Advancements In Precision Agriculture

Oct 14, 2016

It is a phrase that sounds lifted straight from a science-fiction novel, “swarm intelligence,” but it is in fact real technology that could potentially bring you food grown by drones.

Advancements in precision agriculture suggest that in the coming future, drones will help farmers to map weeds in their field, and improve crop yields. This is the promise of a research project funded by ECHORD++ called ‘SAGA: Swarm Robotics for Agricultural Applications’. SAGA will be presented at the forthcoming Maker Fair held in Rome from October 14th to 16th. The project will deliver a swarm of drones programmed to monitor a field and precisely map the presence of weeds among the crops through on-board machine vision. Additionally, drones attract each other at weed infested areas, allowing them to only inspect those areas accurately. This is similar to swarms of bees that forage the most profitable flower patches. In this way, the planning of weed control activities can be limited to high-priority areas, hence generating savings while increasing productivity.

“The application of swarm robotics to precision agriculture represents a paradigm shift with a tremendous potential impact” says Dr. Vito Trianni, SAGA project coordinator and researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies of the Italian National Research Council (ISTC-CNR). “As the price of robotics hardware lowers and the miniaturization and abilities of robots increase, we will soon be able to automate solutions at the individual plant level.

This needs to be accompanied by the ability to work in large groups, so as to efficiently cover big fields and work in synergy. Swarm robotics offers solutions to such a problem”, says Dr. Trianni. Miniature machines avoid soil compaction and can act only where needed; robots can adopt mechanical solutions, as opposed to the use of chemicals, suitable for organic farming; and robot swarms can be scaled to exactly fit different farm sizes. Novel hardware, precise individual control and collective intelligence: this is the recipe proposed by the SAGA project for precision farming.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.