Researchers in Ireland and Texas are preparing to trial a new agri-sustainability tool that uses information on soil moisture to help farmers manage their crops more efficiently.
The research project, which is a collaboration between IBM Ireland and Texas A&M University, is developing a system that can collect extensive data on soil properties, analyse it and then make recommendations on what actions should be taken.
This data is collected by placing specialised sensors into the soil, which record moisture and temperature levels and upload them to the cloud.
This information is then analysed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology in conjunction with weather forecasts, geographical information and crop data.
Through this analysis, algorithms can identify when the optimum times are to sow crops, spread fertiliser, irrigate the land and harvest, and will present this knowledge to farmers via an app-style platform.
One of the researchers on the project, Fearghal O’Donncha from Inis Meáin in the Aran Islands, spoke to Agriland and explained how the development is progressing.
In relation to managing crops, O’Donncha said that farmers are often unsure on when exactly they should be doing certain things, and this technology could clarify that.
“There’s so much uncertainty and what farmers often end up doing to address that is to overcompensate.
“That was somewhat feasible a number of years ago when costs were so much less, when environmental impacts were not as prominent as they are today,” he said.
“If we can instead make recommendations that reduce the amount of fertiliser that’s required by 30-50%, then that has real impacts on the bottom line and on the broader impacts of agriculture on the environment,” he added.
O’Donncha outlined that a reduction in input costs, more efficient labour and improved yields are some of the benefits that farmers could experience, but also added that the risk of polluting nearby watercourses through runoff would also be significantly reduced.
The research began in early 2022 and the team is now gearing up to trial the technology on-farm in the new year.
“The next growing season starts in Texas in February,” said O’Donncha.
“So we’re aiming to deliver this solution to farmers in Texas, get feedback from them and test it from a ‘the world is our lab’ perspective
He added that this is an important stage in the development process, as the more the technology is used, the more the AI system will learn, meaning it can improve its recommendations further.
“The more this is used, the more it can learn different approaches and help deliver on key goals,” he concluded.