Episode 022: A New Beat in Ag Tech

If rural connectivity challenges are going to be solved, private sector investment and innovation will be necessary. Dr. Ranveer Chandra, the Chief Scientist of Microsoft Azure Global and Partner Researcher at Microsoft Research, joins the FarmBits Podcast to discuss Microsoft's investment in enabling data connectivity and interoperability in agriculture. Ranveer initiated the FarmBeats project at Microsoft Research which has recently led to the launch of Azure FarmBeats, which is a cloud platform enabling data-driven insights in agricultural applications. The FarmBeats project has also resulted in innovative approaches for establishing broadband connectivity on farms, such as using vacant TV white spaces to facilitate data transfer in rural areas. In this episode, Ranveer covers everything from the development of this TV white space technology, to emerging technologies in the developing world, to how value can be extracted from data once it is consolidated and made available. While Microsoft is not a traditional player in the agricultural industry, the data pipelines and enabling technology they provide have significant potential to enhance agriculture alongside the expertise of experienced agricultural professionals. "For growers, it would be more about thinking, 'Hey, I know a lot about the farm, which are the parts if I had this additional data that I could do better?'" - Ranveer Chandra, Ph.D. FarmBeats Information: FarmBeats Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/farmbeats-iot-agriculture/ Azure FarmBeats: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/campaign/azure-farmbeats/ GatesNotes Wi-Fi Chip Blog: https://www.gatesnotes.com/Development/FarmBeats White Space Deployment in Africa: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/main-5.pdf Economist Article: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2016/09/17/tv-dinners USDA Using FarmBeats: https://news.microsoft.com/features/feed-the-world-how-the-usda-is-using-data-and-ai-to-address-a-critical-need/ Ranveer Chandra's Info: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranveer-chandra-79bb9b/ Bio: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/ranveer/ FarmBits Team Contact Info: E-Mail: farmbits@unl.edu Twitter: https://twitter.com/NEDigitalAg Samantha's Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaTeten Jackson's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jstansell87 Opinions expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast are solely their own, and do not reflect the views of Nebraska Extension or the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.