Artificial intelligence for agricultural pest control in Spain

Spain's agricultural ministry has this month launched, for the second consecutive year, a pilot experiment using artificial intelligence techniques (AI) to anticipate the evolution of the olive fly pest. Having access to predictive information on the behavior of pests is a very powerful tool for technicians and farmers with a view to integrated pest management, since it allows for better decision making, knowing the areas and dates of greater risk and impact, and designing control measures in a more efficient and sustainable manner. To do this, big data collected by the Andalusian Plant Protection and Information Network (RAIF) on this pest and on other crop parameters is analysed and fed into an artificial intelligence model that is able to predict the pest's behaviour up to four weeks in advance, through machine-learning techniques. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has officially backed drastic measures adopted by the EU to combat a bacteria infection that is decimating Italy's olive crop. The application of "Big Data" management techniques in agriculture, as well as artificial intelligence, are two fields with enormous potential for improving the efficiency and sustainability of the agricultural sector, according to the Spanish agriculture ministry.