Menzeh Experimental Station Kenitra INRA
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Precision Agriculture for Fruit (Citrus) Water & Nutrients Management, Solar energy Drip Irrigation System Bioeconomy & Plastic Waste Reuse |
Location
Demo site Leader
Sector
Solutions Tested per Pilot Site
Description
The Digital Citrus Demonstrator is located at the Menzeh Experimental Station of INRA Morocco (Regional Center of Kenitra), in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region which covers an area of 18,194 km2 and has 4,581 thousand inhabitants, and a density of 251.8 inhabitants per km2 and a 2.56% of the national territory. Part of the Atlantic domain, the region is characterized with plains and hills and important natural resources including water, a diversity of ecosystems and with arable land. The soil is diverse, with high-water retention capacity deep vertisols in the rural area and sandy soils in the coastal zone.
Expected Impacts
Sustainability and profitability enhancement of citrus sector by leveraging advanced techniques, advances in biotechnology, computing and sensing infrastructure.
Environmental, Social & Economic benefits
- Encouraging and promoting the use of advanced technologies (high yielding and quality citrus cultivars, modern crop and water management and ICT technologies) to local farmers and assisting them in improving their wellbeing and performances;
- Reducing or mitigating climate change and environmental impacts through AgTech while supporting producers, local actors and agri-business to shift in paradigms and create new awareness as specified in the Green Generation strategy.
The direct outcomes from the Demonstrator are:
- higher water, energy and input use efficiencies,
- greater yield and fruit quality and
- creation of jobs among young farmers and start-ups.
Additionally, this is a collaborative framework amongst farmers, scientists, policymakers, and the agricultural community to speed up the development, transfer, and adoption of sustainable technologies in the citrus sector.