The term “artificial intelligence” has generated pages of dystopian copy surrounding the displacement of jobs and the dehumanization of the workplace, but in farm fields, AI and machine learning are proving to be an efficient ally of growers for combating weeds and keeping expenses in check.

While research shows conservation practices such as no-till and cover crops increase the value of farmland by improving the productivity of the soil, adopting these measures often has an immediate upfront cost and a less-than-immediate return on investment.

In a year fraught with widespread herbicide shortages, a mechanical weed-control system has never looked so attractive.

The use of AN electrical current as a weed-destroying mode of action continues to gain traction globally.

Folks interested in the future of agricultural weed control are spending a lot of time following the dollars being spent on precision technology and artificial intelligence (AI) as major farm equipment and chemical companies collaborate to improve the efficiency of their products.

Farming 25 miles southeast of Dodge City in southwestern Kansas with limited irrigation, long-time no-tiller Lance Feikert says it’s difficult to set a rotation schedule and stick with it because of rainfall variability.

With a lifetime of farming experience and degrees in agronomy and economics, Dave Krog says he’s trying to whittle variable and fixed costs from today’s equipment outlays with an electric, autonomous drive unit aimed squarely at the 24-row planter market.