Kenyan farmers are using artificial intelligence to produce much more food

Kenyan farmers are using artificial intelligence to produce much more food
Locusts in a Kenyan field. The whole field looks like that. February 2020 in Kenya. Channel 4 News, YouTube

Kenya is one of the world’s poorer and hungrier nations, ranking only #156 out of 171 nations in how much its citizens eat, and ranking only #134 in per capita income. But even in Kenya, technological advances are making life better, such as artificial intelligence. Kenyan farmers are using artificial intelligence to radically increase crop yields and avoid wasting fertilizer, reports The Guardian:

Sammy Selim strode through the dense, shiny green bushes on the slopes of his coffee farm in Sorwot village in Kericho, Kenya, accompanied by a younger farmer…They paused at each corner to send the farm’s coordinates to a WhatsApp conversation. The conversation was with Virtual Agronomist, a tool that uses artificial intelligence to provide fertiliser application advice using chat prompts. The chatbot asked some further questions before producing a report saying that Selim should target a yield of 7.9 tonnes and use three types of fertiliser in specific quantities to achieve that goal. ‘My God!’ Selim said upon receipt of the report. He had planned to use much more fertiliser than Virtual Agronomist was recommending. ‘I could have wasted money.’

In Kericho and other parts of Kenya, AI-powered tools have become increasingly popular among small-scale farmers seeking to improve the quality and quantity of their produce.”…

Selim started using Virtual Agronomist on his 0.4-hectare (1-acre) farm in 2022, with the help of another farmer who had a smartphone at the time. Following its recommendations, his farm produced 7.3 tonnes of coffee, his highest yield ever. He’s optimistic that the new recommendations will work too. “Technology helps,” he said.

Before adopting Virtual Agronomist, Selim would simply apply fertiliser using what he described as “general farmer’s knowledge”, putting different types at different times of the year without knowing the soil health. The farm’s productivity was low. In one season, he managed to produce only 2.3 tonnes of coffee….

This artificial intelligence tool yields much more accurate information than advice from government agricultural extension offices. It also yields faster, cheaper results than sending soil samples to distant private soil labs. Kenyan soil labs can take months to provide farmers with test results, leaving farmers in the dark as they make critical decisions about planting and fertilizer use.

The impoverished African nation of Zambia has used artificial intelligence to find new mineral wealth.

Artificial intelligence is also greatly improving the detection of many different diseases. Artificial intelligence has discovered a new material that could reduce lithium use in batteries and thus reduce our dependence on China. Artificial intelligence is outperforming radiologists in detecting prostate cancer. Artificial intelligence is also being used to generate highly-effective antibodies to fight disease. Doctors overseas are using artificial intelligence to detect cases of breast cancer more effectively.

Robots with artificial intelligence are spreading on Japanese farms. In the U.S., farming robots now use artificial intelligence to kill 100,000 weeds per hour. Drones with artificial intelligence will make farming easier.

Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells to repair damaged cells. Nanorobots are also being used to fight cancer by cutting off the blood supply of tumors.

Artificial intelligence has discovered a new material that could reduce lithium use in batteries and thus reduce our dependence on China.

Artificial intelligence may help you control some of your dreams. The usefulness of artificial intelligence is a reason to fight federal legislation to micromanage AI algorithms, such as legislation described by Stuart Baker at Reason Magazine’s web site, which could stifle innovation and increase harmful red tape.

Hans Bader

Hans Bader

Hans Bader practices law in Washington, D.C. After studying economics and history at the University of Virginia and law at Harvard, he practiced civil-rights, international-trade, and constitutional law. He also once worked in the Education Department. Hans writes for CNSNews.com and has appeared on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.” Contact him at hfb138@yahoo.com

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