JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s Aerobotics is utilizing artificial intelligence in helping fruit and nut farmers improve crop yields. Although the Cape Town-based company only started nine years ago, it is already operating in 18 countries, with the U.S. being their largest market, followed by South Africa, Australia, Spain and Portugal. Its customers produce tens of millions of tons of fresh produce every year.
Which is where Aerobotics has stepped in, using AI to reverse these trends by almost miraculously helping directly to increase not just the amount of produce grown, but also utilize the dwindling water resources more efficiently. 'Food security is a global challenge and everyone is being challenged to do more with less.
This data-driven approach helps in the production of high-value fruit, including citrus, apples, grapes, cherries, kiwis, table grapes and pomegranates, and nuts such as almonds, pecans, and pistachios. 'We've started using drone imaging to monitor tree health in our orchards,' Aerobotics customer Matt Allred of Arizona’s North Bowie Farming, a pecan nut producer, told Fox News Digital.