N-uptake from plants and estimate N losses with nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.

The team is also using a combination of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles (UAVs and UGVs) and satellites to map fields and gather detailed information about crops, helping breeders and farmers get a clearer picture of what’s happening in their fields.

Singh’s team is part of a national collaboration with six other AAFC research centres, including five Prairie farms, to improve plant phenotyping. Supported by funding from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat), the project is also testing tools like the University of Saskatchewan Field Phenotyping System (UFPS Cart), to enable more effective crop imaging. These technologies use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools and models to help breeders and farmers identify the best-performing crops faster and make smarter decisions about how to grow them.