AI makes herbicide application more efficient

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is making the application of herbicides more efficient and strategic, serving as a cornerstone of precision agriculture. This was the central theme of a lecture by Rene Pereira, Cultural Practices Coordinator at Grupo Pedra, who Taranis invited to Brasil to speak on the first day of the 24^th edition of Herbishow, an event covered by AgroPages.

Under the topic ″Usability of Variable Rate Application with ROI,″ Pereira outlined how AI can be employed to perform variable rate spraying. This technology enables the adjustment of herbicide quantities applied within the same sugarcane plot based upon the presence of weeds.

Return on Investment (ROI) is a metric that measures the profit gained relative to the amount invested in a specific action. In the context of agricultural management, it is directly linked to the efficiency of the usage of inputs. During his presentation, Pereira highlighted how artificial intelligence has the potential to improve this metric by enabling more precise applications.

″In the 2023 cycle, during our first application, we planned a conventional rate with a cost of R$ 349.77 per hectare (approximately USD 63.86). By using variable rate applications, we reduced this cost to R$ 324.07 per hectare, resulting in a savings of R$ 25.70 per hectare. In 2024, we planned R$ 240.00 per hectare for the conventional method and achieved R$ 225.18 per hectare with variable rate, representing a savings of R$ 14.82 per hectare,″ he said.

According to Rene, this technology allows for higher application of products in areas with greater weed infestation, and lower amounts where the issue is less severe. This promotes more rational use of inputs, operational savings, and improved weed control. ″With this, we achieve a much more attractive ROI,″ Rene added, noting that the goal is not to stop applying herbicides, but to calibrate doses precisely according to the real needs of each area of the crop.

During the lecture, Rene also stressed that artificial intelligence is already a well-established ally in the field, with applications extending beyond mere process automation. ″AI enables more accurate weed management, reduces team exposure to chemical handling, and relieves farm management from the direct responsibility of mapping infested areas,″ he added.

As the sponsor of this lecture, Taranis has stood out in this field by utilizing ultra-high-resolution cameras mounted on drones and Cessna 172 aircraft. These devices can survey up to 2,000 hectares per day, capturing 4 to 8 samples per hectare with leaf-level precision. This technology allows for comprehensive monitoring of the entire process, from technical recommendations to the final product application.

The technology is capable of identifying some100 weed species, as well as detecting diseases and nutritional deficiencies in crops. The generated data is processed and made available on Taranis’s digital platform, providing farmers with detailed and easily accessible analyses. The choice between drones and airplanes depends on the size of the area and the topography under analysis.

During Herbishow, Flávio Castro, an agronomist and sales specialist at Taranis, commented that this high-precision technology serves as an ″input″ and a new ally to ensure success for farmers. ″We even have a matrix that cross-references two key pieces of information: the percentage of coverage and dispersion, meaning in which areas we find a specific weed species,″ he said.

In the view of Taranis’s General Manager, Fábio Franco, the use of artificial intelligence in selective spraying represents a significant advancement toward more efficient, sustainable management with a higher return on investment.

″Participating in Herbishow was a strategic opportunity to present the positive impact of technology in the field to a qualified audience of producers, industry leaders, and mill representatives,″ he noted.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)