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Computer vision to reduce crop losses from pests and disease
CategoriesSustainable News

Computer vision to reduce crop losses from pests and disease

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The global loss of crops due to untreatable pest damage and plant disease is estimated to be between 20 and 40 per cent. With extreme weather exacerbating difficult growing conditions, the recent emergence of a treatment-resistant wheat fungal disease is additional bad news for cereal farmers. Data science company Fermata has an artificial-intelligence-powered (AI) solution that helps growers spot disease early and track plant changes over time. 

Called Croptimus, the data platform is available as a subscription service that includes installation and management support. After the initial installation, the algorithms need two to three weeks to adjust and learn what the farm team wants to track, with data and imagery then available in real-time online.

As well as reducing labour costs, the system helps reduce pesticide use by up to 25 per cent. Automated alerts let growers know when a pest or change in growing conditions is identified. Chemical applications can be applied directly to the affected areas, with no guesswork needed to determine how far a disease has spread.  

The cameras use ethernet cables for power, and each camera visually covers 400 square metres of land, and Fermata provides custom quotes and designs for each plot’s specifications. Right now, the AI monitors problems that affect fruits, leafy greens, and medicinal crops. These include powdery mildew, spider mites, and aphids, and the technology is being trained on additional diseases and insects, as well as an increasing number of crops.  

The use of data in agriculture is constantly improving, with Springwise spotting innovations that include the use of weather data to speed up insurance payments in the event of drought or flooding, and a modelling system that predicts frost in microclimates where high value crops are growing. 

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Your Architecture Firm is Leaking Money: How to Identify Losses and Plug the Holes
CategoriesArchitecture

Your Architecture Firm is Leaking Money: How to Identify Losses and Plug the Holes

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce the next webinar in our live series about how to run a successful architecture business — and you’re invited! We’ll be joined by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software, as he reveals the many ways in which architecture firms tend to let money “slip through the cracks”, and provide some valuable techniques for how to maximize the profitability of your practice.

Architects can receive 1 AIA Continuing Education Credit for this event, courtesy of BQE! Hit the button below to register for the talk, which will take place at 1pm EST on Wednesday, June 8th:

Register for the Webinar →

Most firms look at profitability as a bottom-line metric. They use this as a gauge to determine if the firm is financially healthy. However, every firm is composed of countless independent elements: employees, clients, projects, phases, consultants, and a myriad of expenses.

What does a firm do when they aren’t achieving the profit margins they desire or experiencing losses? Knowing the answer to this question is the purpose of this webinar.

In this webinar, we will explore:

  • The best practices for monitoring the various profit-centers of your firm.
  • The means and methods that will not only alert you to problems but discuss how to resolve them.

Most architecture and engineering firms don’t apply the same rigor, discipline, and consistency that they use when executing their projects. We will show how easy it is for your firm to be well-organized, efficient, and profitable by applying best practices and utilizing modern, effortless, affordable computing technologies.

Join Steven as he shares lessons learned over 35 years working with over 1,000 A&E firms!

Join Us →

Learning Objectives

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

  • Explain the importance and informativeness of a perfectly organized Chart of Accounts
  • Identify each of your firm’s profit centers and the KPIs that measure their performance
  • Determine which technology plays an integral role in every healthy firm
  • Assess how simple it can be to turn your firm into a profitable, elegant enterprise

About Steve

Steven Burns is a member of the College of Fellows of the AIA and Chief Creative Officer of BQE Software. After receiving his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Steve spent 7 years at SOM – working in Chicago, London, and Berlin before founding his own firm, BBA Architects in 1993. In 2007, Steve sold BBA to pursue his passion for business management software — starting with his creation of ArchiOffice. Steve is now focused on the product development of BQE CORE ARCHITECT, a fully-integrated, cloud-based firm management platform that includes time billing, invoicing, accounting, and project management for firms of all sizes. Steven is a global speaker and thought leader on topics related to firm management and emerging technologies.

About Paul

Paul Keskeys is Editor in Chief at Architizer. Paul graduated from UCL and the University of Edinburgh, gaining an MArch in Architectural Design with distinction. Paul has spoken about the art of architecture and storytelling at many national industry events, including AIANY, NeoCon, KBIS, the Future NOW Symposium, the Young Architect Conference and NYCxDesign. As well as hundreds of editorial publications on Architizer, Paul has also had features published in Architectural Digest, PIN—UP Magazine, Archinect, Aesthetica Magazine and PUBLIC Journal.

Event Registration →

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