Can Artificial Intelligence Help Palm Oil In Colombia?
06/08/2024 (Forbes) - Researchers in Colombia are using deep learning models to predict the ripeness of oil palm fruit, helping to increase efficiency.
Colombia is the largest palm oil producer in the Americas and ranks fourth overall. Oil palm is associated worldwide with deforestation, but in Colombia a lot of work has been done to ensure that palm plantations are free of deforestation with a zero deforestation agreement (ZDA) signed in 2017.
Isis Bonet Cruz, a Cuban researcher and professor at the La Universidad EIA in Antioquia, Colombia, says that her project aims to lift the productivity of existing plantations without the need to expand into new areas, helping to conserve forests and biodiversity.
"In the project, photos were collected from videos of the processing area, the fruits were classified by experts and a deep learning model was trained to classify the fruits in real time, determining their ripeness and quality," she says, adding that the model classifies the fruits into green, ripe and overripe.
Bonet explains that this model is used in the production area both to be able to classify the harvested fruits and have final harvest statistics, and to be able to control the quality of fruits from other suppliers, ensuring greater efficiency in oil production.
"The greatest impact will probably be seen when it is extended to the harvesting area, because by predicting more accurately the optimal time for harvesting, the unnecessary use of water and fertilizers can be reduced, since resources will be applied only when they are really necessary," she says.
Bonet explains that this model can be easily extended to the harvesting area, where videos and photos of the fruit still on the tree should be collected, so that field workers can use their cell phones to help them with the harvesting process.
This project is an international collaboration supported by the Distinguished International Associates program at the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
From Cuba to Colombia
Bonet was born in Cuba, where she did all her studies, from undergraduate to doctorate, at the Universidad Central de las Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba and went on to work there as a professor before moving to Colombia in 2012.
"Since I graduated I have been doing research in the area of Artificial Intelligence and I have always liked research, discovering things," she says, "I think that working at a university since I graduated has also made it possible for me to strengthen my research."
Bonet explains that the countries of the Global South continue to face the most severe effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events and related diseases.
"In the South, solutions developed in the North are often not transferable, because the needs and challenges differ greatly in terms of health, agriculture and climate change," she says, "Therefore, for local problems, adapted models and solutions must be developed."
Bonet explains that the best developments can be achieved with international collaboration, which can encourage the sharing of knowledge and resources, which can lead to significant advances in science and technology.
"The Global South's leadership in addressing climate change and other challenges offers valuable experiences and solutions that can be adopted globally, fostering an exchange of knowledge that benefits all regions," she says.
Other Fruits of The Palm
Another reseacher working with pal,s in Colombia is Alberto Gomez Mejia, a botanist and founder of the Quindio Botanical Garden.
Gomez explains that Colombia has a tenth of the world's palm species and that it is key to preserve two key food species: Taparo palm (Attalea amygdalina) and Chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes).
Colombia has the third highest number of palms of any country, with around 260 species — but 20% of Colombian species are in serious danger of extinction.
Of these Taparo, whose seeds are used to make sweets and Chontaduro or peach palm (a fruit eaten with either honey or a lemon and salt mix) are culturally and economically important, especially in the central and southern regions of the country.
Gomez explains that his team aims to establish a gene bank to protect the palms' genetic diversity, reintroduce some examples into wild areas and develop schemes for sustainable commercial plantations.
"We have the largest collection of palms in Colombia," he says, "With new resources, we are going to work with two native food palms that are in danger of extinction."