USW and Middle East experts develop smart system to combat crop losses

Tech experts at the University of South Wales (USW) have been working with colleagues in the Middle East to spearhead a farm irrigation system developed after COVID lockdowns led to the destruction of vital crops.

Professors Ashraf Ali and Andrew Ware have been leading the development of a system to calculate the exact amount of water and the optimum time to irrigate crops on farms in Jordan. 

The two-year project, funded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, was developed in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jordanian farmers.

At one point, they weren’t allowed access to their farms for more than two weeks at a time. This resulted in unexpected crop losses, directly affecting the food supply chain and food security in a country which already suffers from stressed water resources. 

“The issues raised by the pandemic meant we had to come up with a solution to the serious problems caused by the lockdowns,” explained Professor Ali.

“Thankfully, having worked alongside Professor Ware, we were able to access leading expertise in digital technology and use it to address the issues faced by the agricultural community in Jordan.

“By tapping into the expertise of the farmers, we were able to develop a smart irrigation system with automated controls that could determine the exact watering needs of each farm sector.

“This was enhanced with sensors that collect data from the soil, tree parts, and the surrounding environment, to analyse each area’s requirements, and then a specially developed algorithm was able to make a decision that would match those made by the farmers.”

Having developed the system, the project partners have designed further tech to support Jordan’s agricultural sector.

“As a result of the team's hard work, a website has been developed - www.agritech-jo.com – which will help transform the management of the country’s agriculture,” said Professor Ali.

“We also developed an app designed to allow farmers to remotely monitor their systems, while a specialist research lab, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing and AI Applications Lab (ICCAA), has been set up in Jordan to further develop the skills and tech used in this and other innovative projects.”

Professor Ware added, “The work with colleagues in Jordan is another example of how expertise developed in Wales can support significant challenges communities worldwide face.

“At USW, we have become a leader in innovative technology and, as part of the Wales Institute of Digital Information, work with public sector partners to develop cutting-edge bespoke systems. I look forward to continuing this partnership and researching how other applications can benefit from the experience gained through the Jordan project.”    

Andrew, a Professor of Computing at USW, worked alongside Professor Ashaf Ali, the Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Hashemite University in Jordan. Professor Ali completed his PhD in mission critical communication systems at USW and is now a Visiting Research Fellow at the University.

The Project is funded via the Engineering X Transforming Systems Through Partnership (TSP) programme, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering.