IMMOKALEE, Fla — The University of Florida is showing off new A.I tools that aim to change the game for farmers in Southwest Florida.
I went to the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee to get a first-hand look at how this tech could help growers - and consumers.
Watch my report here...
A giant drone took to the skies to spray for pests from the air, while an intelligent robot with cameras targeted weeds on the ground. Leading the demo was Yiannis Ampatzidis, an Associate Professor at the UF Agricultural and Biological Engineering center, showing how A.I. can help tackle farming’s toughest challenges.
“Number one is labor - we don’t have enough people to help harvest but also manage the crops. Disease and pest detection and management is very important,” said Ampatzitis.
From robotic harvesters to soil scanners and disease-monitoring drones, experts say using A.I. can lead to lower costs, higher yields, and better food on your table.
“Maybe in a few years, everything will be fully automated, or semi-automated, and then can reduce the cost. That means that even the price in the grocery store will be lower,” Ampatzitis explained.
Ampatzidis told me it’s all about maintaining soil health to ensure higher-quality crops long term. “It’s a complex system, so we need to have smarter technologies to deal with that, and fine the ideal environment to grow crops. And at the same time, affordable, sustainable solutions that will protect the environment,” said Ampatzitis.
Plus, in the future of farming, Ampatzidis said A.I. may be the most critical tool to stay ahead - so they want to keep it accessible.
“This is the number one priority for us. Cost is very important to increase adoption, and we try to develop low-cost solutions,” said Ampatzidis.
