Canada-based agritech startup Precision AI has raised seed funding of $20 million to help the agriculture industry reduce its chemical footprint. Its solution? Deploying swarms of artificially intelligent drones to reduce the use of herbicides in agriculture dramatically.
Avoiding criminal wastage
Herbicide spraying is believed to be one of the least efficient agricultural activities. Precision AI estimates that more than 80% of herbicides end up wasted on bare ground, while another 15% of the harmful chemicals fall on the crops. And so, the startup wants to help farmers reduce pesticide use by up to 95% with the help of drones.
Precision AI uses drone-based computer vision technology for guided weed targeting in row crop farming. The drones spray only the problem areas and avoid the crops.
How does this translate into dollar savings? The startup says a combination of drone technology and precise chemical applications can help farmers save up to $52 per acre per growing…
