Gyeonggi Province will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to predict adverse environmental conditions affecting crop biophysical information at an early stage.
The Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services announced on August 4 that it will establish an "AI-based Early Prediction System for Adverse Crop Environments Using Biophysical Information," which anticipates crop growth stress caused by pests, diseases, and abnormal weather conditions.
This crop adverse environment prediction system analyzes crop genes to convert stress responses?caused by factors such as pests, diseases, high temperatures, and drought?into quantified data, providing predictive information regarding these environmental challenges.
The provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services plans to use biomarker-based analysis technology and digital prediction algorithms to quickly detect stress responses within plants and deliver visualized results to farmers and related organizations.
Because the analysis is conducted at the genetic level, this system offers higher sensitivity and accuracy than conventional sensor- or image-based prediction methods, and it provides highly reliable data based on actual physiological responses, which sets it apart from existing systems.
The target crops are rice and soybeans.
Rice represents monocotyledonous crops, and soybeans represent dicotyledonous crops. The provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services plans to use these crops as foundational data for future expansion to a wider variety of crops.
During the growth period, the Agricultural Research and Extension Services will collect RNA samples at least three times a week to analyze gene expression patterns. Based on this analysis, they are developing algorithms to detect major risk factors such as pest and disease infections, and high-temperature or drought stress at an early stage. Once development is complete, the system will be implemented as a web-based platform, making it easily accessible for farms and technical centers.
When this system is introduced, it will enable the prediction of crop damage caused by pests, diseases, and extreme weather events across domestic farmland, allowing for effective adjustment of pest control schedules and crop management strategies.
Farmers will be able to reduce unnecessary use of pesticides and fertilizers based on predictive information, improve cultivation stability, and secure optimized yield and quality. Additionally, the collected biophysical information can serve as core data for public services such as variety selection and the development of climate-responsive agricultural policies.
The National Information Society Agency (NIA) will oversee the project. The Rural Development Administration will serve as a partner institution, while four universities including Kyungpook National University and five private companies including NamooICT will participate in the development. The provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services aims to complete system development by December.
Sung Jehun, head of the provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services, stated, "This system is an intelligent agricultural policy platform that combines digital technology and bioinformatics analysis. Through the development of an AI-powered agricultural information platform, we can provide practical support to farmers and accelerate the digital transformation of agriculture in Gyeonggi Province."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
