AI is a powerful, multi-purpose technology that has the potential to hyperoptimize on-farm activities to a more precise level than ever to help farmers reduce costs, manage data, and increase productivity.
Of the 30+ equipment and technologies being demonstrated and tested on EMILI’s Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert in 2026, a third involve AI.
By deploying technology in a fully-operational Manitoba farm setting, EMILI is able to validate what works and provide innovators with feedback on areas of improvement.
“Ground truthing the technology is critically important to ensure it is solving a problem for farmers and providing accurate data insights,” said Koroscil. “AI models don’t always get it right. Our team spends hours in the field counting weed populations, checking soil moisture levels, evaluating environmental conditions, and collecting agronomic measurements to provide boots-on-the-ground validation of what works and what doesn’t.”
Evaluating AI-powered technology in potato crops, irrigation, and storage
Potatoes are a significant crop in Manitoba where potato fields make up 20 per cent of Canada’s potato acreage. In 2023, the province exported $711 million worth of potatoes and potato products. At EMILI’s Innovation Farms MacGregor site, AI-powered tools are being tested and demonstrated in potato crops, irrigation systems, and storage bins.
An Agi3 Crop Sentry station provides advanced, field-level insights to empower data-driven decisions on crop growth, health, and yield. The AI-driven platform provides 24/7 crop monitoring and analytics throughout the growing season.
An Autonomous Pivot Centre Pivot Monitor collects continuous data such as crop growth stages and weather forecasts to provide real-time insights that optimize irrigation and alert growers to crop pests and disease risks. A unique feature is its ground penetrating radar which enables soil moisture monitoring without needing to drill a soil moisture probe into the ground.
Early disease detection is especially important in potato crops, which are prone to black dot and early blight. One technology that addresses this is the BioScout Airborne Spore Monitoring System. It uses AI and robotic microscopy to autonomously track airborne fungal spores in real time, helping to identify disease risk before symptoms are visible in the field.
“It lets you understand, with a traffic light system, what level the spore counts are in the field and how you should act, when you should act,” said Koroscil.
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