Since the advent of agriculture, growers have been at war with pests and diseases bent on destroying their crops. As technology has evolved, however, farmers focused on increasing their yields by mitigating these losses now have a new weapon in their arsenal: artificial intelligence.
Croptimus™ by Fermata utilizes computer vision to precisely identify pests & diseases across a variety of crops, including leafy greens, tomato seedlings, and medicinal plants — well before they become a serious threat. As early detection of pests and pathogens is key to ensuring both the quality and quantity of a harvest, Cultivatd immediately saw the value in offering Croptimus™ to their greenhouse and indoor farm clients.
“Identifying and stopping pests and disease before experiencing crop loss is a constant challenge for indoor farm operators,” Eric Levesque, Managing Partner at Cultivatd explained, “To help growers address the threat, Fermata’s advanced, 24/7, precise plant monitoring system discovers areas-of-concern well in advance of farm staff’s scouting efforts. By working to save labor costs, as well as improve crop quality, consistency, and yield, Fermata makes our clients’ lives easier and their companies more profitable.”
Boasting substantial returns on investment, the platform is designed for ease of use, and its implementation is non-disruptive to growing operations — typically installed within hours. Further, Croptimus™ actually improves over time through advanced machine learning and is backed by a team of integrated pest management (IPM) experts who audit results to ensure accuracy and refine the AI algorithms.
The Croptimus™ platform also features 360º views of the grow area canopy, with augmented reality overlays that indicate exactly where specific issues are to be found. Integrated heat maps depicting pest and disease pressure over time also allow growers to monitor their crops for persistent issues which may indicate problems within their facilities.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to work with Cultivatd in delivering advanced technology solutions designed to maximize profits for growers,” Fermata CEO Alastair Monk added, “As the use of computer vision in greenhouses and indoor farms is rapidly becoming a new standard for monitoring cultivation — starting with automating the discovery of pests and disease — this partnership is certain to extend our reach within the market, enabling more growers to take advantage of the significant crop loss and labor savings provided by Croptimus™.”
Source - https://www.hortidaily.com
