The 'Farmers Toolkit' as presented in this project contains various geodata tools applicable for farmers to assist their decision-making and adopt climate smart agricultural practices. This project launches a training program on these tools, which are: Flying Sensors, irrigation advisory services (IrriWatch portal), WaPOR and Google Earthengine Apps, and Climate Risk Assessments. The training providers consortium (FutureWater, IrriWatch, Delphy, Cairo University and HiView) are tailoring the activities towards the requirements of the selected beneficiaries which are private companies, consultants, and NGO's active as extension officers in the agricultural sector of Egypt. The training program is a unique combination of face-to-face training, online teaching, and field schools conducted throughout the growing season of 2021.

Geodata tools have been developing rapidly in the past years and are vastly adopted by researchers and increasingly by policy-makers. However, the is still great potential to increase the practical application of these tools in the agricultural sector, which is currently applied by a limited number of ‘pioneering’ farmers. The information that can be gained from geodata tools on irrigation management, pest and nutrient management, and crop selection, is a valuable asset for farmers. Key players for providing such information to the farmers are the extensions officers. This project aims at training extension officers in the use of these geodata tools. The beneficiaries in Egypt are: Tamkeen for Advanced Agriculture, FAODA, IDAM, Bio-Oasis, and LEPECHA. The selected participants will receive a training programme which consists firstly of several session on the background and theory of the geodata tools, provided through our online teaching platform (futurewater.moodle.school). Starting from May (2021) field schools will be set up to use the geodata tools for decision-making in these demonstration plots. In addition, modules are taught on the quality of the data, and profitability of such tools. Altogether, a group of carefully selected participants will receive training on these innovative tools and create a bridge to providing this information to farmers specifically the smallholder farmers.

Related publications

  • 2021 - One-pagerVan Opstal, J.D., R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen. 2021. WaPOR open access data – Data portal and smartphone apps for improved farm management. One-pager.X

    WaPOR open access data – Data portal and smartphone apps for improved farm management

    Van Opstal, J.D., R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen

  • 2021 - One-pagerBachour, R., J.D. van Opstal, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen. 2021. IrriWatch irrigation advisory – Applications for irrigation and farm management. One-pager. X

    IrriWatch irrigation advisory – Applications for irrigation and farm management

    Bachour, R., J.D. van Opstal, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen

  • 2021 - One-pagerVan Opstal, J.D., J. van Til, R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen. 2021. Grounded “flying” sensors – Near-infrared cameras for vegetation status monitoring. One-pager.X

    Grounded “flying” sensors – Near-infrared cameras for vegetation status monitoring

    Van Opstal, J.D., J. van Til, R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, H. Zevenbergen

  • 2021 - Technical Reportvan Opstal, J., R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem, 2021. A Practical Farmers' Toolkit - Geodata for climate smart agriculture in Egypt. Technical report.X

    A Practical Farmers’ Toolkit – Geodata for climate smart agriculture in Egypt

    van Opstal, J., R. Bachour, C. Lugtenburg, A. Ghanem