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AI expands precision agriculture with plant-level management

The director of the Ag Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University says artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of agriculture.

Alex Thomasson says AI can take precision agriculture a step further.

“AI is taking us to the point now where we can have plant level detection and management. AI can identify individual plants at particular location very quickly. If we are able to do that, then we can have targeted inputs. This is targeted input of fertilizer, of herbicides and so forth.”

He says AI is quickly being incorporated into farm machinery.

“We’re seeing things being introduced: new machines, new sensing technologies. They give us all kinds of new capabilities on a regular basis.”

Thomasson also says AI isn’t about eliminating human expertise; it’s about expanding capabilities of people working in the ag sector.

“It should make us better growers and better industry members without necessarily reducing the choice of the producer. That’s commonly around the type of equipment or software that they use.”

Thomasson says farmers and ag businesses in areas with better connectivity and technical support will have an advantage using AI moving forward, which makes digital infrastructure and policy development critical.

A new policy brief, written by Thomasson for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, emphasizes that policies affecting data centers, connectivity, producer choice, workforce development and AI governance could help shape the future of agriculture.

Watch a recent webinar with Thomasson.