November 23, 2024 | 11:55 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Wednesday- 09:53, 14/06/2023

Farmers use AI to identify pests, protect crops

(VAN) Chirrup analyzes animal sounds to help create a clear map of biodiversity in the area.
Black Soldier Fly larvae inside the Entocycle insect farming laboratory in London UK, on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The startup wants big business to adopt its insect farming technology. Photo: Carlos Jasso/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Black Soldier Fly larvae inside the Entocycle insect farming laboratory in London UK, on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The startup wants big business to adopt its insect farming technology. Photo: Carlos Jasso/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Farmers in the United Kingdom have started using artificial intelligence (AI) systems to help monitor their fields and protect them from dangerous creatures — such as animals and insects.

"It’s pretty much like having a real human sitting here 24/7 and listening when we tell it to listen," developer Conrad Young said of his Chirrup system, which can identify bird species from recordings of chirps.

The British-made program analyzes the "dawn chorus," or the early morning chirping that occurs when birds greet the sunrise. With each successive recording, the program is able to better identify all the birds in the area and help create a detailed database of the total biodiversity in the area.

Part of the key to the program’s success is that it doesn’t actually look at sound but at a spectrogram — a picture of a sound. The program has a 100-meter radius, according to The Morning News.

The map also includes other types of animals, including insects — far more dangerous pests that also present an issue for farmers who aim to remain organic and want to avoid turning to pesticides to protect their crops.

"They tell you what insects are about and obviously we are organic, so we don't use any insecticides, or sprays or anything like that," Peter Cheek, a farmer, told the BBC. "So if we have got those insects and the birds are eating them, they are also eating other bugs that are trying to damage the crops."

Cheek said his farm has achieved more healthy soil thanks to Chirrup, which he also noted provided a more affordable option to tackle the issue.

The program presents a more unique method of crop protection than other similar efforts, such as the use of AI-powered programs to protect endangered animals in Africa from poaching through the use of cameras and more advanced computer vision.

Another system in Africa aims to use AI to improve crop yields and help the continent handle environmental shocks, such as drought and climate change.

HD

(foxnews)

Gaza food production ‘decimated’ with 70% of farmland hit

Gaza food production ‘decimated’ with 70% of farmland hit

(VAN) Israeli attacks have destroyed huge areas of land used for crops, with 90% of cattle killed, analysis shows.

Improving safety at sea at a time of climate change

Improving safety at sea at a time of climate change

(VAN) Interview with Manuel Barange, Director of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

British farmers warn of bitter harvest

British farmers warn of bitter harvest

(VAN) Finances, politics and a cultural divide push the agriculture sector to the brink and stir up anger.

Small farms key to taking on hunger

Small farms key to taking on hunger

(VAN) Modest operations account for more than 90% of global food producers.

What the farmers' protest tells us about their argument with the government

What the farmers' protest tells us about their argument with the government

(VAN) The farmers' demonstration was best summed up in two images: real tractors being driven by farmers around Parliament Square, and beside them a collection of toy tractors being peddled around by their children.

FAO urges all its Members and partners to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

FAO urges all its Members and partners to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

(VAN) G20’s initiative is officially launched in Brazil. FAO will host the Global Alliance’s Support Mechanism.

COP29 showcases China’s progress in green transition

COP29 showcases China’s progress in green transition

(VAN) China has provided and mobilized more than 177 billion yuan of project funds since 2016 in support of other developing countries' climate response, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Read more