Hi-tech sensors used to detect date palm pest in Bahrain

Hi-tech sensors used to detect date palm pest in Bahrain

Sensors have been placed in farms to detect the red palm weevil – one of the most damaging palm tree pests – as part of a pilot project. It follows an agreement signed last year between different ministries and Dutch company Smart Farm Sensing, which provides services and solutions for the agriculture sector based on intelligent sensor data, remote sensing and geospatial information. The National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD), National Space Science Agency (NSSA), the Agriculture and Marine Resources department at the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry and Arabian Gulf University are currently working on the sensor project. Teams conducted a field visit to Hoorat A’ali where two projects – the National Red Palm Weevil Early Detection plan and the under-irrigation experiment – are underway to optimise date palm tree efficiency. “We are optimistic about the success of the two date palm projects,” said Agriculture and Marine Resources under-secretary Ibrahim Al Hawaj. “Discovering the highly-destructive red palm weevil and rapidly responding to infestations will help minimise losses, and that also means fewer palm trees will have to be removed. “The ultimate outcome will be a drastic reduction in the rate of sick palm trees.” The red palm