b'Get Smart Dawn Trautman is poised to help usher in the next Green Revolution through artificial intelligence.DAWN TRAUTMAN knows theres a lot of promises behind Smart Agriculturethe emerging field of applying real-time artificial intelligence in the field, in greenhouses and harnessing the use of big data analytics in real time.The key is speeding adoption. The way to do that, of course, is to create smart solutions to help growers adopt it.The idea is to bridge the gap between the potential and the reality. Right now, theres a gap, and a large one. Its like the Green Revolution. Before that there was a set level of activity, and afterward was a big bump. All of the sudden peoples best became a lot better, says the 34-year-old Edmonton resident and manager of Smart Agriculture and Food with Alberta Innovates. Albertas Dawn Trautman has been picked for one of this years Plant breeding plays a huge role in that, she notes. Nuffield scholarships. PHOTO: DAWN TRAUTMANWere still learning about the potential of plants and the interaction of genetics, environment andmight not be, Oh I wish I had only organic food to management. If you have good genetics but pooreat. Maybe its, I wish I had any food at all, she says.management and poor environment, you dont getThat uncertainty only breeds more mistrust, which much out of the plant. Without good genetics, evenis something Smart Agriculture can help with.with good environmental conditions, you dont get aStacy Felkar is event co-manager for Olds Colleges good yield. AgSmart, a two-day event focused on data and The key, she says, is to think about plant breeding,technology across the agriculture sector which held seed and agriculture not in terms of commodities,its first event in 2019. Felkar worked with Trautman but in terms of foodand to think about the peopleto glean key insights which would allow AgSmart buying that food. to showcase technology thats vital to the future of Consumers are increasingly disconnected fromCanadian plant breeding.their food sources but have an increased interest inDawn was key to helping us pull off what we want health, sustainability and transparency. This is whereto be a truly valuable exhibition. Shes very forward technology can play a role in bridging the smartthinking looking at the role this technology will play,ABOUTagriculture gap. Felkar says. Were based on the premise that we needDAWN Thats because Smart Agriculture can also provideto produce food more efficiently and sustainably usingTRAUTMANinformation which consumers wantinfo onSmart Agriculture technologyits part and parcel of traceability and farming methods used. what we do, and Dawn is a real leader in this and hasBirthplace: Edmonton, Alta.As part of the Nuffield scholarship program, sheher finger on the pulse of whats happening. Favourite movie: plans to study the barriers for smart agricultureAccording to Trautman, the second decade of theI like movies, but adoption for producers while also expanding21st century will be a defining one in the history ofI cant say that I on opportunities for technology companies toCanadian smart agriculture, provided the gap canhave an absolute favourite!develop and integrate made-in-Canada solutions forbe closed through more innovation shes hoping toFavourite food: sustainable production.enable through pan-Canadian projects led by groupsDark chocolate :)She sees a silver lining in the pandemic, which cutsuch as Alberta Innovates, which initiate, fund, andWords to live by/short a recent trip she took to Australia as part of hermanage research and innovation partnerships. motto: Do the scholarship-related work. Places on earth where the population is expected tobest you can Theres more uncertainty in our food supply,grow cannot access anymore land to grow food. Smartuntil you know better. Then especially with COVID. Supply chains are disrupted,agriculture is really the only way to unlock the fullwhen you know people are staying home. Its bringing instability, andpotential thats there, she says. better, do better. ag is an industry vital to the wellbeing of society. It Marc Zienkiewicz Maya Angelou54seed.ab.ca'