Transforming agriculture with AI

By Andi Anderson

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a transformative role in agriculture, thanks to efforts by the Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA).

Over the last five years, CDA has been integrating AI and machine learning (ML) into farming practices, helping farmers increase precision and efficiency while addressing key challenges such as labour shortages and changing weather conditions.

John Reid, CDA's director, highlighted in Resource Magazine how AI is making farming more adaptable, improving resource use, and enhancing productivity.

AI applications are reshaping agriculture by improving decision-making processes for farmers and enabling more sustainable practices.

CDA offers multiple programs and training opportunities, including a short course led by Christina Tucker, CDA's operations director. This course focuses on AI in agriculture and is open to students, postdocs, and industry professionals with basic coding skills.

Participants learn how AI and ML are applied to crop and livestock production, preparing them to implement existing learning models in agriculture.

CDA also hosts a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, mentoring students from diverse backgrounds in AI agriculture projects. This initiative fosters interest in digital agriculture, even among those without prior agricultural knowledge.

CDA collaborates with AIFARMS and other institutions to host annual conferences, such as the AI for Agriculture Summit. These events bring together experts from academia, industry, and government to explore AI’s potential in agriculture and tackle challenges like sustainability and resource efficiency.

The summit aims to develop a long-term vision for AI in agriculture, with plans to publish a white paper outlining future strategies.

By promoting AI in agriculture, CDA is helping farmers adapt to modern challenges and fostering innovations that will lead to a more sustainable and efficient agricultural future.

Photo Credit: istock-dusanpetkovic