It sounds like the stuff of science fiction — but with enough data, new agricultural models really are able to predict the future of any crop-growing season with startling accuracy. Phys.Org reports that the approach, called digital-twin technology, has been developed by teams at Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The team’s findings were published in the Computers and Electronics in Agriculture journal. A mixed group of agronomists, computer engineers, electrical engineers, and civil engineers developed the initial model, which combines remote sensing and data collection.
In their first trial, the team collected over 250,000 data points on a single 200-acre Texas farm in one season, studying canopy cover, crop height, and vegetation numbers. After that, they developed a way to interpret the data using artificial intelligence. “That’s where our AI-powered web-based modeling comes in,” said Juan Landivar, Ph.D., the project’s director. “It translates complex datasets into actionable insights for farmers, helping with decisions on yield prediction, biomass estimation, crop termination and irrigation scheduling.”
For example, the model correctly identified that one farmer’s harvest would need to be prepared earlier than usual. “The farmer said ‘no way. I usually defoliate in July,'” Landivar explained, “but field observations … confirmed the model’s accuracy.” Ultimately, the farmer lost what Landivar calculated to be approximately $70 per acre in potential profit due to not heeding the model’s recommendations. It’s a striking example of the ways in which predictive agricultural technology is making farming decisions strictly data-driven.
While typically, farmers have to estimate their planting and go-to-market strategies based on a combination of past experience and guesswork, this digital-twin technology presents the option for more informed choices. “This precision saves costs and maximizes harvest potential,” Landivar enthused. “It also supports sustainability goals, like estimating biomass for carbon credit markets.” And as the technology grows, it has become more accessible and affordable. “We’ve come a long way,” Landivar said. “What used to be a luxury is now a necessity for modern farming.”
