The federal government is investing up to $1.65 million in a Toronto technology company to develop artificial intelligence tools that will help Canadian farmers monitor crop health, forecast yields and improve resilience to climate change.
The funding for A.U.G. Signals Ltd. was announced Thursday through the AgriScience Program – Projects Component under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The three-year project will focus on developing AI-powered tools that combine satellite imagery, drone data and field observations to provide producers with real-time information on crop emergence, biomass, drought conditions and expected yields.
Research partnership with Agriculture Canada
As part of the project, A.U.G. Signals will work alongside scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to collect field data and validate the artificial intelligence models.
Federal officials say the research is intended to improve decision-making on farms while helping producers adapt to changing climate conditions.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald said investing in new technologies will help strengthen the competitiveness of Canada’s agricultural sector.
“Artificial intelligence and remote sensing will help the agriculture sector adapt to climate change and seize new opportunities for growth,” MacDonald said in a statement.
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A.U.G. Signals develops remote sensing and signal-processing technologies for environmental monitoring, natural resource management and agriculture.
Company president and chief executive officer Dr. George Lampropoulos said the project will support the development and commercialization of data-driven technologies while strengthening collaboration between industry, researchers and government.
He said the initiative is expected to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across Canada’s agricultural sector.
Part of broader agriculture program
The funding comes through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5-billion agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.
The AgriScience Program provides funding for pre-commercial research and technology development aimed at helping producers adopt new tools and practices that improve farm productivity and environmental sustainability.