A collaborative project between NDSU researchers and drone companies is exploring the possibility of detecting and identifying harmful weeds in fields. “Palmer Amaranth is a very damaging weed that can grow three-to-six inches per day and can spread up to one million seeds,” said NDSU Associate Professor Rex Sun. “The most dangerous part is that Palmer Amaranth does not have any efficient spray solutions, it is resistant to herbicides and glyphosate.” This is where Sun, who specializes in AI technologies, comes in. “We do research using AI to identify the weed species and the crop species for the farmers and then also detect disease and other applications in precision agriculture.” The project will soon move into its second phase. “The second step after detection is how can we treat the issue. I think we are doing some really beneficial things for the farmers.”
