December 2024 - 7

AGTECH
growers with insect monitoring and
provides early timing for growers
to make early decisions for insect
pest management.
" It will lead to a reduction on bug
sprays and increase production, "
said Richard Chen, president at Barn
Owl Technologies. " We are working
with apple growers in Massachusetts
and target harmful pests such as
oriental fruit moth, codling moth,
obliquebanded leafroller, plum
curculio, apple maggot and brown
marmorated stink bug. "
The scouting can be implemented
via a mobile app and provides first
arrival dates (biofix) and weekly
insect counting.
" Scouting insects is usually a weekly
job for growers, but if they mess up the
first arrival date, they spray all season
long, " Chen said. " Finding first arrival
date for growers requires them to
scout every day, which is not feasible. "
The company is also currently
building an automatic trapping
system for Colorado potato beetles
and focusing its efforts on ground
and crawling insects.
One of the vegetable growers told
Chen production can be increased
25%-50% when early arrival dates for
potato beetles are discovered, he said.
Irrigation control
Other popular mobile apps include
FieldNET Mobile, Agrobase and
Pospera.
FieldNET Mobile allows growers to
monitor and control irrigation systems
from a mobile device, improving
water efficiency and crop health.
Agrobase, a crop protection
database, provides comprehensive
pest and disease identification, weed
identification, plus agricultural news
and trends.
Prospera offers pivot irrigation
monitoring from an app, helping in
irrigation planning and control.
ORDER
Optical sorting equipment
Optical sorters are another area
experiencing much innovation, with
a big trend being the integration of
AI, offering results akin to human
inspection but at a significantly
faster pace.
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" This advancement involves the use
of cameras with quicker processors to
reduce collateral loss resulting from
misdetection, " said Oscar Sandoval,
California senior regional account
manager at AMVT. " In response to this
trend, our company has embraced
AI by incorporating this feature into
most of our sorter offerings, catering
not only to bulk materials but also
packaged goods. This addition aids in
detecting issues such as improperly
sealed bags or loosely capped jars,
enhancing the sorting process for
fruit/nut crop growers. "
The solutions ensure improved
quality and cleanliness of the final
product for consumers, minimizing
the loss of good products in the
reject pile. Ultimately, they enable
growers to preserve a higher quantity
of top-quality products.
" Compared to previous generations,
the newer optical sorting equipment
goes beyond traditional RGB
technology, which relies on color
differentiation, " Sandoval said. " The
latest models analyze factors like
size, color, texture and length to
achieve precise separation, mirroring
the discernment of the human eye
utilizing AI. "
Another company taking advantage
of AI is Taranis, which offers an
advanced Open-Source Intelligence
tool that utilizes AI and aerial imaging
to monitor crops at higher resolutions
than were done historically. This helps
better detect pest issues, diseases
and nutrient deficiencies early,
enabling timely interventions.
As agriculture continues to evolve
with technological advancements
including mobile apps, IoT devices
and AI-driven solutions, the future of
farming is not just about innovation,
it's about precision, efficiency and
sustainability for growers worldwide.
A graduate of the University of
Miami, Keith Loria is an award-winning
journalist who has been writing for
almost 20 years. View his recent
writing at keithloria.contently.com.
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December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2024
