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AI: Entering a new era of food production??

By Berenice Di Biase , 26.04.2024

Agricultural activity faces unprecedented pressures: unpredictable and extreme weather due to climate change, ecological degradation and biodiversity loss, increased food demand due to a growing population. To sustain agricultural activity while not contributing to the aggravation of climate and environmental threats, innovative solutions must be deployed. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled us to analyse and learn from large sets of data coming in all shapes and forms, catalysing the development of precision agriculture for the optimization of agricultural management.

Satellite data for decision making

A resilient and sustainable global food system is undoubtedly reliant on the recovery and maintenance of soil health. Soils are extremely heterogeneous, even at small spatial scales, the physicochemical and biological properties of soil are highly varied. AI offers the opportunity to increase productivity by shifting from a one size fits all approach to a soil centric precision approach when it comes to the application of agricultural inputs, irrigation and cropping system.

Modern satellite missions offer a wealth of publicly available data which can be used for the monitoring of soil health. For instance, the European Sentinel 2 offers high resolution (10 meters x 10 meters) data from the high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands. These individual spectral bands can be combined to derive a signal able to predict specific soil properties and soil health parameters, such as soil moisture, organic carbon content, and nutrient levels.

By integrating this data with AI algorithms, we can create detailed soil maps that provide real-time insights into soil conditions across vast agricultural landscapes. These maps enable farmers to apply the precise amount of fertilizers, water, and other inputs exactly where they are needed, reducing waste and enhancing crop yields. Additionally, AI-driven soil health monitoring helps in early detection of soil degradation, allowing for timely interventions that can prevent long-term damage and promote sustainable farming practices.

Yield and Ecological Management: Precision Pesticide Application

Annually it is estimated that 20-40% of global yields are lost to pests and pathogens, potentially threatening food security and exacerbating food inequality. Crop control agents, when appropriately administered, are a crucial defence against yield losses.

Global pesticide use has been steadily growing and has more than doubled since the 90s. In 2021 the FAO estimated t , which is the equivalent of over 600,000 elephants. However, the overuse of crop protection products like pesticides poses several ecological threats. Inappropriate pesticide use has been linked to biodiversity loss, pollinator decline, and contamination of soils and groundwater – thus potentially threatening the long-term sustainability and productivity of our food systems as well as human health.

Finding a solution aiming to decrease pesticide use while ensuring yield stability, environmental protection, and fostering a sustainable and regenerative food system is not trivial. The reduction of pesticide sprays during the cropping period could decrease yields, while decreasing the applied dose could decrease product efficacy and increase the risk of pest genetic resistance to the product. Technology offers a viable solution, where pesticide use could be reduced by adopting more targeted application schemes.

Advanced algorithms based on image recognition powered by AI allowed for the development of tractor mounted herbicide sprayers, able to recognize weeds within a fraction of a second, and spray the herbicide on it. Although weed recognition based on image analysis is the most developed product, these sprayers can be equipped with state-of-the-art AI systems and sensors that ensure the precise application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Utilizing variable rate technology (VRT), these sprayers can adjust the amount of chemical applied based on real-time data about soil conditions, moisture levels, and pest presence. GPS guidance systems further enhance accuracy, enabling farmers to cover fields uniformly without overlaps or missed spots. Additionally, these sprayers collect and analyze data during operation, providing insights that help refine future applications, reduce waste, and minimize environmental impact.

Keeping up with the times: AI driven development of new crop protection products

General pesticides tend to have a broad range of target organisms, meaning that when applied they can affect organisms beyond the intended pest. Broad-spectrum pesticides, while effective at eliminating a wide range of pests, pose significant risks to non-target organisms, including essential pollinators like bees. The indiscriminate nature of these chemicals means they do not differentiate between harmful pests and beneficial organisms, leading to substantial ecological disruption.

For example, organophosphate based pesticides are one of the most used pesticide classes. The primary mode of action of organophosphate insecticides is the inhibition of a biochemical pathway common to many organisms. The pesticide inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, leading to the accumulation of acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter crucial for the functioning of the nervous system, eventually killing the insect. Because the targeted biochemical pathway is conserved across different forms of life, organophosphates, if ingested, can also harm wildlife.

However, crop protection development is undergoing a shift both methodologically and ideologically. There is growing demand and interest for pesticides whose active principle targets biochemical pathways only common to the target pests, thus reducing any negative impacts on wider organisms. Similarly to drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry, AI has revolutionized the development and discovery of crop protection chemicals. By leveraging AI and machine learning, scientists can sift through vast chemical libraries, identifying small molecules that specifically target pest species without affecting non-target organisms.

AI-driven methods streamline the pesticide discovery process by using computational screening of extensive virtual libraries. Machine learning models, particularly those trained on DNA-encoded small molecule libraries, analyse binding affinities and structural motifs to predict promising candidates. These models utilize next-generation sequencing data, which enables the rapid and efficient identification of molecules with desired properties. Consequently, AI can uncover subtle patterns and interactions that human analysis might miss, thus enhancing the precision of target molecule selection. This approach not only accelerates the development of environmentally safe pesticides but also significantly reduces costs and time, making it a pivotal innovation in sustainable agriculture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of artificial intelligence into agriculture presents a transformative opportunity to address the challenges faced by the sector today. From optimizing soil health and enhancing crop yields to reducing pesticide use and discovering safer crop protection products, AI-driven technologies are at the forefront of sustainable and precision farming and can

As we look to the future, the continued advancement and adoption of AI in agriculture will be crucial in meeting the growing food demands of an expanding global population while mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and ecological degradation. We at Soilytix are riding this wave of technological change. We are using AI to understand how to improve agricultural productivity at field level while safeguarding our soils via targeted interventions, while also developing our proprietary remote sensing algorithms to inform soil sampling strategies. By embracing these technological innovations, we can pave the way for a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable global food system.

 

Resources:

• Douglas, M. R. et al. Putting pesticides on the map for pollinator research and conservation. Sci Data 9, 571 (2022).
• H. Kashani, M., Ghorbani, M. A., Shahabi, M., Naganna, S. R. & Diop, L. Multiple AI model integration strategy—Application to saturated hydraulic conductivity prediction from easily available soil properties. Soil and Tillage Research 196, 104449 (2020).
• Lushchak, V. I., Matviishyn, T. M., Husak, V. V., Storey, J. M. & Storey, K. B. Pesticide toxicity: a mechanistic approach. EXCLI J 17, 1101–1136 (2018).
• McCloskey, K. et al. Machine Learning on DNA-Encoded Libraries: A New Paradigm for Hit Finding. Med. Chem. 63, 8857–8866 (2020).
• Savary, S. et al. The global burden of pathogens and pests on major food crops. Nat Ecol Evol 3, 430–439 (2019).
• Sun, Z., Liu, F., Wu, H. & Zhang, G.-L. Developing a national black soil map of China through machine learning classification. CATENA 240, 107993 (2024).
• Zanin, A. R. A. et al. Reduction of pesticide application via real-time precision spraying. Sci Rep 12, 5638 (2022).
• https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2/Introducing_Sentinel-2
• https://www.fao.org/pest-and-pesticide-management/about/understanding-the-context/en/
• https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/bees-bans-and-broad-spectrum-pesticides

Why soils are a data treasure chest for understanding ecosystem health

By Dr. Hannah Schragmann , 08.05.2024

Since the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted in 2022, biodiversity and ecosystem health has finally been starting to receive the attention it deserves. However, when measuring progress in biodiversity, the methods used often mostly rely on remote sensing: This means we are looking at ecosystems from above and assess their health based on the parameters we can see from space. We look at canopy density, at spatial parameters, at land management changes – and when it comes to soil, maybe at colour or structure.

But this way, we overlook two points: First, our soils constitute the basis for all above ground biodiversity, making them an integral pillar of every biodiversity analysis. Many biodiversity frameworks at the moment, however, do not include soil indicators for measuring biodiversity – or if they do, they make the analysis optional. This is a huge problem since healthy soils, characterized by their ability to provide vital ecosystem functions such as nutrient and carbon cycling, are the base layer for healthy ecosystems. They need to be understood in order to derive insights about the effect of land management changes and biodiversity progress. Second, if soils are included as important pillar, they cannot be analyzed solely via remote sensing. The soil is a living, complex substance which we are only now beginning to understand – thanks to new analysis tools like environmental DNA (eDNA) and progress in science.

Soil data as early indicator for carbon trends and above ground biodiversity developments

So soil health matters – but why should we start measuring it? It’s very simple: The soil is the basis for all above ground biodiversity – and with that an incredible data treasure chest. Changes in above ground biodiversity (like an increase in a specific species, e.g. rabbits) can often be predicted far in advance by looking at changes in the Soil Food Web. While bioacoustics and camera traps can help us understand how many rabbits we can find in an ecosystem right now, they can only assist with quantifying a status quo. But for an increase of rabbit to occur, there must be new food sources which rabbits can eat. And what birds and animals feed on, e.g. worms or plants, all has been provided for by the soil – and can be tracked by looking at the soil microbiome.

Everything starts in the soil and everything leaves traces in the soil. This means that understanding changes in the soil food web allows us to predict changes early on and assess the success of e.g. changed land management practices early in advance. What happens below ground will directly impact the above ground ecosystem – it might just take some time for the changes to become visible in a changed variety of plants, trees, animals or birds.

But decoding soil life is not something easy: Soil is the most complex substance on Earth – and changes in its functionality cannot be tracked by looking at it from above. This is why you need to zoom into the soil and look at its organic layer – at the part of the soil which lives, which communicates, which constantly evolves. We do that via analyzing eDNA from soil samples collected from the ground and comparing the organisms we find with a wide range of libraries, thereby understanding exactly what happens in the soil, how it functions and develops. This allows us to understand not just what is in the soil, but what it does.

But what exactly is eDNA and how do we analyze it? Just like humans have their own genetic footprint, their unique DNA, so does our environment. Living things leave their traces wherever they are, through various secretions, skin or hair, all of which contain DNA – environmental DNA (eDNA) is nothing other than DNA released by organisms into the environment. eDNA which is deposited in soil, water or even air can be extracted and used as a barcode for the organism, enabling its identification using molecular biology tools. At Soilytix we are experts in extracting and analyzing eDNA from soil samples, providing the biological fingerprint of soils.

Using eDNA helps us to decode the soil microbiome – and enables us to understand its health, and its ability to provide core ecosystem functions. A healthy soil is full of life – and an important carbon sink. With eDNA analysis, we can understand how the microbial processing unit in the soil functions and thereby derive important insights with regards to the future carbon storage potential of the soil: We do not just help to understand how much carbon is stored in the soil right now (which is the standard way of looking at soil organic carbon at the moment) – but we can analyze the ability of soil to continuously and effectively store carbon in the future. By assessing the soil’s carbon use efficiency (CUE), we have developed a completely new early indicator allowing us to make future predictions – and change our land management practices early on according to the findings.

To protect our soils we need to quantify their state

Everything starts in the soil. Everything ends in the soil. But our soils are being depleted around the globe: Currently, more than 40% of global soils are degraded. The main reason for that is intensive agricultural activity.

Luckily, society is finally starting to recognize that we need to change our way of farming, that in the interest of food security and climate regulation, regenerative agriculture must actively promote, restore and enhance soil health. However, when it comes to promoting regenerative agriculture, often the soil is treated as a standard organism which can be treated via one-size-fits-all solutions. These, however, do not look at the soil as a living substance which always looks and functions differently, depending on your specific geography and geology. Even within one field, you can find many different types of soil, many different states of soil functional biodiversity.

Also, we live in a time where we only value what can be quantified. This means: In order to protect something, we need to be able to track changes and progress adequately. At the moment, on the national and European level, soil is often only analyzed by its chemical parameters while soil biology is overlooked. But we need to look at its ability to provide core ecosystem functions, at its health – in order to make sound decision-making with regards to better land management practices. Quantifying the benefits of healthy soils and the effect of its degradation will also help to understand what tremendous costs we are facing if we do not take action to protect our soils now.

Coming from precision medicine and biochemistry, we at Soilytix are convinced that we need to understand the soil like we now can understand human blood – only this way we can protect it, can we enhance its health, can we reduce pesticides and sustainably increase yields, can we predict future ecosystem-level developments and food chain effects.

We urgently need to act and safeguard our soils – but for this, we need to understand them. Our soils are not dirt, and they are not just a layer one can assess from space. Our soils live – and we need to get to know them.

From Soil with kindness,

Your Soilytix Team

 

Sources:

• https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/­user_upload/world_soil_day/­infographic/­GSP_WSD20_Infographic_A3_004b.pdf
• https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/­user_upload/soils-2015/­docs/EN/­EN_Print_IYS_food.pdf

 

Further reading/information:

• Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn’t? (Knowable Magazin, February 2022): https://knowablemagazine.org/­content/article/living-world/­2022/­life-soil-was-thought-be­-silent-what-if-it-isnt
• Roots (2022 Arte Documentary Series – only in German): https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/­107211-003-A/roots/
• Kiss the Ground (2020 Netflix Documentary Movie): https://kissthegroundmovie.com/

Let’s celebrate & protect the fertile earth forming the basis for all terrestrial life

By Dr. Hannah Schragmann and Berenice Di Biase, 22.04.2024

Today is Earth Day. And our Earth, as we know it, consists of lavish green landscapes, flourishing life, and to sustain it all, lots and lots of soil. However, it hasn’t always been this way. In the 4.5 billion year history of our planet, soils are very young – they began forming only 450 million years ago. To understand the importance of soils, let’s travel back in time and imagine how planet Earth looked like before the development of soils: rocky, dusty, and inhospitable to life. Sounds like Mars, right?  

As plants evolved to live on land, soils began developing, and alongside them the fungi, nematodes, and mites, together forming the basis of our food webs. In just 20 million years our entire ecosystem was transformed, the formation of meter deep soils allowed the development of forests, which progressed to currently host globally 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, and 68% of mammalian species.  

The process of soil formation highlights the interconnected and cyclical nature of all life. When the living phase of plants and animals comes to an end, a new phase begins as their remains are returned to the soil. Bacteria and fungi break down the matter returned to the soil into smaller, reusable components, which can be consumed by the soil biome and growing plants. The microbially powered process of decomposition is vital because it leads to soil organic matter and hummus formation, while allowing nutrients to support new forms of life. This also means that soil is a vital non-renewable resource: It takes at least 500 years to regenerate 1cm of topsoil.  

Why soil health matters 

The soil is the fertile layer surrounding our planet, it is the skin of our Earth – and a living, very complex substance. And just like our skin protects us, breathes for us, like we could not live without it, we could not live without healthy soils. Paul Valéry once said: Skin is the deepest in man. And just the same applies to soil: Soil is the deepest on earth. There is a reason our planet is called Earth. So on Earth Day, let’s celebrate earth, let’s celebrate soil! Because the soil does not only host a large amount of life – it forms the basis for all terrestrial life.   

Let’s start with the first point: Our soils are a true biodiversity hotspot, with 25% of global diversity hosted by soils. In just one cup of this “dirt”, researchers have counted up to 100 million organisms, from more than 5,000 species, highlighting the vivid life below ground. But this life is not just worth protecting for its richness and beauty – our living soil provides vital ecosystem functions: 

• Nutrient mineralization: Microbes transform nutrients into bioavailable forms for plant uptake  
• Bioremediation: Microbial activity can detoxify from heavy metals, preventing contamination of water sources  
• Basis of ground food chain: Small invertebrates feed on soil microbes, and are in turn consumed by birds etc.  
• Building up soil organic carbon: Carbon has to process through the microbiome to build up soil organic carbon stocks  

Healthy soils are characterized by their ability to provide these vital ecosystem functions – and were built up via a long biochemical process. Soils are the largest carbon storage on land, and directly or indirectly provide 95% of our food.  To preserve life on Earth as we know it, including our own, soils must be protected. 

Deteriorating soil health calls for urgent attention 

Everything starts in the soil. Everything ends in the soil. But our soils, the skin of our Earth and the basis for all above ground ecosystems, are being depleted around the globe: Currently, more than 40% of global soils are degraded. The main reason for that is land use change and damaging land management practices, particularly in relation to agriculture. 

Luckily, society is starting to recognize that we need to change our way of approaching soil, that in the interest of food security and climate regulation, we must actively promote, restore, and enhance soil health. The soil microbiome offers us a window of untapped potential to understand our soils. Coming from precision medicine and biochemistry, we at Soilytix are convinced that understanding and deconvoluting the complex biological layer of soil is key to the successful implementation of solutions to restore, enhance, and promote soil health.  

Our soils are not dirt, and they are not just a layer one can assess from space via satellite imagery – as often done currently (please read our next blog post for a deep dive on this). Our soils live – and we need to get to know them.  

From Soil with kindness, 

Your Soilytix Team 

Want to know more about soil health, soil monitoring and biodiversity? Follow our blog or follow us on LinkedIn. 

Sources:

• https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/soils-2015/docs/EN/EN_Print_IYS_food.pdf 
• Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn’t? (Knowable Magazin, February 2022): https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2022/life-soil-was-thought-be-silent-what-if-it-isnt 
• https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/news/earths-biodiversity-depends-on-the-worlds-forests 
• https://impact.ed.ac.uk/research/climate-environmental-crisis/how-soils-changed-life-on-earth/
• https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/world_soil_day/infographic/GSP_WSD20_Infographic_A3_004b.pdf 
• https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-carbon-storage-84223790/#:~:text=Soil%20organic%20carbon%20(SOC)%20levels,respiration%2C%20and%20decomposition%20are%20key.

Further reading/information:

• Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn’t? (Knowable Magazin, February 2022): https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2022/life-soil-was-thought-be-silent-what-if-it-isnt 
• Roots (2022 Arte Documentary Series – only in German): https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/107211-003-A/roots/ 
• Kiss the Ground (2020 Netflix Documentary Movie): https://kissthegroundmovie.com/