It all started with an app for home growers. If they saw any symptoms on their leaves, the app could be used to diagnose it. By just taking a picture of the leaf, the AI would offer a diagnosis as well as advice. After 4 years, the GrowDoc app is now transforming into something bigger: an AI tool for Licensed Producers. "We started to get interest from licensed growers. They knew the app and wanted something similar that they could use on not just one plant, but hundreds or thousands of plants," says Kieran Oliver-Giasson, Co-Founder of GrowDoc. The app is still available, but the company now also offers a large scale software called GrowDoc AI.
A diagnostic tool
Kieran explains that the GrowDoc app and GrowDoc AI work similarly. "It still offers the same diagnostic tool, but GrowDoc AI offers a way for these bigger grows to track everything that's going on in their grow. The tool is web-based and can easily be used on your phone, tablet or laptop. Each grow is able to build its own map of the grow rooms. As they're scouting, they're able to scan any issues and attach that to a specific plant, or they can create their own list or form to keep track of everything."
According to Kieran, an app like this is beneficial for grows that can use some help with pest management. "We've heard too many stories of grows hiring a scouting team to walk through and write down which plants have what issues. Once that information got to the boss and the task was finalized, the data went unused." Therefore, GrowDoc AI's goal is to digitize the whole process. "All the data about plant health is saved on the platform and can be used to see any developments over time."
The tool can be used for more than just pest scouting. "There's also a heat map and growers can track what products, such as biologicals, they're using to see how well they are working. You can then build graphs on how that correlates with the amount of pests," Kieran explains.
From small to large scale
The company has already implemented GrowDoc AI in several grows. "We work with some of the biggest grows in Canada. One is a 1 million square foot greenhouse. In a large facility like that, you need to keep track of what is happening. In a place that big, missing any details can have major consequences." But the company is also working with micro cultivators and small family grows. "They also see the benefits of using AI to help them understand and track their plants. On top of that, the tool is also used to train new staff. Not everyone has been growing for years, so having a platform like this helps them to know what to look out for."
Expanding in Canada and beyond
Recently, the company announced a partnership with BioFloral Canada, which is now GrowDoc's official reseller in Canada. "As a Canadian company ourselves, it is great to partner up with this well-known Canadian wholesaler. We hope to access even more Canadian growers this way."
Beyond Canada, GrowDoc is also looking to expand internationally. "GrowDoc AI is already used in New Zealand and Australia and we're talking to some growers in Europe as well. We're excited to offer this AI solution to the cannabis industry. There's a low barrier to use it: no need to buy new cameras or retrain your staff. Instead, just use your phone or tablet to scan the plant and use the AI, and digitize everything while you're doing so. We believe cannabis growers worldwide can benefit from this," Kieran concludes.
For more information:
GrowDoc AI
growdoc.ai