How will artificial intelligence play a part in crop improvement?

Iowa farmers can expect innovative technological advances in crop improvement as emerging artificial intelligence (AI) bridges science and practice to create better products and farm management tools.

Iowa State University (ISU) researchers are receiving more inquiries about how AI can enhance crop production and admit that while AI’s development for the ag sector is in its infancy, significant growth is expected in the next 5 to 10 years.

“People have a lot of questions about how to actively start using AI in crop improvement,” said Jianming Yu, Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding and Director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding in ISU’s Department of Agronomy. “There are many specific examples of constructive use of these tools, but at a large scale, it really hasn’t happened yet.”

Karlene Negus, ISU doctoral student in genetics and genomics, joined Yu and others co-authoring an examination of AI’s role in crop improvement that appeared recently in Advances...