U of S researchers hoping to lower crop pesticide use by as much as 95 per cent

University of Saskatchewan researchers are part of a consortium that will develop technology to help lower pesticide use across Canada, and also make crop production more efficient and affordable for farmers.

It is estimated that the new technology could reduce pesticide use by up to 95 per cent while maintaining crop yield, saving farmers about $52 an acre per growing season.

The $26.2-million project will use artificial intelligence to target weeds and other pest crops. The consortium is made up of private and public partners, including the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the U of S.

“Collaboration between industry, government and universities is critical to accelerate agtech research and advance Canada as a global leader in plant protein innovation to help feed a hungry world,” U of S vice-president research Karen Chad said in a release.

U of S participation in the project will be led through the university’s Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre, managed by GIFS.

The lead researcher is U of S computer scientist Ian Stavness, who is an expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to agriculture.

“The aim is to develop new ways to spray weeds or other pests in a targeted way,” Stavness said. “The university’s role is to develop a way to find out precisely where the weeds are so that they can be sprayed more efficiently to reduce pesticide use and help protect the environment.

“We will develop software to automatically sort through drone images of fields to identify weeds.”

The technology can be retrofitted to existing pesticide sprayers as well as to new sprayers, creating a product suitable for producers across Canada, the release said.