Big data and artificial intelligence are the cornerstone of intelligent farming. Artificial intelligence utilises machine learning to ingest big datasets, analyse them and turn them into farm intelligence through calculating the probability of certain outcomes and providing confidence-based predictions and recommendations. In simple terms, AI allows farm robotics and farm management to become more accurate, more precise and more efficient, which enables further efficiency improvements to take place along the rest of the supply chain.
There are copious different types of farming data that can be collected and analysed through AI – weather conditions, soil quality and crop growth to name a few. Farmers have traditionally used their knowledge and experience to adjust their crop treatment, but with big data and AI, they can make much better informed decisions. This can help overcome the problems of variability and unpredictability, leading to higher quality fruit and veg produce, stronger yields and an improved supply chain.
A very exciting player in the Big Data & AI space is Hummingbird Technologies, renowned for their remote sensor technologies that capture data through satellites, planes and drones and processes it via their own multi-layer date ingestion and analysis platform. They offer a broad range of products, from predictive analytics, supply chain vision, precision agronomy to sustainability. Their Precision Analytics technology is able to classify crop types, detect field boundaries and provide in-season yield predictions at field or national level. On the Supply Chain Vision side, their suite of solutions covers benchmarking, fertiliser, desiccation, fungicide, green area indexing and canopy coverage – mapping and collecting vital supply chain data which is then processed via their AI engine to recommend optimal solutions. Precision Agronomy covers plant counting, plant sizing and weed mapping, while the Sustainability suite covers areas like tillage, biomass, modelling and more.
All types of farming intelligence data that is collected can be processed via advanced AI engines, which in turn can be seamlessly integrated into farm management software via APIs in a smart farm set up, which we’ll see in the next section. Needless to say, Hummingbird and other firms’ products can enable farmers to optimise many aspects of their supply side operations, which wouldn’t have been conceivable until recent times.