What if plants could send SOS, Syria’s journey with climate smart- agriculture
Can today’s technology create a sustainable green tomorrow?
The rapid acceleration of climate change has made agriculture an endangered profession, its importance reflected in its important role in the balance of food security for the world in general and for Syria in particular.
In several years, the issue of food security has emerged as the most talked about issue due to the effects of climate change. In this case, researchers and technology have collaborated to find a mechanism that can adapt to the attacks of climate change and come up with what is called climate smart- agriculture (CSA).
Climate Smart-Agriculture?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
It is defined as an approach that helps to guide actions to transform and redirect agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate.
CSA is a technique of sustainable agriculture that is known as an approach, not a specific practice or technology that can be universally applied, so it requires an evaluation of the social, economic and environmental conditions specific to the location where it will be applied in order to determine the appropriate agricultural technology and practices.
Below the slogan of sustainability, climate smart – agriculture has set its goals, which are:
Sustainable growth for both agricultural and financial domains , attempting to adapt and build capacity to adapt to climate change, and working to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
Within the framework of the previous goals, a question will be asked:
How will climate smart-agriculture be able to save agriculture according to Syria’s climate reality?
The answer is in the way it adapts to climate change.
The mechanism of adaptation is summarized in several practices, including:
- Planting climate-resistant crop varieties:
where crops are selected are more resistant to heat and extreme rainfall
In order to mitigate the impact of global warming on agricultural production, it should be noted that knowing the temperature and precipitation system in the region will help determine which crops can grow there, thus changing the planting schedule.
- Conservation agriculture:
By reducing tillage, using crop residues to keep the soil permanently covered, and following the principle of crop rotation.
- Water management:
Precision irrigation, drip irrigation and water harvesting are examples of climate smart- agriculture strategies.
Other types of CSA include sustainable agriculture, pest management, nutrient management, and livestock management.
Climate smart- agriculture is exceptional in that it uses tools that integrate technology with different agricultural practices according to the needs of the region:
Robotization: Drones, sensors that measure soil moisture and the plant’s need for water.
Precision agriculture: It is a management system that contributes to solving economic and environmental issues.Bio innovation: Which uses technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as breeding plants that are resistant (to cold, frost…).
In addition to many other tools… To move towards a more specific path, we will review an interesting tool for climate smart- agriculture, which is Precision Agriculture.
Precision agriculture:
Several definitions have been provided by global organizations such as FAO, ESCWA, and others, summarized it as agriculture that relies on technology and satellites to increase productivity and reduce waste.
To anticipate a shot of the future, we will include technologies and methods of precision agriculture that will let plants talk:
Global Positioning System (GPS)
This technology allows farmers to gather highly accurate location information at any time and works as follows:
Mapping irrigation systems, fields and roads; detecting trouble spots; testing soil in specific field areas; and driving a tractor with parallel steering.
In precision farming, GPS allows for the control of farm machinery, for example: Farmers can drive tractors in bad visibility, due to rain or fog.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology:
The GIS system links object data with location and mapping, including digital maps, and also enables the process of dividing the farm into separate areas, as each area has unique features, so these areas are divided according to: Soil type, nutrient availability, soil moisture content, pH, and pest distribution.
It allows farmers to view records, such as soil survey maps and characteristics of plants grown in the area. Satellite images and aerial photos provide additional information.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (drones).
They are more accurate and efficient than traditional spraying planes. Their mechanism is to identify areas of the field and spray them with either pesticides or fertilizers, which reduces waste and harmful environmental impact. In addition, it can be controlled remotely, cover large areas quickly, consume less fuel, and work to collect crop, soil and pest data that helps to make decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization and pesticides, monitoring the general condition of plants such as disease and stress, which in turn helps farmers to identify issues early.
Satellite remote sensing:
This technology allows farmers to monitor crop health through satellite imagery that provides continuously updated information on excess moisture (excess water stress), diseases, structural deformities, and nutrient levels. Its images are of high spectral resolution, allowing farmers to obtain accurate data.
The advantage of this technology over GPS and UAVs is that there are no additional fuel and labor costs.
Intelligent application of inputs (VRT):
VRT technology distributes fertilizers, seeds, pesticides… at different rates in different parts of the field according to their need. It also enables you to test the soil for nutrients such as nitrogen, and feed only those areas that lack specific nutrients.
Automatic irrigation systems:
These are used to control irrigation based on sensor data.
There are still many other technologies that you can see by visiting
https://eos.com/blog/precision-agriculture
https://www.cropin.com/precision-agriculture
In addition to the previous, what characterizes climate smart- agriculture!!!!
What is new in climate smart- agriculture is the ability to extrapolate climate risks more efficiently because it adopts the principle of risk management and is equipped with agricultural techniques and methods capable of keeping up with extreme climate risks, whether to adapt to or mitigate them.
Unfortunately, advantages always come with challenges, so what are the challenges that prevent plants from talking?
(Challenges of applying climate smart- agriculture in Syria CSA)
After research and study, it was found that they are first reflected in the lack of knowledge and awareness, high costs (for tools, experts and trainings), and most importantly political obstacles (economic sanctions imposed on the country), in addition to the categorical rejection of the landowners because it is against their culture.
Are climate smart-agriculture and precision agriculture similar in principle?
Well, the answer is going to be extraordinary:
Precision agriculture and climate smart- agriculture are two different concepts, but they cross paths in some aspects.
Precision agriculture:
Mainly focused on using technology and data collection to improve local farm management, whether it’s in terms of irrigation, fertilizer application, or any kind of other agricultural interventions. The goal is to increase productivity, reduce waste, and use resources efficiently.
Climate Smart-Agriculture
is a broader concept that aims to make agriculture more climate-sustainable. This includes adapting to climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and providing stability in farmers’ incomes.
Within this framework, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has provided various training courses on climate smart- agriculture and other areas that can be accessed and subscribed to through the link:https://elearning.fao.org/local/search/thematic.php?src=eyJsaW5ndWEiOiJhciIsInRoZW1hdGljIjoiIiwiaXNuZXciOiIiLCJjZXJ0IjoiIiwibW9iaWxlIjoiIn0%3D
Syria and climate smart-agriculture
After a long research, it was found that Syria is not far from this, as it is practicing some of the climate smart- agriculture techniques, as shown in the following examples:
Recently, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the laser leveling technique was adopted in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus, and its mechanism is summarized by leveling the land precisely and cannot be obtained by traditional processes to obtain homogeneous agriculture and equal distribution of irrigation water and not wasting it, especially in light of water scarcity.
It was characterized by raising the efficiency of water use, increasing production, saving labor and saving energy used. It saved about 80% of water and fuel wastage.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has also worked to spread the sustainable agriculture approach and apply it in many places in Syria, adopting some climate smart- agriculture techniques such as using climate-resistant crops, applying the principle of conservation agriculture, and managing water resources, but climate smart- agriculture tools are still timid and not available or applied in Syria.
In conclusion, we must mention the Arab experiences of applying climate-smart agriculture
- Saudi Arabia:
– Drip irrigation techniques and modern irrigation systems have been used to reduce water consumption.
– Satellite technologies and drones were used to monitor agricultural lands.
- United Arab Emirates:
– Utilized hydroponics and indoor farming techniques.
– Using technology to monitor and manage farms.
- Egypt:
– Using modern irrigation systems and improving agricultural varieties to tolerate salinity and water scarcity.
– Apply programs to improve soil quality and reduce desertification.
References:
https://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/ar
https://eos.com/blog/climate-smart-agriculture
https://eos.com/blog/precision-agriculture
https://journals.ekb.eg/article_254927_ff100c7d825943254f637f2eec6d2743.pdf
https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/9/19/1/216357
https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/9/18/1/181857