Smart Agriculture Competition inspires young researchers

Added on 04 May 2022

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Smart Agriculture Competition inspires young researchers

SHANGHAI, China - Agronomists and data scientists taking part in Pinduoduo's Smart Agriculture Competition developed easy-to-use precision greenhouse management technology that boosted productivity and yield without need for special training on the part of growers.

The tomato-growing greenhouse challenge was won by TomaGrow, made up mostly of alumni from Wageningen University & Research and China Agricultural University with deep industry experience. They beat three other teams in the final after being evaluated on yield, nutritional value, environmental sustainability and commercial viability. Over 120 researchers globally from 15 teams were shortlisted for the preliminary round of the competition.

During the six-month challenge, contestants took different approaches, combining nutrition science, computer vision, deep learning, and other precision farming technology to cultivate tomatoes remotely. The teams adjusted variables such as humidity, lighting and nutrient profiles from afar, showcasing the ability to manage growing operations remotely.

The teams managed to deliver yields that are about double the yields of traditional growers, according to experts. The nutritional value also registers in the top range of the industry, based on the inspection report from a leading food testing institute.

This is the second year that Pinduoduo has hosted the Smart Agriculture Competition. This year, the company partnered with China Agricultural University and Zhejiang University to organize the event, with technical support from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and Wageningen University & Research. The competition also worked with a reputable institute to measure the carbon footprint for each team to establish benchmarks for future reference.

"Our global agri-food systems need innovative solutions to sustainably nourish people while nurturing our planet," said Carlos Watson, FAO representative to China. "The Smart Agriculture Competition provides a unique platform for engaging young people, technologists, innovators, private sector and research institutes together, to incubate tailor-made practical solutions of addressing the real-life problems faced by smallholder farmers."