By Clint Thompson One University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher is using artificial intelligence (AI) to apply herbicides more efficiently. Nathan Boyd’s research will help growers to not make chemical applications where they are not needed. “We use artificial intelligence that we’ve trained to differentiate. You could train it to differentiate species. We’ve decided that’s …
Eyeing AI Advancement
By Frank Giles Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around and in our collective conscious for a long time. The Steven Spielberg-directed movie by the same name is more than 20 years old. But, not until recently, has the talk of AI’s potential and dangers really ramped up. You may have played around with ChatGPT (chat.openai.com), which is a large language …
Robotic Harvesters Could Be Challenge in Vegetable Production
By Clint Thompson Precision Ag innovations are needed for specialty crop producers to remain sustainable now and into the future. The only problem with that reality may be vegetable’s sensitivity. A robotic harvester may not be feasible for some of those crops because they could get damaged during harvest, believes Jessica Kirk, director of food safety and marketing at Lewis …
Providing Easier Access to Big Data
By Denise Attaway The humble huckleberry may never rival the soybean in the number of acres planted, but there’s no reason it and other specialty crops can’t have the same technological benefits as row crops do — such as big data. The competitiveness and sustainability of the $36 billion specialty crop industry in the United States is threatened by declining …
‘LIFT AI’ Projects Show UF/IFAS’ Commitment to Using Artificial Intelligence
Faster plant breeding is one of the 11 projects collectively awarded $261,723 by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Dean for Research Office to solve practical problems via artificial intelligence (AI). To foster research collaborations in AI for agricultural systems, natural resources and human systems, the office created a program called “Launching Innovative Faculty Teams …
Putting Artificial Intelligence Within Reach
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP It used to be that game-changing technology was out of the reach of all but the biggest producers. Artificial intelligence (AI), though, can fit the size of your phone and the size of your wallet if it’s done right. That’s why the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has put …
Apps Ease the Task of Fertigation for Growers
By Denise Attaway The days of manually calculating numbers on spreadsheets to determine how much liquid fertilizer should be used to fertigate crops may soon be gone, thanks to new web-based calculators (apps) from Clemson University. The Clemson Center Pivot Fertigation Calculator and Clemson Drip Fertigation Calculator are free apps created by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service precision agriculture team …
Artificial Intelligence: Helps Detect Watermelon Disease Quickly, Accurately
The needs of Florida watermelon producers motivate Yiannis Ampatzidis to use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect pathogens early and accurately. One such disease, downy mildew, spreads like wildfire, said Ampatzidis, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering. In newly published research, Ampatzidis used spectral reflectance — the energy a …
Meet Alabama Extension’s New and Improved Farming Basics App
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – In 2019, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System brought the world of farming to the palm of a farmer’s hand with a smartphone application (app). The Farming Basics app opened a gateway of information for small and beginning farmers. Fast forward to 2022 — this app has a facelift, providing even more information to farmers. “The new …
New Funds Enhance UF/IFAS Work in Nutrient Application Rate Research, AI
With the final approval from the governor’s pen, the newest Florida state budget is set to take effect July 1. It is a date that also marks the beginning or continuation of several University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) projects. In addition to a $3.6 million increase to the UF/IFAS base operating budget, notable funded projects …