Nuffield study supporting Parkes grain farmer to explore potential of AI for agriculture industry

The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dominating conversations around the globe, and the agriculture sector is no different, with the main questions around what it means for the industry and how it can be used to the greatest effect.

Treen is a 2024 Nuffield Scholar, who is part of a 4200ha family farming business, Kebby & Watson at “Woodbine” near Parkes in the NSW Central West. The business runs a cropping operation – farming as many as 13 different cereal, oilseed, pulse and fibre crops – with husband Mark, brother Bruce Watson and his wife, Karina.

As a Nuffield Scholar, supported by GrainCorp, Treen’s focus is on the advantages AI could introduce to grain-growing operations into the future. With farm and landscape- level sustainability data of increasing interest across the supply chain, Treen says she can see enormous potential in using AI to analyse this data to improve management of natural capital, inputs and operations and provide time-saving benefits to growers.

Mark and Bruce, both former Nuffield Scholars, encouraged Treen to pursue a scholarship to expedite her interest and research into the field. Mark also encouraged her to join a Nuffield Triennial Tour to New Zealand a few years ago where she saw AI used to identify and control pest species of Wilding Pine in inaccessible terrain, fueling her passion for AI’s potential in the grains industry.

“The technology has progressed so much in recent years so just the amount of data we can now process is enormous. So, where do those opportunities lie for agriculture? I could also see other fields and industries talking about it and I thought, ‘why aren’t we talking about that in our industry?” Treen said.

“Why aren't we talking about how AI is going to benefit our businesses, whether it's as simple as using number plate recognition when we're managing trucks coming in for deliveries, or the machinery space and what brands like Case IH are doing - I wanted to learn more.”

She had her chance at the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security (CFS) event in Italy late last year where she met Luca Ferrari, the Global Manager of Robotics for Case IH’s parent company CNH. Luca invited her to visit CNH’s labs in Modena, where so much of the company’s technology is developed.

“It was a fascinating experience,” she said, and opened her eyes to the progress being made in machinery and the potential for AI to assist farmers in managing the increasingly complex regulatory space, particularly with regards to emissions and environmental impacts.

“Looking more at practices that are less reliant on chemical use is one area where there is a lot of interest in Europe at present, and I can certainly see a role for AI in this space. Emissions reduction is another area of global focus and with so much data around it, the average farmer will need help in processing this.

“I don’t have the means to put on extra people to crunch those numbers, so I’ll need a tool to help do this quickly and efficiently, in order to ensure my business remains profitable, sustainable and viable in the future,” she said.

Treen’s visit to the CNH labs in Italy also gave her a new appreciation for the increasingly sophisticated machinery being developed by brands like Case IH, an appreciation she found of value when her family farming business had the unique opportunity to trial two new Case IH AF Series combines late last year.

Case IH’s new AF Series has only just been launched in Australia, with limited numbers of AF9 and AF10 combines available to order for the 2025 harvest. The series has been redesigned from the ground up to maximise capacity and crop flow with efficient horsepower, simplified maintenance and connectivity built-in at the base.

Rain was forecast during the week the AF9 and AF10 came to “Woodbine” during wheat harvest, alongside the property’s own Case IH 50 Series combine, and the race was on – putting the new AF Series to the test in high pressure conditions.

“We were pushing pretty hard to get as much grain off as we could before the rain, and we were very grateful the new headers were there at that time and we got the opportunity to trial them. They were pushed hard,” Treen said.

“We'd just put in a large grain storage handling facility, and I think the AF9 and AF10 arrived on day two or three of us being able to use the dump hopper. So, it was straight from the paddock and unloaded quickly. I think we moved about 1500-plus tonnes of grain out of the paddocks one of the days they were there. They were really impressive and we can certainly see how much value one of them would bring to our business with their significant capacity.”

Treen is continuing her Nuffield study and said she was keen to stay in touch with Luca Ferrari from CNH. She acknowledges the wariness around AI and says there needs to be “guardrails around it” to protect the integrity of people’s data and where innovation heads, but is adamant the advantages AI presents for agriculture far outweigh any potential risks.

“By harnessing AI’s capabilities for applications within our industry, we have so much to gain with increased productivity, and better-informed decision-making from an economic and environmental perspective. This will help reinforce our competitiveness on the global stage and drive greater sustainability to ensure we can be proud of what we’re leaving for future generations of farmers,” she said.