Dell and Moyo's AI drone: a game-changer for crop disease detection

Digital business consultancy based in South Africa, Moyo, has partnered with Dell Technologies to introduce an autonomous drone that uses AI to detect potato leaf disease.

This new solution developed using the Dell AI Factory with Nvidia and Precision AI-ready workstations can support South Africa’s agriculture sector with advanced crop health monitoring.

Philip Heydenrych, a director at Moyo, said for companies using AI, having a reliable partner and high-performance technology is crucial. “Dell Technologies has been a leading player in the AI space. This expertise was crucial in creating the drone AI model and will continue to be as we create other AI-driven solutions that can support South Africa's agriculture sector.”

Using AI to enhance agricultural surveillance allows for timely interventions, reducing losses and improving yield quality. The drone developed by Moyo employs a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) system, combining high-resolution image capture with AI-based leaf pattern analysis. The neural network is trained to identify early disease signs, such as fungal infections, greatly enhancing the precision and depth of disease detection.

Moyo works with customers to build AI solutions and strategies that assist them in driving actionable and measurable business outcomes.

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