The UAE has unveiled a new AI-powered mobile application for detecting crop disorders.
The new application – called Dr. Nabat – is developed through collaboration between the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the University of Barcelona, Spain.
The application was unveiled on Tuesday by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, minister of climate change and environment, at a ceremony at the headquarters of ICBA.
Created with the support of local partners in Egypt, Tunisia, and the UAE, the application is designed to aid smallholder farmers and extension specialists in spotting crop disorders at early stages, and thus minimising yield losses and improving incomes.
It can identify 18 different common disorders affecting tomato, capsicum, and cucumber.
These cash crops are considered important for smallholder farmers who practice protected agriculture.
Almheiri said the new app is a prime example of how the power of technology can be harnessed to address pressing concerns.
“In the face of ever-rising challenges, with climate change at the forefront, we believe that technological interventions will optimise agricultural practices, enhance harvest quality and quantity, and notably improve the lives of farmers,” the minister said.
Almheiri hoped that the app would prove to be a game changer for smallholder farmers.
Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, said smallholder farmers are on the frontlines of food security.
“They are the backbone of many agricultural economies, yet they often lack access to information about pests and diseases. We have developed this mobile application to help bridge this gap and put knowledge in their hands,” he said.
As part of the project, ICBA collected raw data from the three countries for training the AI model which was developed by the University of Barcelona.
The application was field-tested, and 414 smallholder farmers and extension specialists were trained and provided their feedback on the beta version from 2020 to 2022.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the annual loss in crop production due to pests and diseases ranges between 20 and 40 percent globally.
Each year plant diseases cost the world’s economy around $220 billion, and invasive insects around $70 billion.
Currently, the application is customised for Egypt, Tunisia, and the UAE.
But there are plans to upgrade and roll out the application in other countries in the future.
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