How Does Artificial Intelligence Really Work in Agriculture?

How far are we from a computer being able to decide what variety or hybrid should be planted in a field, how it is fertilized, and prescribe crop protection chemicals needed? The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a popular discussion in the media, not only for agriculture but for a variety of applications. But what is AI, how does it work in farming plus what does it mean and how does it impact agriculture? One of the most common ways this new technology is discussed for use in agriculture is helping to make seed selection recommendations for individual fields. How can a computer be programmed to know what seed to plant?