John Deere creates machine agronomist

Technology with artificial intelligence will be able to distinguish how signal GMO plants introduced into the main crop will begin to give signs of certain stress, World of NAN reports.

As AgroXXI reports, John Deere shared with www.dtnpf.com at the recent CES (Consumer Electronics Show) about novelties of interest to an increasingly technology-oriented manufacturer.

Jorge Heraud, VP of Automation and Autonomy at John Deere, told Progressive Farmer about additional technologies in agronomy and spraying. The company representative noted that agronomically oriented artificial intelligence will now take messages from plants directly.

The fact is that John Deere invested $16 million last September in a company called InnerPlant. It's a startup that alters the DNA of plants, which then become "living sensors" that signal stress. As thespoon notes, the recoding of the plants' DNA uses a fluorescent, human-safe protein that illuminates the leaves of the plant when a problem occurs. When introduced into crops, the "sensors" are the first to show a specific problem because the leaves change color. Essentially, this turns the entire plant into a living signal that can "talk" to the grower when a problem occurs. Different colored indicators signal different problems.  When illuminated with a certain light, it's possible to get a fluorescent response from the plants - invisible to the human eye, but detectable by cameras, experts say. Such an early-warning system is being created primarily to protect soybeans, corn and cotton.

"We think that if all goes well, this technology will begin to advance and our machines will be able to see these plants that are different from healthy ones. They fluoresce and say, 'Hey, I have a fungal lesion!' It's super-informative and interesting. Because when you see a yellow leaf or a yellow plant, you don't know the cause, whether it's a water deficiency, an insect pest, a pathogenic fungus or a nitrogen deficiency. Many things cause yellowing. But this technology is very specific. It can pinpoint the culprit: insect, fungus or nutritional deficiency. That way you can target and apply to the plant what it needs."

Because the signals are invisible to the human eye, growers can use InnerPlant's augmented reality system to photograph their fields and view potential problems with an iPhone or iPad. Signals can also be detected by a drone flying overhead or even a satellite.

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