April 2021 - 16

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE
Extremely Eff ective Post
Emergent Herbicide
ACTIVE INGREDIENT - 15.9 % Phenmedipham
PROVIDES Control of Broadleaf Weeds in
Spinach (grown for processing and seeding)
and Red Garden Beets.
NEW FIFRA 2(ee)* Recommendation (CA & AZ)
Off ers Application Window Flexibility
Offers Growers Effective and
Preventative Disease Control
STRONG EFFICACY on Oomycete (Water
Mold) Pathogens
HIGHLY SYSTEMIC - Extensive Mobility
Throughout the Plant
HIGHEST Available Concentration -
Eff ective at Low Rates
2 MODES OF ACTION
* Inhibits mycelial growth preventing
oxidative phosphorylation
* Stimulates the plants natural defense
mechanisms triggering SAR
Photo: Chef's Garden
Using AI to maximize
yield and efficiency
By Carl Silverberg
IUNU
How can new technology help
Moves Water and Chemicals
Into The Rootzone
PROVIDES Uniform Penetration and
Lateral Movement of Water
ENCOURAGES Improved Rooting and
Nutrient Uptake
ENHANCES Initial Wetting and
Subsequent Rewetting of Soils
IMPROVES Distribution and Eff ectiveness
of Soil Applied Chemicals
SAVES WATER - Reduces Irrigation
Requirements by Up To 25%
growers reduce shrink and optimize
space, resulting in an increase in
food accessibility?
As the United States continues to
grapple with COVID-19, existing
challenges within the food industry
have become even more apparent.
More than $160 billion worth of
food is wasted each year; over 20
million people in America live in
a food desert and lack access to
quality, nutritious food; and the
workforce that is most crucial to
our domestic food production is
aging - 65% of growers are above
the age of 55.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), the
* See complete 2ee Recommendation prior to use.
All products are not registered in all states.
Ask your Belchim representative for current registration status.
SpinAid is a registered trademark of Bayer Crop Science.
ReLoad and Integrate are registered trademarks of
Belchim Crop Protection USA, LLC.
2751 Centerville Road | Suite 100 | Wilmington, DE 19808
Phone: 855-445-7990 | www.belchimusa.com
info.usa@belchim.com
16 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
ability of technology to replicate
human sensing and thinking, is
beginning to play an important role
in the food industry. Machine
vision - the ability of machines to
interpret visual images and learn
from them - is an application of AI.
Also known as computer vision, it
will be impactful in reducing food
waste, increasing food accessibility
and augmenting skilled labor across
the value chain.
By leveraging computer vision in
controlled environment agriculture
(CEA), growers can detect and
address issues ahead of time, predict
yields and reduce shrink, as well
as optimize space and resources
to maximize output and improve
recipes.
AI for pest, disease
detection
AI can help growers detect
problems with crops throughout
the growing cycle. The treatment
or removal of diseased crops is
required in any operation, outdoor
or CEA. When a grower sees a
sticky card covered in pests or
notices an anomaly in a crop such
as damage, spots, chlorosis or some
other malady, they adjust controls
or remove plants to address the
issue.
Unfortunately, manual pest and
disease detection is only as accurate
as the human eye and memory, and
takes hours of time each week.
Today, there are AI programs that
provide disease and pest detection
and alerts on regular, frequent
intervals. iUNU, a Seattle-based
company, operates an optical
scanner system called LUNA that
continuously collects imagery in
greenhouses and analyzes visual
data from growth cycles. The
software is able to understand what
healthy crops look like and notify
growers when problems appear.
As the system sees more images,
it learns. Not only can it detect
an issue, but it can also diagnose
the problem - whether it is thrips,
aphids, powdery mildew or other
potential damage. It can also help
http://www.belchimusa.com http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com
April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021
