The cannabis industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the integration of advanced technologies. Among these, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools are playing a pivotal role in revolutionizing cannabis cultivation. These technologies, encompassing a broad spectrum from AI, augmented reality, robots, to drones, are enabling growers to achieve precision cultivation, enhancing the quality of cannabis, reducing labor costs, and boosting overall productivity.
The Pivotal Role of AI in Cannabis Cultivation
AI-powered solutions have been making significant strides in the cannabis cultivation landscape over the past few years. These solutions, managed by platforms such as Aroya, Canix, and Trym, are addressing a wide array of cultivation aspects. These include optimizing growing methods, facilitating labor savings, tracking growth rates, forecasting yields, managing inventory, and enhancing profitability management.
These AI systems exert control over various facets of the growing environment, such as the timing and intensity of lighting, irrigation, temperature, humidity, fans and airflow, CO2 levels, and plant nutrients. The integration of AI in these areas allows for a more precise and efficient cultivation process, leading to improved crop yields and quality.
Companies like SpexAI are pushing the boundaries of AI application in cannabis cultivation. They are developing smart cameras that scan plants and employ spectral imaging in conjunction with machine learning and AI to detect diseases and cannabinoids directly from the growing plants. This innovative technology creates a 3D model of each plant using 1,000 data points, which is then combined with environmental data to track the plant’s progress. This level of detailed monitoring and analysis can significantly enhance the efficiency of disease detection and treatment, leading to healthier crops and higher yields.
The Emergence of Digital Horticulture
Digital horticulture is another burgeoning field that is reshaping the cannabis cultivation landscape. Companies like AgriSmart Engineering, based in South Africa, are focusing on three key areas: recirculating hydroponic systems, LED lighting, and data management and automation. They are integrating these technologies into a comprehensive, turnkey facility design, assisting commercial cultivators in setting up efficient and compliant cultivation environments.
AI plays a crucial role in these systems, particularly in the context of supplemental lighting with a smart, reactive dimmer. AI can also plan irrigation schedules and feeding schedules based on the nutrient composition of plant tissue. These capabilities allow for a more precise and efficient cultivation process, leading to improved crop health and yields.
Variable Rate Applications (VRA) Technology:
A significant advancement in agriculture is the Variable Rate Applications (VRA) technology. It allows for the application of what is needed, where it is needed, and when it is needed, leading to increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact. For instance, a study showed that variable rate fertilization resulted in higher yields while using less fertilizer. This technology could be particularly beneficial for cannabis growers, allowing them to optimize their use of resources and maximize yields.
The Expanding Influence of AI
The influence of AI in cannabis cultivation is expanding beyond the confines of the greenhouse. Companies like Skysense, a drone imaging and AI AgTech company, are utilizing drones equipped with sensors to scout crops, a task that would traditionally require significant human labor. AI imparts to the drone the same sort of domain-specific knowledge that a farm manager or field worker has, making it an efficient tool for crop scouting. This not only saves time and labor but also allows for more frequent and detailed crop monitoring, leading to early detection of potential issues and timely intervention.
The Vision for the Future of Cannabis Cultivation
The future vision for cannabis cultivation involves a greater integration of AI and digital tools. Companies like Koidra, a Seattle-based intelligent automation startup, are working on creating a 3D greenhouse model that includes intertwined components of a crop model and a greenhouse climates model. This digital twin informs the optimization engine, which has been trained through a machine learning process, to take the best actions on a real-time basis to optimize profitability. This approach represents a significant advancement in the field, allowing for a more precise and efficient cultivation process that can adapt in real-time to changing conditions.
5 key technologies:
- AI in Cannabis Cultivation: AI-powered solutions are transforming cannabis cultivation, improving crop health and yield by controlling various aspects of the growing environment.
- Variable Rate Applications (VRA) Technology: VRA technology optimizes resource use in agriculture, leading to increased efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and higher yields.
- AI in Digital Horticulture: AI is being integrated into digital horticulture, enhancing supplemental lighting and nutrient management systems.
- AI in Crop Scouting: AI is being used in drones for efficient crop scouting, enabling early detection and treatment of potential issues.
- Future of Cannabis Cultivation: The future of cannabis cultivation lies in the continued integration of AI and digital tools, with companies like Koidra leading the way in creating AI-driven optimization models.
