Utilizing crop maps is crucial for monitoring global food supplies and predicting changes due to climate change and population growth. However, obtaining accurate maps of crop types from farm to farm often requires on-the-ground surveys, which many countries lack the resources to conduct.
Recently, researchers successfully created the first nationwide crop map of Thailand using an innovative technique. This smallholder country, characterized by independent farms, now has a comprehensive map detailing the distribution of its major crops—rice, cassava, sugarcane, and maize—across the entire nation with an impressive 93% accuracy.
With plans to expand this mapping method to countries like India, where small farms are prevalent, the team aims to address the historical lack of data on crop types grown on individual farms.
Sherrie Wang, an esteemed professor at MIT, emphasizes the importance of understanding global agricultural practices and their impact on sustainability. By meticulously mapping crop distribution, the team hopes to gain insights into agricultural outcomes and improve farming practices.
Wang, along with her colleagues, will be presenting a detailed paper on this groundbreaking mapping method at the upcoming AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
2024-02-15 10:00:05
Article from phys.org