Dr. Islam Abu Al-Magd reviews a number of projects implemented by the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences

- Using remote sensing data and artificial intelligence to inventory and classify field crops

- Obtaining a geographic database and digital maps of wheat, clover and sugar beet crops in the governorates.

 - Producing maps of soil, production capacity and soil suitability for crop structures.

Dr. Islam Abu El-Magd, Chairman of the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, reviewed a number of projects implemented by the Authority in cooperation with various institutions and entities during the past period.

The Chairman of the Authority explained that there is great interest on the part of Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in enhancing cooperation between the research bodies affiliated with the Ministry and various bodies and institutions, to achieve integration and cooperation that benefits society, in line with achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Dr. Islam Abu Al-Magd explained that the Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, produced a map of agricultural crops for the winter agricultural season 2023/2024, where remote sensing data and artificial intelligence were used to inventory and classify field crops (winter season 2023-2024) and the summer season 2024 for the governorates of the Republic.

The Chairman of the Authority added that coordination had been made between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, represented by the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences. To inventory and classify some strategic crops in the Arab Republic of Egypt, based on remote sensing and artificial intelligence techniques, explaining that relying on remote sensing data to inventory crops for the 2023-2024 winter season (wheat, clover, and sugar beets) shows the precise spatial distribution of change in crop areas, In addition to the possibility of monitoring the growth status of different crops during the agricultural season using vegetative evidence, so that the type of crop is determined by the integration of various factors.

Dr. Abdul-Aziz Bilal, head of the Agricultural Applications Division at the Authority and the main researcher of the project, explained that the project contributed to obtaining a geographical database and digital and paper maps of field verification points for the winter season (2023-2024) for wheat, clover and sugar beet crops in the governorates.

Dr Mohamed Abo El-Ghar, Head of the Department of Agricultural Applications and member of the project's steering committee, stressed the importance of the pivotal role played by remote sensing technologies supported by artificial intelligence tools in periodic and accurate monitoring of crops throughout the Republic to identify basic needs, estimate reserves of strategic crops, design policies to manage the local trade, import or export of agricultural crops, and develop future scenarios on scientific grounds for the preferred areas for the establishment of industries based on agricultural products.

The Authority also cooperated with the General Authority for Agricultural Development and Reconstruction Projects to produce soil maps, production capacity and soil suitability for crop structures.

Dr Abdul-Aziz Bilal, head of the Agricultural Applications Division at the Authority and principal researcher of the project, pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture, represented by the General Authority for Reconstruction and Agricultural Development Projects, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, represented by the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, coordinated to study the natural and land resources in Egyptian lands, and the study was concerned through a set of projects to survey, classify and evaluate about 2.5 million acres across the republic.

Dr. Mohamed Jalhoum, Head of the Soil Department and a member of the project team, reviewed the project’s most prominent outputs, including the creation of a digital database on land resources for each study area, and the production of a map of the physiographic units in the study areas based on the hydrological, morphometric, and spectral variables that were extracted through analysis of the digital elevation model and images. Satellites, producing a digital soil map to identify different types of lands on scientific grounds depending on the important natural, chemical and biological properties and surrounding conditions, producing a map of the soil’s productive capacity, and producing maps of optimal crop compositions to determine the most appropriate technical methods for exploiting the soil and choosing the most appropriate crops that have each type of Soil types.

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https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2024/11/05/narss-agriculture-ministry-launch-map-of-winter-crops/