A partnership between the faculty of information technology (IT) at Monash University in Australia, BARD AI, PentaQuest and AgriSci is applying technology solutions that support informed spraying operations and better decision-making to reduce the impact of spray drift and improve overall agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability.
The project is called Revolutionising Agricultural Spray Applications for the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), according to a press release from Monash University.A partnership between the faculty of information technology (IT) at Monash University in Australia, BARD AI, PentaQuest and AgriSci is applying technology solutions that support informed spraying operations and better decision-making to reduce the impact of spray drift and improve overall agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability.#
Pesticides are used in farming practices to protect crops against pests, weeds and diseases, and help ensure the Australian agricultural industry remains productive, profitable and sustainable. The movement of pesticides beyond the target crop, termed spray drift, is undesirable as it results in wastage and unwanted exposure to non-target areas.
Spray drift costs the Australian cotton industry more than $18 million in crop losses in 2018 alone.
The project is currently developing cutting-edge solutions that combine artificial intelligence (AI), information and psychology to tackle the challenge of spray drift.
“Information alone does not change behaviour and the use of advanced technology doesn’t ensure the adoption of new platforms by farmers. By incorporating game-like design applications which drive better training and engagement outcomes, together with AI-driven decision support modelling, we’re able to deliver continuous adoption and accurate decision support that informs farmers appropriately,” said Ann Nicholson, interim dean of the faculty of IT at the university.
The gamification mechanics of the platform will encourage behavioural change by incentivising farmers through community participation, recognition of compliance as well as real-time risk assessments regarding their current spraying practices.
The AI component of the project will rely on Bayesian Networks, which provide a rigorous probabilistic methodology for modelling real world problems. This technology will deliver decision support to inform farmers in real-time about the potential risks and consequences of their spraying decisions.
As BARD AI founder Ross Pearson explains, this solution focuses on spray drift in a broad acre setting, but its potential and applications are much greater.
“Our solution combines leading-edge thinking and technology in behavioural science and probabilistic modelling to deliver an engaging experience for farmers that supports them through better decision-making,” he said.
The project received a Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) grant of close to $100,000 earlier this year and will be eligible to apply for a grant of up to $1 million to develop a prototype or proof of concept later this year.
BARD AI, which is a spin-off from a US government-funded research project led by Monash University, has been supported by Monash’s enterprise portfolio by establishing commercialisation pathways with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s ON programme, the Monash Generator Accelerator programme, as well as connectivity to the agricultural sector through the Monash AgTech LaunchPad.
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