On Wednesday, farmers from Manitoba convened in Grosse Isle to explore how they can utilize emerging technologies to reduce risks to their crops and adapt to severe weather conditions during this unpredictable season.

Jacqueline Keena, the CEO of the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI), remarked, “This year exemplifies the increasing variability and intensity of weather patterns.” EMILI is a non-profit organization based in Manitoba that is dedicated to advancing agricultural innovations.

The organization organized Agronomy Day at EMILI’s Innovation Farms located on Rutherford Farms, uniting industry specialists, entrepreneurs, farmers, and agronomists to discuss digital farming tools.

The event, situated northwest of Winnipeg, aimed to showcase the effectiveness of these technologies in real farming environments through data and feedback, while also demonstrating how farmers can integrate these innovations into their operations.

This year’s theme was “weathering change,” focusing on the implications of the particularly wet weather for crop health and upcoming harvests.

Keena noted that their farming strategies were drastically altered during the rainstorms in June, which brought approximately 25.5 centimeters of rain to Rutherford Farms in a single evening.

“We experienced complete fields that were inundated and submerged for several days,” she explained about the 5,500-acre farm. They also manage a 10,000-acre operation in MacGregor.

Leanne Koroscil, the manager of Innovation Farms at EMILI, states that the Crop Intelligence tool enables farmers to better forecast their yield by the end of the growing season. (Iris Dyck/Radio-Canada)

“We believe that an essential focus lies in how new technologies can assist farmers in addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change and unpredictable weather,” she added.

A significant highlight was the data-centric agronomic tool known as Crop Intelligence.

This tool functions similarly to a weather station, collecting data on precipitation, temperature, and overall environmental conditions. It interfaces with a soil probe that gathers information on soil moisture, as explained by Leanne Koroscil.

“It utilizes an algorithm and model to assess soil moisture levels throughout the season and how effectively the crop absorbs that moisture within the root zone,” she noted.

The Crop Intelligence tool monitors environmental parameters, while a soil probe captures details regarding soil moisture. (Iris Dyck/Radio-Canada)

“It effectively forecasts the potential yield by the end of the season, enabling you to make informed management choices earlier in the growing cycle.”

Charles Fossay, a farmer near Starbuck and director at Keystone Agricultural Producers, has over 50 years of farming experience, primarily focusing on wheat, barley, oats, canola, and soybeans.

He acknowledged that while the abundance of data can sometimes overwhelm farmers, a tool like a soil probe can be extremely beneficial, particularly for those involved in irrigation.

“For irrigation farmers, having a soil probe that indicates the moisture levels in the soil, the depth of that moisture, and the depth of root growth — which serves as a good indicator of nutrient uptake — can provide insights into the expected size of the crop,” he stated.

“Thus, much of this data can be quite advantageous.”

Charles Fossay has been farming for over half a century. He expressed that while some farmers may feel inundated by data, he recognizes the usefulness of tools like a soil probe. (Iris Dyck/Radio-Canada)

Keena remarked on the significant evolution within the industry since EMILI’s inception a decade ago. Initially, it was their responsibility to introduce and advocate for the potential of artificial intelligence as a vital innovation tool in agriculture.

“Clearly, a decade later, the dialogue has transformed significantly, and there is a widespread understanding of the profound and transformative impact AI and new technologies can have on agriculture,” she said.

Currently, their priority is to illustrate the advantages for farmers like Fossay and other industry participants in embracing new technologies within their farming methods.

“Farmers have to manage numerous aspects, and if they are to adopt new technologies, we aim to validate these innovations on a large scale before they make their adoption decisions,” Keena concluded.