This AI algorithm counts flowers on trees to predict crop yields

Scientists have trained an AI algorithm to count the number of flowers on fruit trees using only smartphone images. The system could predict the size of a harvest months in advance saving farmers time, money, and water. Researchers from Chile, Spain, and the UKs National Robotarium developed the algorithm. The Robotarium is a centre for robotics and AI based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team looks to address a global problem. In countries all across the world, farmers often rely on manual methods to estimate their yields, which can have a significant error margin, said lead researcher Fernando Auat Cheein, an associate professor at the National Robotarium. Agriculture uses around 70% of the worlds freshwater and wastes almost half of it. Around 50% of the fruit and vegetables grown for human consumption are also lost.