Arable farmers are investing in AI to bring the latest and most relevant industry research to the growers who can most benefit.
The problem has been that while all the sector research is available via a website search, that process was unreasonably clunky. The searching process delivered too many documents rather than the answers being looked for. And the seasonal aspects important for arable farmers for a specific crop or problem rarely were easy to discover.
The AI solution they have settled on however addresses most of these issues. That is the Caitlyn AI interface.
The solution via an advanced Large Language Model delivers a natural, conversational experience for the user/grower, getting relevant responses while keeping sensitive data secure and private.
“Our goal is to transform growers’ perception of the website resource from having a body of documents that were difficult to navigate” to “the go-to site for all things arable”, said FAR boss Ivan Lawrie.
It gives easy and relevant access to thousands of research reports and extension documents about growing and harvesting of over 40 different crops. The crops themselves range from cereals like wheat and oats to vegetable seeds like clover or radish; while topics of interest include everything from crop establishment, nutrition and agrichemical use, to soil quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Getting the latest research-led information easily will make it much more likely best-practice and knowledge will shift from the lab to the farm. That will ensure the funding for this resource pays off handsomely for growers.
The Caitlyn tool is here.
Other industry groups are watching and likely to follow this initiative.
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