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The California Report

AI Aims to Bring Farming Into the Future

Bejan Siavoshy
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PRODUCTION - 15 May 2024, Lower Saxony, Jork: A tractor equipped with technology from the "SAMSON" project ("Smart Automation Systems and Services for Fruit Growing on the Lower Elbe") drives through the rows of trees. With the help of artificial intelligence, a research project in the Altes Land region near Hamburg aims to make fruit growing more efficient. One aim is to better detect pests and use fewer chemicals. Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa (Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

 

  • Authorities in Southern California have issued evacuation warnings for parts of Los Angeles County that were scorched by wildfires last month, as heavy rains in the region increase the risks of dangerous mudslides in those areas.
  • Artificial Intelligence is being touted as the next big advancement to take almost every industry into a new direction, and at one of the world’s largest agriculture expos, AI evangelists see the new tech as the next big advancement in farming.

AI Firms Hope to Deliver a New Era of Efficiency in Agriculture

This year’s World Ag Expo in California’s Tulare County is drawing thousands of visitors from across the globe to see cutting-edge farming and harvesting equipment, designed to make one of the the world’s oldest vocations easier.

One of the big features that many manufacturers are touting as the future of farming is equipment that uses AI.

From autonomous crop sprayers to AI powered weed pullers, the tech is being lauded as the best new way that farmers can cut their costs, maximize efficiency and reduce reliance on environmentally harmful pesticides.

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Atmospheric Rivers are Raising Mudslide and Flood Risks throughout California

As Southern California grapples with the strongest storm system of the winter to hit the region, authorities have issues evacuation warnings in parts of the Pacific Palisades, Hollywood Hills, Malibu and other parts of LA County that were scorched in last months wildfires, due to risks of mudslides.

Authorities have set up concrete barriers known as K-rails throughout the high risk areas in order to keep debris in the streets and away from homes.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said that the nature of the weather and mudslide risks mean that residents in areas under evacuation warnings need to be prepared to leave, and it is not clear when they would be allowed to return if the worst comes to pass.

Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, an atmospheric river is pounding the region. The California Highway Patrol’s Golden Gate Division said that road flooding and vehicle spinouts have been prevalent throughout the region, as cars hit the road during rush hour.

PG&E’s service map shows that power outages are happening throughout the Bay Area, with the largest blackout impacting thousands of customers in South San Jose.

The National Weather Service said that the heavy rains and gusty winds are hitting residents in the Santa Cruz mountains the hardest.

The atmospheric river could bring down as much as an inch of rain per hour in some parts of the Bay Area, as well winds reaching up to speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour.

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