New Sensor System to Forecast Fruit Farm Pests

/EINPresswire.com/ -- VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 04/15/16 -- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Government of Canada is investing nearly a million dollars ($949,322) to develop precision, wireless technology capable of predicting diseases that affect farm output, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay announced today.

This investment with SemiosBio Technologies Inc. will provide farmers with real-time localized information to better manage plant diseases and optimize the use of pesticides. This project will focus specifically on fire blight in apples, and downy and powdery mildews in grapes, with field testing in locations across the country.

Quick facts


--  SemiosBio has already developed a sensor and pest management system for
    codling moths in apples, with support from AAFC (see link below).
--  This investment is being made through the Growing Forward 2,
    AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to $698 million initiative.
--  SemiosBio is a company that provides safe and environmentally-friendly
    pest management solutions to growers of tree fruits, nuts and grapes.

Quotes

"The government is pleased to support this innovative project that will help the sector adopt fully integrated pest management systems. Initiatives such as these help farmers continue to be good stewards of the land, while maintaining their competitiveness."


--  Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"The agriculture industry is under tremendous pressure to produce more food with less environmental impact. To do this we need to optimize inputs such as insecticides, fungicides and water. Leveraging a proprietary internet-of-things (IoT) wireless network of 50,000 sensors and big data analytics, Semios delivers a precision ag service to measure and manage disease risks with less chemical inputs. With the financial support from AAFC, Semios will help growers better understand and predict crop disease, with focused treatments when and where needed."


--  Michael Gilbert, CEO, SemiosBIO

Additional links

- AgriInnovation Program

- SemiosBIO Technologies

- Green solutions send orchard pests packing

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Contacts:
Guy Gallant
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
613-773-1059

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972

Michael Gilbert
CEO
SemiosBIO
604-202-3245

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New Sensor System to Forecast Fruit Farm Pests

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