Kazakhstan's Field Day showcases AI and digital farming breakthroughs for sustainable agriculture

Kazakhstan recently hosted a Field Day event focused on digital technologies in agriculture. The gathering brought together officials, scientists, and farmers to discuss sustainable farming solutions. Key topics included precision farming, AI applications, and modern breeding techniques. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, regional governors, agrarian scientists, and local farmers attended the event. Discussions covered precision farming, digital monitoring, and automated management systems for better crop production.

KazNIIZiBR is leading efforts in digital and robotic phenotyping, using drones and robots to support genomic selection. Sholpan Bastaubayeva, Chair of KazNIIZiBR, stressed the importance of AI, genomics, and big data in advancing plant breeding. The institute’s work includes AI-driven analysis of historical data to uncover drought or disease resistance in crops.

Kairat Biseetayev, Chairman of NASEC, highlighted digitalisation as crucial for profitability and competition in the market. NASEC holds over 64,000 plant samples, which need digitising and integration into a national database. AI is also being used for seed quality control, with smart sorting systems and digital seed passports to prevent counterfeit seeds. The event underscored the growing role of technology in agriculture. Kazakhstan’s focus on digital tools, AI, and genomic research aims to improve crop resilience and market competitiveness. These advancements are expected to support sustainable development in the sector.