Digital tools and AI that have the potential to save farmers time and boost productivity were the focus of a recent Beef + Lamb New Zealand Tech on the Land field day in Tararua.
Digital tools and AI that have the potential to save farmers time and boost productivity were the focus of a recent Beef + Lamb New Zealand Tech on the Land field day in Tararua.
Held at Tui HQ in Mangatainoka, the day attracted over 100 farmers and agribusiness professionals keen to learn about the technologies that will shape the future of farming.
Apps
Journalist and farmer Rebecca Greaves set the scene by listing her top five apps. These were the parasite management app DAGI (drench and grazing Integration), AIMER Vision and AIMER Farming, which allows farmers to measure pasture covers using their smartphone, Levno which monitors farm infrastructure such as water supply and fuel tanks, the safety and location-sharing app Life360. Her final pick was Otter.ai, an AI-powered notetaker that records, transcribes and summarises meetings.
ChatGPT
Simon Marshall told the audience that ChatGPT and similar tools could help farmers plan, problem solve,and save time.
He explained that GPT was an anacronym for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, an AI model that could understand and generate human-like text.
It can be used as a highly skilled assistant that can help think through problems, generate ideas and answer questions.
It can be used on-farm in a multitude of ways including:
- Cost benefit analysis.
- Running different scenarios for seasonal changes and market conditions.
- Creating quick and simple feed budgets.
- Health and safety inductions.
- Short-term animal health plans.
- Writing emails.
- Preparing meeting agendas.
- In essence, it can help with organisation and forward planning.
Top tips for using ChatGPT
- Use the same login for the phone and computer as ChatGPT syncs automatically. This means a task can be started on the phone and finished on the computer.
- Be very clear with instructions. Refine and persist until you get the result you want.
- Ask ChatGPT to challenge thinking. Push it to create better outcomes.
- Check where the information is coming from and whether the sources are reliable.
- Ask ChatGPT to review a task- it will often make useful suggestions.
Sir Ian Taylor
Sir Ian began his presentation by talking about his childhood and recalling when electricity arrived at his home in 1957. Today, he uses technology, in the form of Google Earth, to show the audience the home he grew up in.
He described his journey from TV presenter to founding Animation Research Ltd, when he employed four young computer scientists. These scientists pioneered ways of turning data into images, transforming sports broadcasting globally.
Thanks to AI, work that used to take ARL weeks can now be done in minutes, and Sir Ian urged NZ to adopt technology to drive efficiencies in education, energy and farming.
He highlighted opportunities such as solar panels on farms and in homes – feeding power back to the grid – or tapping into the geothermal energy in Taupo’s Volcanic Zone. He gave an example of Forest Lodge Orchard, the world’s first fully electric orchard which saves 60 tonnes of carbon per harvest.
His involvement with NZ Product Accelerator has shown Sir Ian how forests have the potential to fuel a whole bioeconomy. Turning plantation trees into bio-chemicals, biofuels, biomaterials and packaging could unlock an extra $12-$19 million in export value.
Throughout his presentation he referenced the whakatuaki- Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō – that it is the past that always lies in front of us.
“The footsteps laid down by our ancestors centuries ago create the paving stones upon which we stand today.”
He urges NZ to take bold steps forward and by combining culture, technology and innovation, NZ can lift its productivity, embrace renewables and build industries that retain more value at home.