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1. Digital platforms for boosting farmer knowledge: Two case studies in Kenya and UgandaApproximately 80% of all farms in Africa, or 33 million farms, are two hectares or less in size. Many of these smallholder farmers do not have access to resources, including extension services, to improve their farms. Lack of knowledge of Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) causes farmers to fail to reach their full yield potential. Extension workers responsible to provide these GAPs to farmers are spread thin. For example, as of March of 2019, there was one extension worker for every 1,800 coffe... E. Bakirdjian, T. Harigaya, M. Osia, J. Zhu, J. Abuli |
2. Mapping African soils at 30m resolution - iSDAsoil: leveraging spatial agronomy in farm-level advisory for smallholdersField level soil data has been the foundation of agronomic advisory, but traditional methods involving on-farm sampling are too expensive for a large proportion of African smallholders. Building on the work of the African Soil Information Service (AfSIS), Innovative Solutions for Decision Agriculture (iSDA) and partners have created an agronomic soil database which covers the entire African continent at a spatial resolution of 30 m. “iSDAsoil” combines remote sensing data and othe... J. Crouch |
3. Mechanisation of smallholders in Zambia by agrodealer developmentThe main challenges hampering agricultural mechanization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are affordability, availability, lack of farmer skills and constraints within the private sector. Smallholders are trapped in a vicious circle of low income, low demand, high cost, and lack of financing. Low capacity and lack of support for mechanisation contractors (agrodealers) to succeed is holding back the development. The objectives of this work were (i) to assess the affordability of mechanisation syste... S. Peets, S. Woods |
4. Soil mapping with the VERIS U3 soil scanner in a precision farm in HungaryCurrently, field crop production faces constant challenges. Extreme climatic conditions, deteriorating circumstances on the field have a negative impact on the quantity and quality of available yields, and the ever-changing agro-economic environment makes the profitability of the sector uncertain. Precision crop production means site-specific agricultural cultivation tied to geographical coordinates. Modern strip tillage technology based on precision technology for crops with wide row spacing... P. Ragán, E. Harsányi, T. Rátonyi, A. Széles, P. Fejér, I. Bácskai |
5. Cashew Trees Detection and Yield Analysis using UAV-based MapIn this study we developed a novel method to detect cashew trees in an orthophoto map derived from images collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We also suggest a way in which these detections can be used to analyse the yield of the cashew farm. The proposed method uses images analysis to find the tops of trees, to merge different tops located on the same tree, and to segment individual tree. The segmented trees are used in a deep learning framework to know the exact location of cashe... T. Bayala, I. Ouattara, A. Visala, S. Malo |
6. REVISITING INLAND VALLEYS MANAGEMENT STANDARDS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL CHANGE IN WEST AFRICAConsidered as main alternative to the crisis of traditional production systems, inland valleys management pains more and more to fill expectations of West African’s farmers due to the inadequacy, in the current context of climate, agrarian and environmental change of the management standards applied to these ecosystems. One consequence of this inadequacy is the inefficient exploitation of the inland valleys with the results being the persistence of the food insecurity, environmental deg... A. Tidjani, P. Tovihoudji |
7. Spatial variability and mapping of selected soil quality indicators for precision farming at a smallholding level in Minna, NigeriaSmallholding farmers in Nigeria still practice blanket application of fertilizers, without giving consideration to spatial variations in soil properties across their fields. Understanding of spatial variability in soil properties is essential for precision farming, especially in this era of resource scarcity and high cost of fertilizers. This study was carried out to assess and map the spatial variability in selected soil quality indicators in a smallholder farm in Minna, North-central Nigeri... B. Lawal, M.K. Adeboye, P.A. Tsado |
8. FARMER CHARLIE: PRECISION AGRICULTURE AT SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ SERVICEPreliminary research and an ongoing project in Nigeria showed that agriculture is a crucial activity in the country. It is mainly carried out in small, family-owned farms: in fact, 88% of Nigeria farmers work on less than 0.5 ha. Lack of resources, of readily available information and the impact of climate on agricultural activities lead to low yields and high-cost farm inputs (FAO, 2020). The availability of agricultural data and weather forecast information could play an essential role in i... B. Bonnardel, G. Cursoli |
9. Using Site-Specific Management Zones for Potato Crop Management, East Nile Delta, EgyptThe field management zones (MZ) delineated using soil electrical conductivity (EC) and topographic parameters are the basis for site-specific crop management (SSCM). The objective of this paper was to delineation site-specific management zones of 155 feddans (67.2 ha) of a potato pivot field at East of Nile Delta, Egypt for use in smart farming based on spatial variability of soil and plant properties, yield and topographic attributes. The salinity measurement in the f... A.B. Belal, E.S. Mohamed, M.E. Jalhoum, M. zahran, M.A. Abdellatif, M.S. Emam, E.A. Hendway |
10. Scaling Precision Agriculture in West Africa Smallholder Irrigation and Water Management SystemsThe advent of precision agriculture (PA) is changing global agricultural productivity; through the underlining principles that ensure inputs required for the management of soil, water and crop agronomy are supplied precisely across the field landscape resulting in optimum yield. The benefits of PA include improved food security through increases in water and nutrient use efficiency, and timely management of good agricultural practices. The practice of PA could be beneficial across commercial ... A.O. Oke, V. Aduramigba-modupe |
11. Potential precision agriculture practices for higher fruit and vegetable production in West Africa: A ReviewDuring the last decades, efforts have been made to increase the yield and the quality of major fruits and vegetables but still, farmers mainly those in West African countries are struggling to close the yield gap. Precision agriculture has been reported in most developed countries as a set of tools integrating information and technologies for efficient crop production. Over the decades, scholars have been skeptical about the development and implementation of precision agriculture in West Afri... V. Fassinou hotegni, L.W. Azonhoumon, E.G. Achigan-dako |
12. Deep Learning is bringing pan-African small holder advisory services based on mid-infrared spectroscopic soil analysis to the next levelThe majority of African smallholder farmers do not have access to soil analytical services. The main reasons are relatively high costs of wet chemical services and difficult logistics. As a result they have to rely on blanket fertilizer recommendations. This often causes poor soil management due to very heterogeneous soil conditions. As a result, the return on investment from blanket fertilizer recommendations is low and fertilizer acceptance is not growing among smallholder farmers. Soil spe... T. Terhoeven-urselmans, D. Fletcher, M.M. Karanja, J.W. Kamau |
13. Autonomous Hexacopter Spraying drones for plants protectionAbbes KAILIL1, Hassan BENAOUDA2, Abdelhakim MOHCINE3, 1 Eng. Doctor in aerospace engineering, Moroccan Industry Services & Engineering SARL, Morocco. 2 Eng. Doctor in Agriculture, INRA, Morocco. 3 Engineer in agriculture, ONCA, Morocco. Farming technologies have consi... H. Benaouda, A. Mohsine, A. Kailil |
14. Scale Independent Precision AgricultureThe advent of precision agriculture that occurred in the USA about three decades ago involved application of advanced and innovative technologies. Precision agriculture in the US and other advanced countries continued in that direction and today it is more sophisticated and complex than before. Interestingly, the concept of Precision Agriculture is relatively simple and does not mandate utilization of advanced technologies to practice precision agriculture. For example, it may take a su... R. Khosla |
15. The AgroCard-Côte d’Ivoire projectLe secteur agricole fait désormais partie des secteurs d’activités de précision. Face à l’amenuisement des ressources et les besoins sans cesses croissants en produits agricoles, l’agriculture de précision qui était jusque-là réservée aux grandes firmes agro-industrielles, s’impose aujourd’hui aux plus petits producteurs. Cependant, les matériels restent, pour la plupart, conçus pour la ... N. aphing |
16. Public Financing in Agricultural Research Development and Rural Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from West African Economic and Monetary Union StatesThe paper examines the effects of public financing for agricultural research and development on rural poverty based on the variable farm income in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) States. To conduct this analysis, a dynamic panel comprising seven (07) WAEMU States has been built based on secondary data from World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) databases for the period 2000 to 2016. To correct the endogeneity generated ... O. Dah, T. Bassolet |
17. Mapping the Spatial Variability, Status and Magnitude of Soil Acidity in Semen Ari District of South Omo, Southwestern EthiopiaSoil acidity is one of the major constraints to cropping systems in the vast highlands of Ethiopia. A common strategy for ameliorating soil acidity is the application of agricultural lime. However, formulation of measurement strategy was hampered by the lack of information on magnitude, extent and status of soil acidity and, high resolution soil acidity map. Therefore, this study was investigated to assess the magnitude and status of soil acidity, map its spatial variability in ... A.H. Hemacho |
18. A Suitability Approach for Land Assessment of New Reclamation Areas Using GeomaticsThe study aims to develop a system to assess land suitability for agriculture use in the Arid Western Fringes of the Nile Delta. This is based on the fact that the selection of optimal sites for agricultural use is a prerequisite for productive operation and economic feasibility. This is especially true in arid regions due to the scarcity of such suitable land. New approach was implemented to use environmental and terrestrial factors; i.e., criteria of soil characteristics, climate and salini... A.M. saleh, S.M. Arafat, M.A. Abdelrahman |
19. Sqat: a Python Package for Soil Quality AssessmentSoil quality Assessment Tool (sqat) is an open-source python programming language package for researchers to facilitate carrying out soil quality assessment. The package provides the necessary modules required for soil and terrain indicators scoring and quality indexing. The package developed using Python programming language which currently is widely used for numerical problem solving and scientific data analyses. The package developed under the open-source principal where the programming co... A. Saleh |
20. Comparative Assesement of Interpolation Techniques in Predicting Soil Properties on a Sloping Pasture Land Under Fallow in a Ferralsol in UgandaSoil variability is a major challenge in application of mineral fertilizers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Use of soil fertility maps can effectively guide the use of mineral or organic fertilizers or fertilizers. Interpolation techniques are widely used in the formulation of these fertility maps. The precision of spatial interpolation techniques for predicting unmeasured values have been reported by various researchers but there are cconflicting findings regarding the relative performance of t... J.M. Menya, P. Musinguzi, J.M. Mwanjalolo |
21. Use of Earth Observation Imagery, Advanced Modelling Algorithms and Other Monitoring Systems to Produce Operational Agricultural Annual Crop Inventories for Morocco.African farmers are facing the challenges of a changing climate, increased temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, more frequent extreme weather events and reductions in water availability. The digital transformation of the agricultural sector is one of the opportunities that can promote good practices of the African agricultural through the sharing of information and tools for decision-making, thereby, boost economic growth of our African country. The shift to digital technologies ... M. Choukri, A. Laamrani , V. simonneaux , B. Gerard , S. Belaqziz, A. Chehbouni, K. Misbah, H. Mcnairn |
22. A Call for Action: Implementing the African Certified Agronomy Advisory ProgramAgriculture remains the backbone of many African economies, providing livelihoods for millions while addressing food security concerns. However, productivity in the sector often lags due to various challenges, including limited access to modern agronomic practices and advisory services. In response to the pressing need for enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability in African countries, it is imparative to establish a standardized extension training program at the continental leve... C. Engoke, S. Zingore, I. Adolwa, S. Njoroge, K. Majumdar, J. Mutegi, E. Mugi, |
23. Comparative Assessment of Landuse Landcover Changes on Water Quality of River Kaduna from 2012-2020 at Wuya, Niger State, NigeriaThe study investigates the effects of land use land cover changes on water quality of River Kaduna from 2012-2020 at Wuya, Niger state, Nigeria using Landsat 7 imagery. Five classes of LULC types where selected and used as basis for classification. Also five (5) sampling stations selected on the water body for water quality analysis which were collected once monthly for a period of six months from February 2020 to July 2020. The results of LULC classification depicts an increase in water body... I. Saratu usman, F. Yusufu |
24. Grain Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea Mays L.) As Affected by Soil Management Practices and Their Interaction on Cambisols and ChernozemAlthough numerous factors contribute to wide yield gaps, low external inputs, particularly N, and poor cropping practices such as soil tillage and monocropping are among the major factors affecting low maize production. In view of this, field experiments were implemented on two sites with Cambisols and Chernozem soil types in two consecutive years to evaluate the impacts of different soil management practices on the grain yield and quality, nitrogen uptake and selected soil properties. A thre... A. Nigussie |
25. Assessment of Nitrogen Fertilization in Tunisian Wheat Production Using Proximal and Remote SensingThe cereal sector in Tunisia covers wide areas in the country from sub-humid to semi-arid zones; most of the fields are rainfed. The sector is suffering from climate change impacts in term of rainfall amount and pattern. Water management policy in the country prioritizes allocating surface water to domestic uses than irrigation. On the other hand irrigation using groundwater (e.g. in Kairouan) continue to over use the water table with an average drawdown of 5 m/year. Because of this, low effi... M. Mechri, O. Alshihabi, H. Angar, I. Nouiri, M. Landolsi, M. Söderström, K. Persson, S. Phillips |
26. Factors Influencing Farmers’ Decisions on Timing and Application Rates of Irrigation Water in Semi-Arid Regions: A Case-Study of Mwala, Machakos County, KenyaThis study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ decisions on water application in arid and semi-arid regions, where water shortages are prevalent due to low and unreliable rainfall. The research involved interviewing 41 farmers registered under the Equity Group Foundation extension scheme, focusing on their irrigation scheduling techniques, timing, application rates, and other factors such as plant and soil conditions. The study also involved laboratory analysis of soil samples... D. Mongína, C.K. Gachene, G. Kironchi |
27. Evaluating the Impact of Seasonal Weather Variability on Soil Moisture Conservation Under Mulching Systems for Date Palm Production in OasesSoil moisture is an essential parameter that governs crop production and soil health. Therefore, the critical role of soil moisture cannot be overstated in sustaining agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Date palm production not only plays a vital role in economic and nutritional purposes in many arid areas but also plays important roles in creating favorable microclimates for agriculture and protecting lands from desertification. This study proposes an innovative appr... U. Safi, O. Abdallah , A. Sabri |
28. Effects of Adopting Fertilizer Management Practices on Yield in Maize-Based Systems of Embu County: an Instrumental Variable Regression ApproachFertilizers play an important role in maize production and global food security, contributing significantly to yield increases. However, continuous rise in fertilizer prices has resulted in inflated costs, leading to unaffordability and suboptimal utilization. Inefficient use by farmers has hindered yield potential and increased environmental risks. Additionally, farmers' limited knowledge and awareness of optimal nutrient requirements, timing, application rates, and placement techn... M. Gitau, R.A. Nyikal, , O. Kitonyo |
29. Optimizing Durum Wheat Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) Prediction Through Sentinel-2 Vegetation Index IntegrationNitrogen is crucial for durum wheat growth and productivity, but excess or insufficient levels can harm both the environment and farmers' finances. Remote sensing offers rapid, cost-effective, and nondestructive ways to assess crop nutrition, with vegetation indices (VIs) indicating plant health. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of durum wheat nitrogen status prediction by investigating modified formulations of Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) coupled with various vegetation indices ... N. Boughattas, K. Marwa, Z. Mohamed, A. Sawsen, A. Soumaya, H. Hafedh, H. Imen, T. Youssef |
30. Capacity Building of African Young Scientists in Precision Agriculture Through Cross Regional Academic MobilityClimate change is one of the main problems affecting food and nutrition globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Adapting to and/or mitigating climate change in the agri-food sector requires merging information technologies, genetic innovations, and sustainable farming practices to empower the agricultural youth sector to create effective and locally adapted solutions. Precision Agriculture applied to crops (PAAC), has been advocated as a strategic solution to mitigate/adapt agriculture ... K. Frimpong, V. Fassinou hotegni, A. Karangwa, A. Manyatsi, M. Amri, D. Cammarano, C. Lesueur, J. Taylor, S. Phillips, E.G. Achigan-dako, G. Houessou, O. Linkpon, D. Tchokponhoué, C. Houdegbe, C. Adje |
31. Inter-Country Cooperation Can Transform Precision Agriculture Education and Research in AfricaThere is a significant potential to transform the productivity and profitability of African agricultural systems through integration of precision agriculture technologies and practices. Implementing smart agriculture solutions in Africa, both in terms of policies and program design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation requires cooperation among the African nations. Inter-country cooperation will enable leveraging the available good and diverse capacities for develop... K. Frimpong, V. Aduramigba-modupe, V. Fassinou hotegni, M. Mechri |
32. Rainwater Harvesting and Nutrient Intensification in Maize-Legume Farming Systems in Semi-Arid ZimbabweAgricultural productivity in Zimbabwe is declining mainly due to climate change and inherently poor soil fertility. The situation is worsened by the high cost of fertilizers beyond the reach of many smallholder farmers. In response to these challenges, most smallholder farmers are implementing either rainwater harvesting (RWH) or integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). This study sought to investigate the role of integrating the tied-contour RWH (TC-RWH) technique and ISFM on soil moistu... E. Mutsamba-magwaza, D. Nyamayevu, G. Nyamadzawo, R. Mandumbu, I. Nyagumbo |
33. Comparative Study on Precision Nitrogen Management for Wheat Using Greenseeker, Chlorophyll Meter and Leaf Color Chart Based on Spectral Characteristics of LeavesCollecting results on nitrogen (N) uptake throughout the growing season using tools such as GreenSeeker optical sensor, chlorophyll meter and Leaf Color Chart (LCC) holds great promise for optimizing N fertilizer management in cereal crops. To investigate this further, field experiments were conducted over two consecutive winter seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) on wheat at the Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, located in Giza Governorate, Egypt. The primary o... A. Soaud, E. El-metwally , A. Ali, R. Sayed |
34. Use of “FertiEdge” Application for Optimizing Wheat FertilizationWheat is a crop of global importance, and effective fertilization is crucial to maximize yield and quality. Traditional methods of fertilization often result in under- or over-application of nutrients, resulting in environmental problems and suboptimal crop yields. FertiEdge is a digital application that provides accurate fertilization recommendations based on real-time data, it’s an innovative tool designed to enhance the efficiency of wheat fertilization. This study evaluates its impa... I. Sbai, F. Sehbaoui, M. Hmimou |
35. Upland Rice Yield Response to Soil Moisture Variability with Depth Across Ferralsols and Gleysols in Western UgandaSoil moisture is a vital factor in boosting rice productivity by influencing the growth of healthy plants. In mid-western districts like Kikuube where rainfall is unpredictable, maintaining optimal soil moisture differs between a bountiful harvest and crop failure. Effective soil moisture management leads to improved water use efficiency, allowing crops to withstand periods of drought. This study assessed upland yield response to soil moisture variations with soil depth in Ferralsols and Gley... T. Matila, P. Tamale |
36. High-Throughput Field Phenotyping of Ascochyta Blight Disease Severity in Chickpea Using Multispectral ImagingAscochyta blight (AB) caused by Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labr. is an important and widespread disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) worldwide. The disease is particularly severe under cool and humid weather conditions, leading to crop losses at all stages of chickpea growth. Screening for resistant cultivars remains the most effective, economical and ecological method of disease management. However, traditional phenotyping methods that relying on trained experts are... F. Ibn el mokhtar, S. Krimibencheqroun , , A. Harkani , H. Houmairi , O. Idrissi , E. Abdellah , E. Abdellah |
37. Real-Time Moisture Control in Irrigation Systems for Water Use Efficiency and Climate Change Resilience. A ReviewDue to the increasing water scarcity and uncertainties of climate change, improving crop water use efficiency and productivity, at the same time minimizing detrimental effects on the environment to meet the world's rising food demand. Thus, is necessary to adopt innovative irrigation strategies, such as drip irrigation. Smart irrigation has a potential of improving water use efficiency in precision agriculture. Conventionally, irrigation systems rely on heuristic methods in order to sched... D. Kindikiza |
38. Design and Development of a LoRa Communication System for Scalable Smart Irrigation SystemsSmart irrigation is a promising tool to optimize irrigation water use but is still faced with challenges related to usability and applicability attributed to several constraints such as high initial costs, complex user interface, poor connectivity, limited farm coverage, etc. This study aimed to solve some of these issues through the development and testing of a LoRa communication system using a Raspberry Pi 4, LoRa HAT concentrator, and Strega smart valve at the Makerere University Agricultu... J. Wanyama , J. Ikabat, I. Kabenge, P. Hess, P. Nakawuka, E. Bwambale , J. Muyonga, S. Felicioni, A. Bühlmann, T. Anken |
39. Predicting the Distribution of Groundnut Phytopathogens Under Current and Future Climatic Scenarios in ZimbabweGroundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil crop with immense nutritional and economic benefits, but its productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is threatened by a plethora of phytopathogens such as groundnut rosette virus, Alternaria leafspots, early leafspots and peanut rust. In Zimbabwe, ecological niches and epidemiology of these pathogenic microbial strains, particularly under the current and predicted climate change scenarios, are still poorly understood. Yet, this inf... H. Chinwa, C.N. Kamutando |
40. Investigating the Interaction Between Soil Moisture and Clay Content for Enhanced Soil Moisture Prediction: A Lab-Based Approach with Implications for African Agriculture... Y. Atyosi |