(MEBG) – UAE will soon be the first among Middle Eastern countries to utilize a pioneer computer program devised to aid local farmers in cultivating date palms, so announced a Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries official on July 11.
The system, named "Expert System", was designed by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and consists of five chief functions.
The first assists farmers in deciding on the best variety of dates for cultivation, based on the input of soil, relative humidity and the quality of dates desired.
The second provides farmers with information needed to detect and identify plant diseases.
An additional function is to help farmers determine the actual daily and monthly irrigation requirements. Fertilizing farm soil will be another regulated field, based on the data entered into the "expert system" program.
Finally, the multimedia kit will enable farmers to attain information on all date palm related issues, and allow them to devise personalized cultivation plans, usually developed by the ministry’s expert "extension officers".
