Editor’s note: The Farm Progress Show is Aug. 27-29 in Boone, Iowa. Visit FarmProgressShow.com.

by Chris Kick

Aside from the weather, few things can decimate a crop like insects and weeds. Fortunately, the options to identify and treat both are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and efficient.

Two of the latest gadgets that can help with this issue will be displayed at this year’s Farm Progress Show, Aug. 27-29 in Boone.

Arti Singh, an associate professor in agronomy at Iowa State University, along with AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture team members, will release the InsectNet app. This app can identify around 4,000 insect species and be explicitly trained for Iowa insects. AIIRA members will also showcase the beta version of a weed identification app called WeedsNet.

Both products stem from countless hours of adding new data and perfecting the ability of the apps to identify threats to crops. The InsectNet app that was displayed at the 2020 Farm Progress Show was still in the form of a beta version.

“For the last few years, we have been training these artificial intelligence models to identify insects and weeds, and now these models are starting to work in the field with high accuracy,” Singh says. “We are rapidly moving from digital agriculture to AI-driven agriculture.”

Firsthand experience

A QR code for both apps will be available at the show, allowing participants to test them firsthand.

The insect app will help producers identify insects that are pests, and also those that can be beneficial. It’s important to understand the difference, Singh says. Some beneficial insects that have been added include honeybees and butterflies, as well as insects that are considered predators.

The model can also be built to identify new insects entering a particular region.

In addition to both apps, the team will also be showcasing a sprayer drone, which is equipped to do site-specific herbicide application.

The application and use of sprayer drones are still in the experimental stages, but Singh and her team are rapidly expanding their usefulness in the field. Their goal is to equip robotic sprayers with AI technology that tells the robot where to spray.

Teaching the app

The model is working well on Palmer amaranth, but it is getting stumped by waterhemp.

Meaghan Anderson, a field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach, says that’s not surprising.

“Other apps and even people have difficulty differentiating waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, so it is no surprise it will take more training to teach this app the difference,” she says. “We are currently working on compiling images of waterhemp and other weed species to train the app better to identify these species correctly.”

She plans to have several weed species at the Farm Progress Show to demonstrate weeds that the app identifies well, and others that still need work.

Public research

Although for-profit companies are working on similar technology, Singh says it’s important for ISU to bring this research into the public domain.

“As researchers, we need to bring the science of this technology to light, which will create opportunities for farmers and the general public, as well as other scientists and companies, to follow,” Singh says.

In addition to the drones and robots, her team plans to provide informational handouts that participants can use for further learning.

The Iowa State University exhibit space can be found at the corner of Seventh Street and Central Avenue.

Singh can be reached at 515-294-0948 or [email protected].

Kick is a communications specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.