Using Artificial Intelligence to Address Ag Challenges

Tacy Callies Agriculture, Technology

Far from his roots in a small town in northwest China, Changying “Charlie” Li is now the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) artificial intelligence (AI) administrative coordinator. He’s also a professor of agricultural and biological engineering.  Li joined UF/IFAS last year to focus on agricultural AI with research, teaching and administration appointments. He wants to …

Investing in Artificial Intelligence

Josh McGill Breeding, Technology

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) breeders produce new citrus plants more quickly than they can figure out if consumers like how the new fruit varieties taste. In the race to create versus evaluate, creators lead evaluators by hundreds of individual plants at a time. It takes a post-doc a …

accuweather

Artificial Intelligence to Assess Crop Damage

Josh McGill hurricane, Technology

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quantify damage to fruits and vegetables caused by extreme weather events. One such extreme weather event was Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm’s damage to all crops, livestock and aquaculture products was initially estimated at up …

Advancing Artificial Intelligence for Growers

Josh McGill Florida, Research, Technology

University scientists, engineers, producers, government agencies and industry officials across the Southeast recently met to brainstorm ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help growers. They concluded that they could empower growers and equip farms to increase their economic and environmental sustainability and develop resilient solutions to address climate change by using AI. The three-day conference, Envisioning 2050 in the …

How Artificial Intelligence Can Enhance the Citrus Industry

Tacy Callies Technology

By Yiannis Ampatzidis Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising area in computer science, automation, robotics and agriculture. AI describes the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior and mimic cognitive functions such as learning and problem-solving. Machine learning, which is an application of AI, is based on the idea that a machine, such as a computer or microcontroller, …

Irrigation Management With Artificial Intelligence

Tacy Callies Irrigation

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an overwhelming topic, but Sandra Guzmán says it is easier to swallow when it helps growers. Guzmán, an agricultural engineering assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center, has been working directly with growers to integrate the benefits of in-field technology. The influx …

Artificial Intelligence System Wins UF Honors

Ernie Neff Awards, Technology

UF Innovate | Tech Licensing recently recognized an artificial intelligence (AI) system known as Agroview as a UF Invention of the Year. The AI system was invented by Yiannis Ampatzidis and his research team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC). The system utilizes images from drones and satellites …

psyllids

Artificial Intelligence Could Help Citrus Growers Detect Psyllids

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release, Psyllids, Research, Technology

Precision agriculture engineer Yiannis Ampatzidis sees a day when citrus farmers use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the pin-sized insects that can infect the fruit’s trees with the deadly greening disease. That day could come in the near future, because Ampatzidis and his research team are starting to perfect a system to detect the potentially deadly Asian citrus psyllid. Citrus …

Artificial Intelligence for Detecting Citrus Pests, Diseases and Disorders

Tacy Callies Technology

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, William Holmes, Gary Test and Tim Ebert Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly common in electronic devices at home or work, in social media, video streaming services, electronic commerce, and in internet search engines. Now, AI is rapidly entering the farming scene. Growers using modern precision agriculture tools and techniques often face a barrage of high …

support

Florida Legislators Support Agriculture

Daniel Cooper Agriculture, Florida, Legislative

The 2024 Florida legislative session wrapped up last month, and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) believes it is very clear that state legislators support the agriculture industry. The association expressed appreciation for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and the Florida Legislature for championing legislation that sought meaningful solutions to some of the challenges facing the industry. BENEFICIAL BILLS …

Florida

Continued Commitment to Florida Ag

Daniel Cooper Agriculture, Education

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu When I arrived in Florida three and a half years ago to lead the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), my message to Farm Bureau members was, “I work for you.” I still do, but no longer as UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. I’ve become provost, the …

international

International Event to Focus on Flavor

Daniel Cooper Events, International

Food and beverage industry representatives from across the world will gather in Orlando March 4–6 to learn the research behind unique tastes and aromas during the third International Flavor Summit. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista.  Scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) …

Crop Transformation Center

Crop Transformation Center Takes Aim at HLB Resistance

Daniel Cooper Breeding, HLB Management, Research

By Frank Giles The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has established itself as a leader in new technological frontiers like artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, the school has the 15th most powerful computer in the world. The HiPerGator, as the computer is called, will assist in AI development and on many other technological fronts. Another …

New AgTech Expo Looks at Rapidly Moving Sector

Tacy Callies Events, Technology

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center presented the Florida AgTech and AI Expo in Punta Gorda on Dec. 14. The event showcased emerging trends in technology and how some farms are putting ag technology to work in the real world. In addition to …

Research Team Aims for HLB Resistance/Tolerance

Tacy Callies HLB Management, Research

A team led by Clemson University is receiving a second multimillion-dollar federal grant to continue research into HLB. Feng Luo, the Marvin J. Pinson, Jr. ’46 Distinguished Professor in the School of Computing, is the principal investigator. The project is funded with $4.1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). Co-principal investigators …

More Details on the Plant Transformation Center

Josh McGill Breeding, HLB Management

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) provided more information about a planned Plant Transformation Center. Foremost among goals for the center is finding citrus varieties that can tolerate or resist HLB disease. UF/IFAS will utilize $2 million from an initiative by UF President Ben Sasse to create the Plant Transformation Center. The center’s objectives include: …

Strong Support for Plant Transformation Center

Josh McGill Breeding, Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) approved almost $1.05 million to support a University of Florida Plant Transformation Center that will develop methodologies and technologies to improve HLB resistance and tolerance in citrus. The approval followed an overview of the center presented by Scott Angle, University of Florida (UF) senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, who oversees the UF …

Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers Gather for Field Day

Josh McGill Cold Hardy, Events

Production in the cold-hardy citrus region was under the spotlight during a recent field day in Quincy, Florida. Growers and industry leaders visited the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) to learn about various facets of citrus production. Topics like controlled-release fertilizers, crop diversification and implementation of artificial intelligence …

Florida Department of Citrus Budget and Tax Rates Set

Josh McGill Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Oct. 25 set the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) budget and grower assessment rates for the 2023–24 season. The FDOC budget will be $23.239 million, about $6.5 million less than the 2022–23 budget of $29.795 million. It includes administrative and support services of $2.153 million, a general revenue service charge of $222,000, a research …

HLB Tools for Today and Tomorrow

Josh McGill Citrus Expo, HLB Management

By Frank Giles and Tacy Callies The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo hosted two citrus educational sessions during the Aug. 16–17 event held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The sessions included both long-term research aimed at delivering trees resistant to HLB as well as what growers can do today to help mitigate the effects of the disease in …