ICBA launches new AI-powered mobile app for crop disorder detection

A new AI-powered mobile application for detecting crop disorders was unveiled today by H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, during a ceremony at the headquarters of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).

Called Dr. Nabat, the application is a result of collaboration between ICBA and the University of Barcelona, Spain, under a project titled “Developing a user-friendly mobile application for smallholder farmers to detect plant disorders”.

Created with the support of local partners in Egypt, Tunisia, and the UAE, the application is designed to aid smallholder farmers and extension specialists in spotting crop disorders at early stages, and thus minimizing yield losses and improving incomes. It can identify 18 different common disorders affecting tomato, capsicum, and cucumber. These cash crops are considered important for smallholder farmers who practice protected agriculture.