Integrated Geo-Information System for precision agriculture of date palm farming

The DateGIS information service provides date farm and palm tree information products to provide insight in basic farm information, such as farm borders, palm field maps, and number of date palms. The information products include spatial farm information. The use of satellite remote sensing data for generating date farm information is a key asset. The project provided support for regional red palm weevil (RPW) monitoring, control and eradication by providing information on the regional RPW spread. RPW is a palm specific pest that forms an insidious and destructive plague for the national date sectors. The use of remote sensing is a new (disruptive) approach in the development and management of national RPW control programmes. RPW control activities were supported at farm level with information on RPW infestation of (individual) date palm trees. It is a simple and effective method to pinpoint and identify infested palm trees on a map, which allows the immediate start of the treatment or disposal of infested date palms.