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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. 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 |
5. 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 |
6. 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 |
7. 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 |
8. 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 |
9. 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 |
10. 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 |
11. 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 |
12. The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Remotely Sensed Data and Biophysical Variables to Predict Maize Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) in Small-Scale Farming SystemsConsidering the current and projected increase in human population, approaches to optimize crop productivity to meet the rising demand are paramount. Timely and accurate maize Above Ground Biomass (AGB) measurements allow for development of models that can precisely predict yield prior to harvesting, useful for food production management and sustenance. The development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a new generation of robust remote sensing platforms, mounted with high-resolution senso... C. Dlamini, J. Odindi, O. Mutanga, T. Matongera |
13. Enhancing the Estimation of Equivalent Water Thickness in Neglected and Underutilized Taro Crops Using UAV Acquired Multispectral Thermal Image Data and Index-Based Image SegmentationDue to the impact of climate variability and change, smallholder farmers are increasingly faced with the challenge of sustaining crop production. Taro, recognized as a future smart neglected and underutilized crop due to its resilience to abiotic stresses, has emerged as valuable for diversifying crop farming systems and sustaining local livelihoods. Nonetheless, a significant research gap exists in spatially explicit information on the water status of taro, contributing to the paradox of its... S. Ndlovu, J. Odindi, M. Sibanda, O. Mutanga |
14. Sustainability of Maize Production with Farmers’ Practices and Redesigned Crop Management Practices in CRV and Jimma of EthiopiaMulti-criteria assessment of crop management practices is vital for sustainable crop production and environmental safety. In this study, sustainability of maize production with farmer’s practice (FP), redesigned plant density plus current fertilizer use (RDCF), current plant density plus redesigned fertilizer use (CDRF), and redesigned plant density and redesigned fertilizer use (RDRF) were assessed at farm level based on social, agronomic, economic and environmental principles in Centr... W. Kenea, A.N. Woldekristos, T. Balemi |
15. Optimizing Maize Production Through Minimum Tillage in Conservation Agriculture Systems: Evidence from Malawi's LowlandsSustainable intensification in agricultural systems has been implemented and promoted across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a strategy for addressing low crop productivity often resulting in widespread food and nutritional insecurity. This study sought to assess the productivity potential of conservation agriculture (CA) cropping systems and associated crop establishment techniques in terms of grain, protein and energy yield. An on-station trial was implemented at Chitala Research Station in Mal... D. Nyamayevu, I. Nyagumbo, W. Liang , R. Li |
16. Use of Digital Extension Tools for Agricultural Information Management Among Cassava Value Chain Actors in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, NigeriaPoor coverage of farmers by extension services and other limitations necessitates adapting the agricultural process to new opportunities, including digital extension. This is more important for cassava value chain actors given the recognition of the crop for food security in Nigeria and its widespread promotion by several local and regional development interventions. Therefore, the use of digital extension tools for agricultural information management among cassava value chain actors in... O. Fadairo, A.M. Durojaiye, R. Adegbayi |
17. Human-Powered Proximal Soil Sensing for Small FarmsOver the past 25 years several on-the-go proximal soil sensors have been developed, commercialized, and adopted by crop consultants, retailers, and growers for mapping large fields and farms. These technologies are used to map soil texture--which impacts water and nutrient holding capacity, organic matter--a measure of soil health and productivity, and pH—which directly affects nutrient availability. Typically, these sensors are deployed with tractors or other off-road vehicles, u... E. Lund |
18. Assessing the Potential of UAV-Acquired Multispectral Imagery Combined with Machine Learning Techniques in Mapping the Spatial Distribution of Taro And Sweet Potato in Smaller Holder Farms... M. Abrahams |
19. Assessing the Utility of Image Segmentation Techniques and Leaf Area Index in Improving Taro Yield Prediction Based on UAV-Acquired Multispectral Data in Smallholder Croplands... S. Buthelezi |