Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Life on the Farm
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Robotic sprayers that zap individual weeds, but not crops.
Self-driving machines that deliver water and nutrients to hundreds of acres of row crops.
Manure-scraping robots. These aren’t inventions of science fiction. They’re existing technologies that are transforming the agriculture industry.
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The Future Is Here
“Some AI-driven technologies are game changers for agriculture, in the markets and in the fields,” says Scott Shearer, Ph.D., professor and chair of The Ohio State University’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
“We’re seeing an upward trend in the number of companies using AI-driven autonomy packages to do work that used to be done by humans. This is a great solution to the persistent farm labor shortage,” Shearer says.
“Take weed control, for example,” he says. “AI-driven automation is revolutionizing weed control on farms. John Deere pioneered this technology with the See & Spray.”
The John Deere See & Spray technology is an add-on system for agricultural sprayers that targets and sprays individual weeds growing in with crops. The system is powered by advanced high-resolution cameras together with AI and precision spraying equipment. It distinguishes between weeds and crops and only treats the weeds with herbicide. This system can reduce herbicide use by up to 77%, which lowers costs of production while improving sustainability.
In other recent tech innovation, the Monarch Tractor nailed the No. 1 spot on the Fast Company list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024 in the Agriculture category.
This versatile, driver-optional electric tractor can be pre-programmed for a variety of uses, such as tilling, plowing, and spraying orchards and vineyards. It reduces labor and fuel costs and delivers a lower carbon footprint than traditional diesel-powered tractors. The Monarch Tractor is assembled in Lordstown, Ohio.
Family Time ROI
Farmers are already using smart equipment to streamline time-consuming jobs. Ryan Schmitmeyer runs a family farm in Versailles, Ohio, with his wife and six children. They milk 400 head of Holsteins and finish 1,000 head of hogs on 600 acres of row crops and acreage for livestock.
“We had several reasons for adopting AI,” Schmitmeyer says. “We’re always looking for ways to be more profitable, but it’s not just about money. The more we automate, the more we can get done – and that frees up time for family. Plus, it has a better environmental impact.”
Schmitmeyer trusts the 360 RAIN Irrigation System to help make his work more efficient.
The 360 RAIN replaces the old tank-out or drag-line method of delivering water and nutrients, which is labor intensive with potential runoff and nutrient loss. The 360 RAIN unit is programmed to inch down crop rows to irrigate and deliver nutrients drawn from a holding pond where manure is stored. The machine is self- driving, runs day and night, and can be controlled remotely if needed via mobile devices.
But the innovation doesn’t end there.
“We’re also prototyping injecting cover crops into the liquid stream and seeding cover crops with this irrigation machine,” Schmitmeyer says. “We’ll be the first farm in the world to inject cover crop seeds this way.”
On Schmitmeyer’s farm, automation isn’t just in the fields. It’s also in the dairy parlor.
“We recently started using manure-scraping robots. They’re like a Roomba for manure,” he says. “They squeegee and vacuum the manure and send it to the lagoon. They operate around the clock and they’re quiet. The cows don’t mind them at all.”
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What’s Next?
“In the future, there will be a gradual acceleration of technology into the practice of agriculture in Ohio, where even smaller operations will produce more from limited land resources with the help of technology driven by AI,” Shearer predicts.
And that’s good news for the farmers who feed the world.