Grainswest - Tech 2024

Tech 2024 Grains West 6 AI gonewild THE WILD ROBOT , A MOVIE BASED ON THE bestselling kids’ book series by Peter Brown, is scheduled for theatrical release this fall. In book two of the series, The Wild Robot Escapes , title character Roz the robot puts her artificial intelligence (AI) to work on a struggling family farm. With a body that is shiny and metal but human-like in shape, Roz acts as a tireless farmhand. While this is the author’s vision of future farm technology, it’s not so far-fetched. The farm robots pictured on the cover of this issue of GrainsWest are produced by SwarmFarm. Now at work in Aus- tralian farm fields, these units are being tested for deployment in Canada and the U.S. The miniaturized counterpart of stand- ard tractors, they’re one of several new machines we examine in “New directions in tractor tech” (pg. 22). Headquartered in Edmonton, the Canadian Agri-Food Auto- mation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) aids in the develop- ment of digital farm technologies. Canadian farmers are well served by CAAIN and fellow ag-tech institutions now at work in this promising space. The Olds College of Agriculture and Tech- nology HyperLayer Data Concept project also works to harness AI for agricultural production. A sign of things to come, most of the highly promising pro- jects CAAIN has funded involve AI. From its use in precision agriculture equipment and autonomous vehicles to agrifood production systems, AI has quickly become a standard com- ponent of farm and food manufacturing operations. In “AI has arrived” (pg. 34), this technology is central to new products that manage bees, weeds and beef and even dispense agronomic advice. EDITOR’S MESSAGE AI systems are being employed everywhere there is farm data to collect, whether it’s through sensor-equipped implements, camera-equipped drones or satellites. Likewise, this technology will improve the way agri-food processing facilities operate. An autonomous sprayer may not yet wave hello to passersby the way Roz the robot might, but the technology it relies upon is just as helpful A NEW LOOK AT ON-FARM RENEWABLES In rural Alberta, renewable energy projects have enthusiastic supporters and loud detractors. Many farmers have welcomed these projects onto their land, and local communities enjoy the dependable property tax dollars they generate. In contrast, the many who oppose wind and solar initiatives say they are unsightly and criticize the use of farmland for such non-agricul- tural purposes. This led the Province to enact a temporary halt to renewable project development and create new restrictions. Because it has been such a hot and evolving topic, this is the third year in a row we’ve featured a renewable energy story in the annual GrainsWest ag tech issue. Whereas our two previous stories explored the boom in wind and solar energy generation in rural Alberta and resulting backlash, “Shared accommo- dation” (pg. 31) centres on new research into agrivoltaics, a term for agriculture-compatible solar arrays. A major study of livestock-friendly panel placement will be conducted on the University of Calgary’s W.A. Ranches. This is not the last word on the issue. But, given the number of words we’ve printed on renewables, we may institute a short, self-imposed moratorium. Lightweight, autonomous SwarmFarm robots are on the move in Australian fields and set for introduction in North America. Photo: Courtesy of SwarmFarm