Smart Yields to Harness AI to Accelerate Identification of Crop Issues

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The incorporation of cutting-edge technology in ag-tech marks the latest evolution of the firm, as lead founder Vincent Kimura returns to the position of CEO.HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES, May 25, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Hawaii-based agriculture technology company Smart Yields and its partners at the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) in Hilo were selected as one of only five teams nationwide to receive a USDA innovation grant focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).The proposalpitching a CoffeeMD computer vision platform that can rapidly identify the source of damage on coffee as being pests, diseases, or nutrient deficienciesearned $100,000 from the AI Innovation Fund, under the USDAs Agriculture Research Service (ARS). An urgent need exists for growers to be able to rapidly identify issues in their fields without needing to resort to an agent or having to search through lengthy documents online,Johnson added.Machine learning and computer vision approaches will provide for automated identification of damage caused by coffee pests and diseases, as well as nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, Johnson continues. We will work with a variety of partners and capitalize on the ARS SCINet to build an expert-curated library comprising thousands of images that will be used to train a neural network to support farmers in the field.The SCINet initiative is an effort by the ARS to grow USDAs research capacity by providing scientists with access to high-performance computing clusters, high-speed networking for data transfer, and training in scientific computing. This partnership will hopefully lead to even greater opportunities and advancement for Hawaiis critical agriculture industry.SHAC will serve as the logistics and fiscal coordinator for the CoffeeMD AI/ML project and will assist Smart Yields and PBARC in leveraging the pilot to spark broader ag-tech adoption in Hawaii.Artificial intelligence has recently captured the publics imagination as new, generative large language models are poised to transform every sector of business, said Smart Yields CEO Ryan Ozawa. But the machine learning models we will be deploying are time-tested, proven tools that could someday diagnose plant problems faster and more accurately than humansthe most limited resource in a global push to revitalize farming as both an economic engine and a critical part of community sustainability.With the successful launch of the CoffeeMD project, which further expands the capabilities of the Best Beans app, Ozawa will be stepping down as Smart Yields CEO, and lead founder Vincent Kimura will return to the helm for the companys next chapter.Vincent conceived of Smart Yields nearly a decade ago, and hes the leader it needs for its next evolution, Ozawa said.

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Smart Yields

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