Cropin’s DEWS: Revolutionizing Plant Threat Management in Northern Australia

Synopsis: The GRAVITY Challenge 06, a collaborative initiative between the Northern Territory Government and Deloitte, highlighted the critical need for enhanced plant biosecurity in Northern Australia and sought solutions for the same. Cropin's Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) emerged as a promising solution to this challenge. By leveraging advanced AI/ML models and analyzing diverse datasets, DEWS empowers growers to proactively identify, contain, and mitigate plant threats. This innovative technology safeguards Australian agriculture by providing timely insights and enabling effective decision-making. In this blog we deep-dive into this technology.

Introduction

The delayed visibility into the emergence of endemic and exotic pests and diseases presents a grave, formidable challenge to agriculture, with the potential to devastate crops, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten food security. In Australia, pests and weeds cost farmers $5.3 billion per annum in management costs and production losses. Australian farmers spend $3.8 billion a year controlling vertebrate pests and weeds and write-off $1.5 billion in production losses. To safeguard agriculture against these threats, a robust disease early warning system capable of alerting farmers and offering mitigation advisories is imperative.

Northern Australia, with its unique environmental conditions of higher temperatures, variable rainfall, and shifting seasonality trends, is particularly vulnerable. Climate change exacerbates this vulnerability, leading to the emergence of novel pests and disease pressures. As agriculture is vital to the Australian economy, protecting this sector from such challenges is paramount, especially with unprecedented climate change threats. The Australian National Biosecurity Strategy emphasizes the importance of early detection and prevention as essential agricultural safeguards. 

In a significant breakthrough for the Agtech industry, Cropin was recently selected as a finalist in the GRAVITY Challenge 06, a collaborative initiative between the Northern Territory Government and Deloitte. This challenge aimed to strengthen agribusiness by identifying, containing, and mitigating plant threats in Northern Australia. Cropin's innovative Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) emerged as a transformative solution, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and weather data to predict and manage these threats. This blog delves into the intricacies of Cropin's approach and its profound implications for agribusinesses across Australia.

The Significance of Plant Biosecurity in Australia

Australia boasts one of the most rigorous plant biosecurity systems globally, designed to protect its agricultural sector from harmful pests and diseases. The country's National Biosecurity Strategy emphasizes preventing the introduction and spread of exotic plant pests and invasive species, which can reduce yields, and devastate ecosystems and the economy. As international trade and travel increase, so does the risk of biosecurity threats. The nation follows strict surveillance programs and eradication campaigns. To prioritize plant biosecurity, the island nation is focused on increasing awareness among farmers, industry professionals, and the public.

The specific challenges encountered by each stakeholder group are listed below.

Deloitte’s Gravity Challenge

Deloitte's GRAVITY Challenge is a renowned global space program established in Australia in 2019. With a presence in 13 countries, GRAVITY has facilitated connections between 45 organizations and technology innovators across Australia, the UK, Japan, Canada, and Germany. By bridging real-world challenges with innovative solutions, GRAVITY empowers public and private entities to address their most pressing issues. The sixth iteration of the GRAVITY Challenge in North Australia focused on developing a platform to combat plant biosecurity threats. This initiative is aimed to raise awareness of these risks and promote the creation of effective mitigation strategies.

Cropin's Participation in the GRAVITY Challenge 06

The GRAVITY Challenge 06 sought innovative solutions to enhance plant biosecurity in Northern Australia. Cropin, with its proven track record in Agtech, presented its Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) as a robust alert system against plant threats. DEWS integrates weather data, historical data, plant health, and more by AI/ML models to forecast disease probabilities with high precision, enabling proactive measures to prevent and contain outbreaks.

What is DEWS?

The Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) is a weather-based disease warning system designed to predict the likelihood of disease occurrences based on past and forecasted weather conditions. The system uses a multi-condition disease severity index, covering over 80 disease models applicable to over 20 crops. DEWS indicates the probability of the occurrence of the disease by way of a decision tree under unsupervised conditions at a crop variety level. DEWS generates weekly or fortnightly forecasts by analyzing weather data and crop stages, allowing growers to take timely preventive actions.

How DEWS Works

1. Data Ingestion: DEWS collects weather data from satellites (Sentinel, Planet), ground-based weather stations, and historical databases. This data includes parameters like rainy days, total rainfall, temperature (min, max, mean), and relative humidity.
2. AI/ML Processing: Central to DEWS is its AI/ML algorithms. These algorithms analyze the incoming weather data and the crop's current stage to predict disease probabilities. The model continuously learns from current and historical predictions, refining its accuracy over time.
3. Notification System: Once a disease probability is predicted, DEWS triggers SMS notifications to growers, ensuring timely communication. This proactive approach helps prevent extensive damage and reduces input costs.

Benefits of DEWS for Northern Australian Agribusinesses

1. Cost Reduction: By accurately predicting disease outbreaks, DEWS helps reduce the need for agrochemicals, lowering input costs for farmers.
2. Early Detection: Early detection of plant diseases prevents extensive damage, ensuring higher crop yields and profitability.
3. Sustainability: DEWS promotes sustainable agricultural practices by reducing agrochemical use and encouraging regenerative practices.
4. Market Optimization: Predictive intelligence from DEWS allows agribusinesses to optimize their marketing and sales strategies.
5. Farmer Engagement: Timely SMS notifications strengthen farmer loyalty and enable better decision-making.

Fig: Disease, Early Warning module, deployed for a plot

Fig : Disease Early Warning console for the project to set conditions for triggers based on which

notifications can be received automatically when the conditions are satisfied

Impact on the Agricultural Sector

The Australian agricultural sector is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. According to the Contribution of Australian Horticulture Industry report, the sector comprising vegetables, fruit, turf, nuts, and nursery industries will witness a 22.5 percent increase in combined value by 2030, reaching $21.8 billion. However, a single biosecurity incident could jeopardize this growth. Cropin’s DEWS offers a robust solution to mitigate such risks, ensuring the sector remains resilient and competitive.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Cropin’s DEWS has already demonstrated its effectiveness in various projects globally. For instance, in collaboration with Heinz Brasil and Syngenta Crop Protection AG, DEWS has minimized input costs and prevented extensive damages, increasing farmers' profitability. Ongoing collaborations with JSR Corporation further attest to DEWS’s capability to enhance crop yield prediction, disease warning systems, and farm management analytics.

Why Cropin’s DEWS Stood Out

Cropin’s proposal was distinguished by its extensive track record in deploying advanced technology solutions in agriculture. The DEWS model's ability to continuously learn and adapt to regional and varietal sensitivities made it a standout choice. Additionally, Cropin’s commitment to innovation, transparency, and sustainability aligned perfectly with the goals of the GRAVITY Challenge.

Industry Statistics and Trends

1. Biosecurity: According to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, over 200 known pests are significant to plant sectors, with 40 National Priority Plant Pests exotic to Australia​.
2. Economic Impact: The gross commodity value of the Northern Territory agricultural sector was $1.14 billion in 2019, with beef cattle and plant-based crops contributing significantly​.
3. Growth Potential: The Australian fruit, vegetable, nut, turf, and nursery industries are projected to surge by up to 22.5% in combined value by 2030​.

Future Prospects and Conclusion

The selection of Cropin as a finalist in the GRAVITY Challenge 06 underscores the potential of DEWS to revolutionize plant threat management in Northern Australia. By leveraging advanced technologies, Cropin is poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring the sustainability and resilience of the Australian agricultural sector. As agribusinesses in Australia continue to embrace digital transformation, solutions like DEWS will safeguard crops, enhance productivity, and drive economic growth.

Cropin’s journey in the GRAVITY Challenge is a testament to its commitment to innovation and excellence in Agtech. By addressing the pressing need for effective plant disease management, Cropin contributes to the prosperity of Australian agribusinesses and sets a benchmark for the global agricultural community.