AI technology monitors wildlife in farm biodiversity project

Digital sensors are being set up on an organic dairy farm in Somerset to identify birds and insects in a project designed to help farmers monitor biodiversity changes on their holdings.

Three AgriSound sensors have been placed at Hemsworth Farms, where soil rehabilitation and wildlife restoration have been priorities for the past 12 years.

They will detect, identify, and quantify varieties of invertebrates and birds, and then correlate them to the flowering plants that they rely on.

See also: M&S teams up with AgriSound for crop pollination project

Chirrup AI will use artificial intelligence to monitor species of birds that are thriving on the farm, to reveal more about the diversity of bugs and seeds above ground, and the richness of life in the soil.

The project is being funded through Innovate UK and Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme: Research Starter Round 2.

Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, said the project would shed new light on all of the great work happening across British farms to improve local biodiversity.

“This collaboration showcases the immense value of innovative sensing technologies for biodiversity assessment, which are being increasingly required as consumers expect produce sourced from sustainable agricultural practices.

“We anticipate that the insights gained from this project will not only help Hemsworth Farms to better understand and manage biodiversity on their own sites, but also act as an example for the wider industry.”