Autonomously-Targeted Weed Management System

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In partnership with Expert Systems Inc., Saskatchewan Polytechnic is developing an autonomously-targeted weed management system for the agricultural industry. Weeds tend to grow in clusters and are often absent from large patches of cropland, presenting the possibility of developing a neural network that uses machine learning to identify weeds. Thus, herbicide use can be automated to specifically target weeds, not the crop. The first phase of the project will involve sowing common prairie weeds and crops together in a controlled environment and studying them through hyperspectral imagery in order to develop and train a neural network that can distinguish between them. This will be a highly-marketable breakthrough for Expert Systems and a significant scientific accomplishment for Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The agricultural industry will also benefit by producing crops with vastly reduced herbicide usage.