Artificial intelligence and machine learning enable more precise evaluation of crop diseases and pests in field trials around the world
TECNALIA and BASF are working together on digitalisation to accelerate the global research and development of new crop protection products. This contributes to faster development of innovations that respond to farmers’ needs worldwide to control weeds, fungal diseases and insect pests in their crops, protecting yield and biodiversity at the same time.
The two companies have jointly developed an automated image recognition technology to determine the species and quantity of plants, pests and diseases in greenhouse and field trials. Protecting crops from diseases and pests is essential to sustainably improve yield on existing arable land to feed a growing population.
“Our partnership with TECNALIA, started in 2014, allows us to employ state-of-the-art algorithms based on artificial intelligence and machine learning,” said Ramón Navarra-Mestre, Head of Global Agricultural Research Stations at BASF. “This new, efficient technology provides us with more reliable information from our global field testing network as image recognition assessment can be performed more frequently and deliver more objective data compared to traditional methods.”
Efficiency of new products
By analysing and processing these amounts of data from BASF’s field trials, TECNALIA continuously develops its algorithms further. The more information we incorporate into our database, the more reliable and meaningful are the results.
These comprehensive data sets enable researchers and developers at BASF to optimally evaluate the efficiency of new crop protection products. Already at an early stage of the R&D process, this allows an even stronger focus on the most promising, innovative active ingredients.
For more information on digitalisation, artificial intelligence and deep learning, contact: industria@tecnalia.com
