Million Date Palm Tree Project to deploy drones and AI for plant health

The Diwan of the Royal Court of Oman has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Oman Technology Fund (OTF) to use the drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to serve the Million Date Palm Tree Project, the Oman News Agency has reported. 

Under the contract, two Omani companies which have received OTF investment will provide data analysis, imaging and aerial survey services for early detection and treatment of diseases for the palms in the Million Date Palm Tree Project. Engineer Yousef bin Ali al-Harthy, CEO of OTF, said that the Omani companies had been selected from 165 innovators worldwide.

Horizon Robotics and Modern Innovation Land will collect data and turn it into actionable insights, which will contribute to our understanding of date palms, including the diagnosis of diseases and pests that affect the tree. 

The Million Date Palm Tree Project is one of the pioneering projects in Oman, and aims to increase the competitiveness of the Omani date industry and agricultural productivity. Dr Saif bin Rashid al-Shaqsi, Director General, One Million Date Palm Trees Project, said that the MoU is the result of constructive cooperation between the Diwan of the Royal Court and OTF. He said that the palms in the project are spread over large fields and use advanced agricultural technologies. 

Dr Ali bin Masoud al-Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said the project assists the government in developing innovative solutions to avoid pests, and reduces reliance on expatriate labour. 

He stressed that intellectual property resulting from the project is overseen by the Department of Property in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry which is interested in the registration of patents, and Al Raffd Fund which has set aside a certain amount for patent registration.