Farmers See AI Playing a Bigger Role in Automation, Soil Decisions

Some farmers say artificial intelligence has a place in agriculture.  Southwest Ohio farmer Eric Tipton says AI could be beneficial for automation technology.

“Those sorts of things like facial recognition and, in our case, object recognition,” Tipton said, “where that tractor or vehicle has to recognize the difference between a human being and a rock, could also help strengthen soil management decisions.
“We do not have the capacity to sit here and calculate all the different soil levels and all of the things going on in our soil system.” Tipton said.

Scott Gigstad, a fourth-generation farmer from northeastern Kansas, says he has mixed feelings about AI but feels it could be an important tool for autonomous tractors.

“I’ve had discussions with John Deere about autonomous tractors because, believe it or not, that sounds somewhat attractive to me, especially since I’m really limited on my labor pool,” Gigstad said.  He also fears too much AI incorporation could lead to some producers getting too dependent on tech devices.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Farmers and ranchers are often early adopters of technology, especially if it improves their ability to manage, save time or increase productivity.  They also carefully calculate the risk-reward payoff.  Technology has led to massive changes and improvements in agricultural productivity over time.  AI will likely prove to be another tool that will lead to better farming and ranching practices.  

Showing off one of those AGwagons® at your dealership is an excellent way to appeal to the farm/ranch obsession with technology.  That is especially true since the AGwagon was designed by farmers and ranchers for farmers and ranchers.  With extensive improvements in engineering and performance, the AGwagon is sure to pique their interest!