The harvest has just finished, but together with our partner organization Smart Farm Sensing we are already preparing our support for the next year of Medjoul date growing. Since November this year, our pilot activities to support the Medjoul date sector in Jordan have officially started. Conclusions drawn from our pilot activities will be used to further benefit the Jordanian date sector and improve its competitiveness in international markets.
Dr. Laurens Bierens and Dr. Mohamed Ali Bob, two international date experts, will provide year-round advice on irrigation, fertilization, farm operations and plant protection to three partner growers in Jordan Valley. This will lead to specific and measurable improvements such as:
- etter control of pests such as the Red Palm Weevil and fruit stalk borer
- A higher yield with less losses
- More efficient water use
- An optimal fertilization program resulting in better quality dates
After his second visit in November, Dr. Laurens Bierens now has gathered sufficient data to establish baseline reports on the current practices at our partner growers. Soil and water of the partner farms will be analysed in order to provide advice on improving the water and fertilizer use for this growing season. A next visit is already planned for January 2020, where the project team will set up a package of intelligent sensors to measure the threat of Red Palm Weevil and other pests.