The rise of algorithmic agriculture? AI steps in
Key Takeaways
- Vegetable seed companies are using generative AI to improve the selection of optimal seed varieties for diverse and localized growing conditions.
- Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Heritable Agriculture (spun out of Alphabet/Google) are collaborating to integrate AI into commercial crop portfolio enhancement.
- AI analyzes crop trialling data and localized geographical information to predict seed performance with high accuracy, potentially down to 10m x 10m resolution.
- The adoption of AI streamlines the traditional, manual variety selection process, saving time and resources.
- The overarching goal of using AI in agriculture is to improve global food security by ensuring resilient and reliable food production amidst changing climates.
AI is currently a leading technology across various industries, and agriculture is seeing measurable benefits, particularly in the vegetable seed sector where companies are using generative AI to sift through thousands of options to find the best varieties. Growers require seeds suited not just for yield, but also for unique local climates and growing conditions, a process traditionally involving extensive manual testing and data collection. Seed companies are now integrating AI to run alongside these traditional methods, analyzing data to speed up selection and resource use before the first crop. Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Heritable Agriculture are spearheading this adoption; Heritable, originating from Alphabet's innovation lab, develops AI tools that, when combined with Syngentaâs global portfolio and localized data, can recommend specific seed varieties for precise geographic areas. The goal is to forecast performance accurately, sometimes down to a 10-meter resolution, helping growers succeed even as climate conditions become more unpredictable. Matthew Johnston of Syngenta emphasized AI's potential to deliver innovation to the field, noting Syngenta already uses AI in other areas like bio-stimulant development and has an AI chatbot, 'Cropwise AI,' to assist decision-making, all contributing to the ultimate goal of improving affordable and resilient global food security.
