**Great News! Johnsongrass Gets a High-Tech Beatdown!**
Researchers at University of California, Davis have developed an all-new way to track down the invasive and harmful johnsongrass that has been plaguing farmers and land managers with its noxious presence. No more herbicides, burning, and hand-pulling! The scientists got an upgrade– artificial intelligence and machine learning. Say hello to Google Weed View.
Using photos from Google’s Street View database, UC Davis researchers have pulled the ultimate magic trick: finding more than 2,000 cases of johnsongrass in the Western United States for way less money and way less time than it would take to do drive-bys or other in-person surveys. Bam! Out of nowhere comes Google Weed View!
Not content with just weed swatting, the researchers are extending their model to include other problem plants. They just need to label new roadside delights and train the algorithm to identify the object. What’s next? “Google Weeds View just might become the next big thing for managing some serious weed issues,” said Mohsen Mesgaran, UC Davis assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences.
Ever wondered how climate affects the growth and spread of weeds and invasive plants at really, really big scales. Enter Google Weed View, and prepare to be amazed by the answers!
But what’s next? Our keen researchers are setting their sights on – get this – the entire United States! Bye-bye johnsongrass, bye-bye.
What are your thoughts on this revolutionary development in weed control? Comment below and let us know!
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