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K-State hosts farm tour showing AI use for weed management

Kansas State University is highlighting how artificial intelligence can be used in weed control. 

Ajay Sharda, Director of Research at K-State’s Institute for Digital Ag and Advanced Analytics brought international ag producers to a local farm to see John Deere’s See & Spray technology in person.

“When these machines are working, they’re creating all sorts of maps showing where they have sprayed, how much they have sprayed,” he says. “So basically at the end of the day, they can see that I ended up spraying only 20% on my field.”

He says the technology gives producers confidence and trust that not only are they spraying correctly, but also saving chemicals and being environmental stewards.

Sharda has partnered with a local farmer for the past decade as it researches new technologies into weed management and soil conservation.

“We have done a lot of work around understanding how individual hydraulic downforce control systems are impacting our seed placement, how good they are in terms of seed spacing and seeding depth, what value it brings up in terms of uniformity and emergence, and obviously adding value to the yield,” he says.

Brian Martin, a third generation no-till farmer, near Clay Center, Kansas, tells Brownfield…

“The next step is conserving chemical. You’re not polluting the environment, you’re saving that chemical and you’re saving cost,” he says.

Martin admits the cost for such technology may be prohibitive to some, but believes strongly it’s likely the way of the future.

The Martins hope to one day achieve the National AI Demonstration Farm designation.

The farm tour was the last stop for attendees of this week’s International Conference on Precision Ag, hosted in Manhattan.

VIDEOS: John Deere See & Spray demonstration