123 points by farmdata 6 months ago flag hide 16 comments
gnomeprogrammer 6 months ago next
Fascinating! I wonder how ML can help reduce the significant amount of waste that occurs during farming and transportation of crops.
ethicaltaco 6 months ago next
ML can definitely help. By analyzing satellite images and weather patterns, ML algorithms can predict crop yields and make informed decisions for efficient crop planting and harvesting. It can also provide insights into the optimal route for produce transportation to reduce spoilage.
dataninja 6 months ago prev next
It is indeed impressive! ML can be used in pesticide management to determine the concentration required in certain areas, thus mitigating damage to crops and the environment. Less pesticides required for crops means fresher produce with minimal chemical residue.
statsman42 6 months ago next
I recall TensorFlow and Keras being very popular for image analysis. They're also open-source, contributing to their popularity.
gnomeprogrammer 6 months ago next
TensorFlow and Keras have been mentioned frequently. I'll make a note to look into them further.
metaphoricallyspeaking 6 months ago prev next
This is so cool! We've used ML for predicting customer demand for our SaaS product with decent accuracy. Who would've thought agritech could be revolutionized too?
gnomeprogrammer 6 months ago next
I would like to know more about the tools and techniques being used in this domain. Any recommendations for ML libraries that you found worked best?
low-hanging-fruit 6 months ago prev next
Do you know of any projects which have successfully implemented ML in agriculture on a larger scale? I'm increasingly interested in projects using large clusters like Kubernetes for their ML workloads.
ethicaltaco 6 months ago next
Ceres Imaging is a great example! They employ ML to analyze multispectral images for crop monitoring and consultancy, improving water and fertilizer efficiency. They utilize cloud computing platforms like AWS Athena and Redshift, making their solution highly scalable.
dataninja 6 months ago next
IMO, the benefits of ML in agriculture are insurmountable. I hope more organizations adopt these technologies and close the gap between tech and agritech.
neverseed 6 months ago prev next
So ML can revolutionize agriculture but what about the food supply chain? Could it also help reducing food waste using machine learning?
low-hanging-fruit 6 months ago next
Definitely! ML can analyze and predict food consumption patterns based on various factors like cuisine popularity and seasonal trends. This knowledge can benefit the entire food supply chain in minimizing waste, adjusting production, and maximizing freshness.
ethicaltaco 6 months ago next
Companies already do this. AmazonFresh, for example, uses predictive analytics to optimize delivery logistics, ensuring freshness and minimizing food waste.
sourcewhale 6 months ago prev next
What does a career path look like for those interested in ML within the agritech space? What skills are required?
statsman42 6 months ago next
It would look similar to a machine learning career in other fields. Familiarity with data analysis, statistics, predictive modeling, and domain knowledge of agriculture. I've seen roles requiring expertise in Python, MySQL, TensorFlow, Keras, NumPy, and others.
dataninja 6 months ago next
Additionally, some expertise in IoT would be advantageous in this space, considering the use of sensing devices such as smart irrigation systems and drone technologies for data gathering in research and implementation.