Laptop showing the website homepage of the SWATVEXA AI virtual assistant

An innovative resource designed to streamline and improve decision-making in agricultural and natural resources production and management is now available to a wide range of users – including policymakers, land and water managers, farmers, researchers and extension agents across the nation.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool Virtual Extension Assistant, or SWAT VEXA, was released in late 2024 by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and IBM. It is a free, interactive, generative artificial intelligence, AI, assistant that provides custom, user-friendly insights.

By addressing critical areas such as soil erosion, pollution control and disaster risk mitigation among many other scenarios, SWAT VEXA empowers users to make informed decisions across a host of scenarios.

Decades of research and development

Outputs from SWAT VEXA are based on big data sets of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT. This advanced computer modeling system was developed over more than four decades by scientists at the Texas A&M AgriLife Blackland Research Center at Temple along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  Agricultural Research Service, USDA-ARS.

Over the years, SWAT has become the international and U.S. standard for agriculture and natural resources decision-making at all geographical scales.

“VEXA accelerates research, enhances reproducibility and empowers users to design innovative solutions for complex agricultural and hydrological challenges,” said Raghavan Srinivasan, Ph.D., AgriLife Research distinguished professor and director of the Blackland Research Center at Temple.

“With its ability to democratize knowledge and fast-track decision-making, VEXA is set to drive significant advancements in SWAT model research, ultimately promoting ecosystem sustainability and effective resource management worldwide,” Srinivasan said.

A group of people in front of a scientific poster talking to each other
Researchers discuss a scientific poster at the 2023 Soil and Water Assessment Tool conference in Denmark. (Courtesy photo)

Merging AI with proven technology

The SWAT system was integrated with AI as part of a continuing collaboration between AgriLife Research and IBM through the technology company’s IBM Sustainability Accelerator. SWAT VEXA also incorporates IBM’s Deep Search AI, watsonx.ai and Granite model.

Researchers say the tool can advance agricultural and natural resource productivity and sustainability by enabling faster decision-making for users worldwide.

“Today, smallholder farmers need more than traditional advice,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, vice president and chief impact officer at IBM. “They need scientifically precise, data-driven insights. Solutions such as SWAT VEXA democratize access to critical environmental insights, enabling faster, more informed decision-making for communities facing agricultural challenges.”

Driving global impact

In addition to advancing agricultural and resource productivity, SWAT VEXA is expected to amplify the global impact of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator. To date, this program has supported approximately 65,300 direct beneficiaries through efforts in sustainable agriculture initiatives.

By offering accessible, AI-powered insights, SWAT VEXA enables users to make data-informed decisions, ultimately promoting sustainability and resilience in agricultural systems worldwide.

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