Agri Innovations
Bayer's Head of Global R&D Adrian Percy Believes Agriculture is in a Golden Age of Technology and Innovation
Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:14:40 CST
Attendees at the 2018 Bayer AgVocacy Forum in Anaheim, Calif. were welcomed, Sunday, by Adrian Percy, global head of research & development, Bayer Crop Science, who opened the conference with a springboard discussion on the critical nature of fostering a sustainable food supply to continue feeding a growing population and future generations. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn is there on location covering the event and had the opportunity to speak with Percy on how Bayer is working to lead the industry towards further innovation and technological advancement to achieve true and continued sustainability in agriculture. Listen to their complete conversation by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of the page.
Percy believes new technology and innovation are the lifeblood of any industry, and he says agriculture is no different. Technologies like sensors and aerial imaging let growers diagnose disease outbreaks before they are visible to the naked eye. Artificial intelligence lets growers who encounter an unknown weed go from in-field photo, to identification, to management plan in a matter of minutes. Soon, Percy says predictive analytics will be so ingrained in how farmers grow crops that companies will be able to offer something unheard-of since humans started growing food: more predictable outcomes.
"The science is there," Percy said. "We're in a golden age for agriculture."
These technological innovations and more are transforming agriculture to help farmers and their businesses, contends Percy, insisting that programs like the AgVocacy Forum raises the profile of new technology in agriculture.
"When we started these forums 13 years ago, we could not have imagined the technology growers can access today. And we are only seeing the beginning of this transformative innovation," Percy remarked. "To maintain this momentum, we must reach beyond our own doors and tap into the range of new technologies that not just agriculture but also other industries, such as engineering and IT, are developing. These new solutions will help growers improve their business as they sustainably meet the food demands of a growing population at a time when our natural resources are more precious than ever."
While new technologies in agriculture enable growers to improve their business as they sustainably produce more with less, consumers don't always understand the benefit and have expressed concern about its long-term impact. Even though some consumers are concerned about the impact of agricultural innovations, Percy is optimistic about the future of agriculture.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI