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HOLLY SPRINGS, Iowa (InvestigateTV) — Agriculture has long been the backbone of our nation’s food supply. Now, amidst labor shortages, extreme weather and mounting pressure to grow more with less, the industry is as challenging as it is essential. Some farmers believe they’ve found a game-changing solution to several industry issues. That solution is Artificial Intelligence. Experts say AI is the future of farming, making agricultural operations more sustainable, productive and resilient. Not everyone is eager to transform an industry rooted in tradition, with an international study finding just 10% of farmers have integrated AI into their business. As the technology progresses and fears ease, that number is expected to triple over the next decade. Family Farming Meets New Technology For Michael and Dennis Gallagher, farming is all in the family. This father and son duo manage more than 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans in Iowa. To them, this is more than just a way to make a living. It’s a purpose rooted in responsibility. “We’ve always said it’s not just profitability. It has to be sustainable as well. And so as we look at our farming operation, what are ways that we can do a better job of leaving the land in a better way than what we found it?” Michael Gallagher said. It’s a philosophy spanning generations for the Gallaghers. But not everything in the industry has had that kind of staying power. “Oh, tremendously. It’s just an incredible advancement in technology,” Dennis Gallagher said when asked how farming has changed over the decades. Dennis says he thought GPS was revolutionary for farming when it came on the market a few decades ago, but this latest technology advancement may reap even more benefits. Precision Spraying Technology In early 2025, the Gallaghers started using precision planting spraying equipment with built-in AI. By outfitting their self-propelled sprayer with intelligent cameras, they can now detect weeds in real-time and apply chemicals just where they’re needed. They say the result is less waste and more productivity. Before AI, the Gallaghers would treat their entire fields just to avoid missing a weed. “Not only can we cover more acres, but we can also do it way more efficiently,” Michael Gallagher said. Now they say the tech benefits their bottom line and the greater good. “We’re eliminating, you know, probably over the course of a year, half of the chemical that’s going into the land and the environment,” Dennis Gallagher said. Incorporating AI into their day-to-day operation wasn’t a decision Michael and Dennis rushed into. Between the nozzle hardware and supporting tech, they’ve invested about $125,000. But they say they’re confident the system will pay off in the long term. “Let’s say we save $25 an acre on 2,500 acres, and we just have that average-size farm. Well, that’s $62,000 a year, just there,” Dennis Gallagher said. “Oh, being my age, I’m pretty cynical that this can work. I really doubted. But I cannot believe how perfect this has been,” Dennis Gallagher said. Research and Development The cutting-edge technology is just one of a number of AI-driven tools in development to help increase efficiency, sustainability and yields. “We are going through an AI revolution in agriculture,” said Asheesh Singh, Iowa State University professor. At Iowa State University’s AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture, they’re bringing autonomy to drones and field robots. “They can carry sensors that we can navigate the field and collect information about the crop health for example or crop status in a way that is not possible with traditional, you know, more conventional tools,” Singh said. Singh says the technology can map fields and detect plant diseases and weed growth. And it can do it better than a trained farmer. “There are also cameras that are in the wavelength that are beyond what human vision is. And those types of sensors allow us to get data in a faster time frame as well as get data or information that is not possible just with a human observation,” Singh said. Scalable Solutions While the price tag for some equipment may be high, he says he sees real potential for farms big and small to benefit from AI. “There will be different scales and tools that would cater to different types of crops, different types of production system, different types of sizes,” Singh said. Singh and his team partner with Iowa farmers to make sure the tools they’re building cater to their priorities. “I look at using this technology as an investment and not as a cost,” said Robb Ewoldt, former president of the Iowa Soybean Association. “As the workforce gets smaller, farms get bigger. We need to find every advantage that we can to produce the most amount of yield on a given piece of land,” Ewoldt said. Overcoming Challenges Labor shortages are just the start of it. Farmers are also up against harsher weather patterns that threaten crops and rising labor costs, which the USDA projected in early 2025 to hit a record high by year’s end. But Ewoldt says some are hesitant to embrace autonomy in agriculture. “I think it’s concerns about the unknown,” Ewoldt said. Even so, he believes it’s a challenge the industry can overcome. “Farmers, if they can see benefit, if they can see a financial advantage to adopting this technology, they will do it and they will come along,” Ewoldt said. “Agriculture is fundamental to our existence. So we need to make sure that the most modern tools and technologies, including artificial intelligence, is available,” Singh said. Looking to the Future Back at the Gallaghers’ farm, Dennis says it’s hard to believe how much the industry has changed over the years. He’s grateful to have a front-row seat. “Years ago, we spent 200, 300 hours a year in the bean field trying to pull every weed, okay? Now Michael can actually drive that sprayer over a thousand acres in one day and pinpoint every weed that’s still out there and probably do it on a tank of chemical, 60 acres, isn’t that amazing?” Dennis Gallagher said. A father and son driven by passion and progress. They say their ancestors would be proud. “I wish they could see it today. Just the importance of family and then watching my son take over and be able to do the same thing and continue to just be a good steward. It’s really neat,” Dennis Gallagher said. Autonomous Tractors on Horizon Experts say the technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and there are even self-driving tractors. In January 2025, John Deere unveiled its new fully autonomous tractor for orchard blast spraying. Over the last few years, Russell Maichel has been helping them develop the smart machines at his farm in Northern California. He says they’ll one day be able to do everything a normal tractor can, like spraying, mowing, disking and leveling. “Obviously, the labor’s part is a huge component. We do struggle with qualified labor and training. But me personally, I think the most exciting thing about autonomy and autonomous tractors in the field is more precision work that we can do. It’ll just make me be able to farm better, more economically and safer. This is gonna change everything,” Maichel said. John Deere declined to speak on camera, and the company has yet to announce an official release date, but Maichel says they’ve indicated to him they’re targeting 2026. To help keep this technology evolving, the federal government has established a number of grants and has made investments into AI research… focused on agriculture, including the one at Iowa State. Submit story tips to our Investigators Share errors or concerns with our Digital Editors Watch full episodes of InvestigateTV+ Subscribe to the InvestigateTV YouTube Channel
