Jean Claude NIYOMUGABO

Agriculture is far more than farming. It’s business. It’s science. It’s engineering. It’s energy. It’s information. It’s health care. It’s technology

I am spending this week at Kansas State University, attending the Heartland AI Symposium in Kansas, USA 🇺🇸 This afternoon, I will be presenting my research poster on trust, perceptions, and the adoption of AI in agriculture. As AI continues to find its way into agriculture, I believe it is important to understand not only what this technology can do, but also how farmers perceive it, what influences their trust, and what it takes for them to adopt it. I am looking forward to learning from researchers, sharing perspectives, and having meaningful conversations about the future of AI in agriculture.

I am pleased to announce that I have received Graduate Student Presenter Scholarship from the Heartland AI Symposium at Kansas State University. The award supports my master's research, Perceptions, Trust, and AI Readiness for AI-Enabled Agricultural Tools: A Cross-Sectional Study of Agricultural Producers and Students in the U.S. Midwest, and my participation in the Multi-Institutional Student Panel, where I represent the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I will present the poster this afternoon in the K-State Student Union from 1:00 to 3:00, and join the panel tomorrow from 3:30 to 5:00. The research asks whether the people who carry the financial risk on a farm trust what AI tools tell them. Among those who have taken part so far, 62% agree that AI tools improve efficiency in farm operations, while 20% trust the recommendations those tools produce. Thank you to Dr. Raelynne M. Hale and the Heartland AI Symposium for this award, and to Dr. Mark Stone for the nomination. Thank you also to my advisor Dr. Santosh Pitla and my committee, and to the Cultivate ACCESS Nebraska Data Science in Agriculture project, supported by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture #HeartlandAI #AgTech #ResponsibleAI

Farming is becoming less about guessing and more about making informed decisions. But knowing what to do is only half the challenge. Knowing when to do it is just as important. Should a farmer plant today or wait for better conditions? Should fertilizer be applied now or next week? Does the field need irrigation, or is rain expected? These decisions happen throughout the growing season. And every decision has consequences for productivity, profitability, and resource use. Today, AI, weather forecasts, soil sensors, drones, and digital tools can help farmers evaluate these choices with better information. But there is something we should not forget. A recommendation is only valuable when it makes sense for the farm. Weather changes. Soil conditions differ. Input costs fluctuate. And what works in one field may not work in another. That is why I believe the future of digital agriculture should focus on combining data, technology, and farmer experience. The goal is not to make every farming decision automated. It is to help farmers make better decisions at the right time. f you could use AI to improve just ONE farming decision, which would you choose: planting, fertilization, irrigation, or harvesting? I would love to hear different perspectives.

There was a young farmer in a village that had been struggling with electricity for years. He used his own money to buy a large transformer so that farmers could power their irrigation pumps, store produce, and run small businesses. Everyone was happy. Later, he decided to run for village leadership. When election day came, nobody voted for him. The young man accepted the results. The following morning, he returned with a truck and took away his transformer. Now the entire village is back in darkness. The farmers cannot pump water, and businesses have stopped operating.

Smart agricultural technology

Advanced Technology

Technology will not replace farmers. But farmers who use technology and know how to communicate will lead the future of agriculture.

Solar-powered irrigation technology is one of the best solutions to overcome the challenge of insufficient rainfall

Africa’s agricultural future depends on smallholder farmers and young people being able to build profitable businesses. That takes skills, financing, useful technology, and reliable buyers. What would make more young Africans choose agriculture?

Farmer: “What can this drone tell me about my corn?” Salesperson: “It can show you where the crop is struggling.” Farmer: “Can it tell me why?” Salesperson: “We’d have to walk out there and look.” Farmer: “Fair enough. Let’s fly the field behind the barn. I can see the first few rows from the road. The rest drops behind a hill.” Salesperson: “How long does it take you to scout a field like this?” Farmer: “Depends on what I find. I usually walk over the hill, even when the rows by the road look fine. Today I’ve got three other fields to check and a truck coming at noon.” After the flight, the salesperson set the tablet on the hood of the pickup. Salesperson: “See that patch by the road?” Farmer: “That spot’s been wet since my dad farmed it. He used to say we grew more frogs than corn there.” Salesperson: “What about this one behind the hill?” The farmer leaned closer. Several rows stopped halfway down the slope. Farmer: “That’s new. I drove past that field twice this morning.” Salesperson: “I can email you the full map.” Farmer: “Just text me the pin. I’ve got time to check one spot before lunch. You coming?” They drove to the gate and walked over the hill. Halfway down, the farmer stopped at a channel that cut across several rows. Farmer: “Look at that. The rain took the soil right out from under these plants.” He knelt beside a corn seedling with its roots exposed. Salesperson: “How long has it been like this?” Farmer: “Since Tuesday, probably. I checked the low spot after the rain. I never came up this way.” Salesperson: “So what will you do now?” Farmer: “First, I want to see where the water came in. If it’s coming through the same spot every time, I’ll know where to start.” He took photos, followed the channel uphill to the edge of the field, and marked the opening where water had run under the fence. Back at the pickup, the salesperson wiped mud off his boots. Salesperson: “So, do you want a price for the drone?” Farmer: “What would you charge to come out after the next big rain?” Salesperson: “For a single flight?” Farmer: “Yes. Fly the fields I can’t see from the road and text me the spots you’d check first. I can walk them that morning.”

First salary landed on Friday. The new phone came home on Saturday. On Monday, it sent its first important message. “Can you MoMo me bus fare?” @grok is it fair?

We work hard to produce food, then lose part of it before anyone gets to eat it. Some losses happen in fields. Others occur in storage, transport, stores, kitchens, and homes. This cartoon turns food waste into a monster, which feels surprisingly accurate. Every wasted meal also represents water, land, energy, labor, and money that went into producing it. Increasing production matters, but reducing loss deserves equal attention. Sometimes the most affordable food is the food we stop throwing away.

Agriculture Has More Career Paths Than We Think A young person looking toward agriculture today sees more than one road. There is farming, of course. There is also engineering, robotics, plant science, data analysis, agribusiness, and environmental management. Too often we describe agriculture as if it offers only one kind of career. That picture is outdated. The sector needs people who can connect different skills and solve real problems together. But choosing a career is also about opportunity, not just passion. We need pathways that young people can actually enter. If you were advising a student today, what agricultural career would you encourage them to explore?