As part of ongoing efforts to equip WATDEV stakeholders and beneficiaries with the skills to address environmental challenges, CIHEAM Bari held the second module of the “Water, Soil, and Crop Management in a Climate-Smart Agriculture” Course, which took place from September 9th to 20th, 2024. This module focused on "Innovative Technologies in Agriculture and Water Management" and aimed to provide participants with the latest knowledge in new technologies and their applications in water management for agriculture.
This second module was divided into two phases: virtual training from September 9th to 13th, followed by in-person sessions at CIHEAM Bari, Italy, from September 16th to 20th. Twenty participants from Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan attended the course, which combined theoretical lessons with hands-on experience in advanced agricultural practices. The training also prepared participants to become trainers in their home countries, ensuring that the knowledge they gained could be shared with local farmers, authorities, and stakeholders. This initiative supported sustainable agricultural and water management practices across their regions.
Opening and Online Sessions
During the online training week, experienced Professors covered a range of topics, such as:
An introduction to Precision Agriculture (PA) and its practical applications
The use of mechanization, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture
Socio-technical perspectives on PA, including its challenges and sustainability
The role of technology producers and service providers in precision agriculture
Tailored PA strategies for the Southern Mediterranean region
CIHEAM Bari’s innovations in pest surveillance and large-scale water management
These sessions provided a solid foundation for the hands-on training that followed in Italy.
In-person training and Field Visits in Italy
The in-person training featured a welcome address by CIHEAM Secretary General Teodoro Miano and an overview of the course agenda by the WATDEV team at CIHEAM Bari. This part of the program focused on digital technologies in agriculture, smart farming, and solar-powered irrigation systems. Participants applied what they learned during a field visit to CIHEAM Bari’s experimental fields. They practiced using drones for agricultural monitoring, specifically the DJI MAVIK 3 ENTERPRISE drone, equipped with multispectral and RGB cameras. Participants conducted exercises on post-flight mapping and scanning.
Exploring Water Management at Acquedotto Pugliese
On September 18th, the group visited the Puglia Region Aqueduct Management Authority, the Acquedotto Pugliese (AQP) Headquarters in Bari.
Here, they attended a seminar on key topics in smart-water management, including:
Water Distribution Systems (WDS) addressing leakages and rehabilitation
Smart Water Management (SWM) solutions and their role in managing non-revenue water (NRW)
A technical tour of AQP’s laboratory and control room
Phenotyping and Wastewater Reuse in Metaponto
The following day, participants travelled to the “Metapontum Agrobios” URT-IPSP experimental farm, a research Institute which is part of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), partner of WATDEV. Here CNR organized a workshop on Recent Advances in Plant Phenotyping for Abiotic Stresses”. Topics covered included:
Platforms for precision phenotyping, both indoors and in the field
Saline agriculture and the selection of resilient plant species
The use of AI in plant phenotyping and lean phenotyping technologies
Reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation, including a demonstration of a portable prototype for treating municipal wastewater
These discussions highlighted the importance of using advanced scientific tools and sustainable practices to strengthen agricultural resilience in the face of climate change.
Final Technical Visits in Gravina di Puglia
The final day of training included visits to some innovative agricultural businesses in Gravina di Puglia. At Andriani SpA, participants learned about the company’s work in healthy food production, particularly its pioneering gluten-free pasta factory. They also visited the ApuliaKundi farm to see how spirulina algae are produced using treated wastewater.
The course concluded with a visit to La Valle Verde farm, where participants observed no-till seed drilling technology integrated with 4.0 agriculture practices, demonstrating how innovation could boost both productivity and sustainability.
During the field visits, participants had the opportunity to discover the main cultural hotspots of the territory with the aim of getting further inspiration and cultural enrichment from this international training. A guided visit was organized at the historic building hosting AQP Headquarters in Bari, at the Hera Temple in Metaponto, and in the old town of Gravina di Puglia.
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