Wisconsin agricultural scientists are developing new AI applications on farms, from tracking animal movements for signs of disease to using drones and other automated equipment to monitor crop growth. We are developing.
Greg Cisewski, dean of Northcentral Technical College's College of Agricultural Sciences, Public Works and Transportation, spoke about these and other applications yesterday at a meeting of the Governor's Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence in Wausau. We discussed.
“We're talking about increasing the yield of a field to grow more with less effort. So we're aiming for that and making sure that every kernel of corn we plant is properly harvested so that we can maximize yield. “We're trying to make sure it's in the right place,” he said. .
He noted that some of this research is being conducted at NTC's Agriculture Center of Excellence, the only operating dairy farm and learning laboratory in the Wisconsin Technological University system.
“We also use artificial intelligence to do predictive analysis,” said the university, which constantly tracks cow weight, milk production and other factors. “It's about building tables of information that we can pull out and use from robots and other equipment to predict where we need to go.”
All of the center's grazing animals are fitted with remote monitoring collars, allowing scientists to track precise data such as how the animals chew and walk. This information is collected in large databases to aid decision-making and reduce the need for manual fieldwork, Chisevsky said.
“We optimize feed, we optimize milking to ensure cows are producing, and we help them produce quickly and without stress,” he said.
Troy Runge, associate dean for research at the Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Wisconsin, highlighted similar applications that allow for a level of monitoring not possible with human workers. Using video cameras installed in dairy facilities, the AI system can map the animal's body structure and predict health status based on the animal's movements.
“If you have hundreds or thousands of cows, you may not be able to look at each cow every time,” he said. “And we have computers and AI programs that actually monitor health, whether it's for migration, whether it's in heat, whether it's for other issues, whether it's feeding. Sociable or not, if they're happy. In fact, it's been proven that happier cows are more productive.”
Runge noted that while this application can provide farmers with a new level of understanding, it requires large amounts of data and “high throughput” computing power.
Meanwhile, Cisewski pointed out that automatic milking machines and cow feeding systems will eliminate the need for “three shifts” at night.
“Our staff will be there from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the robots will take care of the place at other times,” he said. “So we really want to be able to save labor and provide a quality of life for our farm staff.”
In addition to collecting and sharing data, automated feeding machines only dispense feed at certain times to reduce waste, Cisewski said.
As such applications continue to reduce the need for human intervention in certain aspects of farming operations, Runge emphasized the importance of developing the workforce in parallel with AI technology. He said the university is training many data experts and computer scientists to meet industry's AI needs.
Looking to future applications of AI, Ciesevski said NTC is considering “robotic horticulture,” where systems mounted above plant beds handle weeding, watering and other tasks. was. He said plants grown in this environment will be compared to other plants to determine the possible impact of the technology in this area.
Other technologies being considered include deploying semi-autonomous tractors and using drones to spray chemicals onto fields, he said.
Also at yesterday's task force meeting, NTC President Jeannie Warden announced that the university will incorporate AI into the curriculum of all degree programs and create new short-term certificates this summer leading to technical and associate degrees. The university promoted the university's initiative. . Additionally, she said, the university is also using AI in its internal business practices.
“I know I can speak for my colleagues at the Wisconsin Technical College System when I say that we all recognize the importance of AI and the role it plays in preparing students to become knowledgeable AI professionals. ” she said.
