From your understanding and experiences, what is the role of ICTs in sustainable intensification of horticulture crop based s

I thank first the moderator and the case study contributor team for the heard work you done in opening discussion in this topic. I present you just my own experience in my area at North Kivu/ Congo-Kinshasa and especially in the Grand Nord.

As it is, we can't enjoy ICTs without having access in electricity; also the ability of reading and writing is one important things of enjoying it. 

In our region we are challenged by the electricity and most of those who have access on it don't use it comfortably (some of them use electricity just for home lighting, watch movies then information, charging telephone and domestic devices) but they get information trough the radio.

Horticulture products are producing by old man with an average age between 35-45 year. They are illiterates and unable to read or to write. They use mobile phone jut for call. Young people who knows to read and to write spend them time on social network. In this context we spend by creating an Agripreneur program which engages Youth in agriculture and especially horticulture crop production. For those who have Smartphone, we exchange agricultural production and crop marketing knowledge, issues and opportunities via sms in local network, whatsApp groups and facebook.

There are several pathways for climate mitigation and adaptation policy through Urban Agriculture. To reduce thecarbon footprint of food consumed in cities, production offood close to cities or within city-regions has potential toreduce the footprint. Likewise, instead of the traditionaloverhaul of organic wastes to landfills, cities can alsopromote nutrient recycling utilising the biomass from greenand rural areas. The recycling of waste and sewage sludge forUPAF can enhance environmental quality and the functioningof ecosystem services. Urban agriculture, especially citytree planting of multiple functional trees has a potential tosequester CO2, and to reduce impacts of heat waves. Thesepolicies and strategies would have to include conservationof urban forest patches to sustain the ecosystem servicesthey provide. A strategy for tree species mix is also equallyimportant since carbon sequestration capacity variesthrough the growth cycle of individual crop species.

Moreover,The energy-efficient nature of urban agriculture can reduce each city’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of transport that occurs to deliver goods to the consumer.

 Plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and release breathable oxygen (O2). The process of Carbon Sequestration can be further improved by combining other agriculture techniques to increase removal from the atmosphere and prevent release of CO2 during harvest time.

2.

Green roofs as a means of pollution abatement,”  a rooftop containing 2000 m² of uncut grass has the potential to remove up to 4000 kg of particulate matter. According to the article, only one square meter of green roof is needed to offset the annual particulate matter emissions of a car.

3.The Urban Agriculture Network has defined urban agriculture as an industry that produces, processes, and markets food, fuel, and other outputs, largely in response to the daily demand of consumers within a town, city, or metropolis, on many types of privately and publicly held land and water bodies found throughout intra-urban and peri-urban areas. Typically urban agriculture applies intensive production methods, frequently using and reusing natural resources and urban wastes, to yield a diverse array of land-, water-, and air-based fauna and flora, contributing to the food security, health, livelihood, and environment of the individual, household, and community.

4.

Daily intake of a variety of fruits and vegetables is linked to a decreased risk of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Urban agriculture is associated with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables  which decreases risk for disease and can be a cost-effective way to provide citizens with quality, fresh produce in urban settings.

People are more likely to try new vegetables when they take an active role in the planting and cultivation of an urban garden. Produce from urban gardens can be perceived to be more flavorful and desirable than store bought produce  which may also lead to a wider acceptance and higher intake. A Flint, Michigan study found that those participating in community gardens consumed fruits and vegetables 1.4 more times per day and were 3.5 times more likely to consume fruits or vegetables at least 5 times daily (p. 1).Garden based education can also yield nutritional benefits in children. An Idaho study reported a positive association between school gardens and increased intake of fruit, vegetables, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber among sixth graders.

Urban gardening improves dietary knowledge. Inner city youth of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who were part of a community garden intervention were better able to communicate specific nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables on the body than those who had not participated in a community garden. Community gardeners were also found to consume fewer sweet foods and drinks in a Philadelphia study.

6.Urban agriculture also provides quality nutrition for low income households. Studies show that every $1 invested in a community garden yields $6 worth of vegetables, if labor is not considered a factor in investment.] Many urban gardens reduce the strain on food banks and other emergency food providers by donating shares of their harvest and provide fresh produce in areas that otherwise might be food deserts. The supplemental nutrition program Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have partnered with several urban gardens nationwide to improve the accessibility to produce in exchange for a few hours of volunteer gardening work.

7.

Urban agriculture may advance environmental justice and food justice for communities living in food deserts. First, urban agriculture may reduce racial and class disparities in access to healthy food. When urban agriculture leads to locally grown, fresh produce sold at affordable prices in food deserts, access to healthy food is not only a luxury for those who live in wealthy areas, thereby leading to greater equity in rich and poor neighborhoods.

Improved access to food through urban agriculture can also help alleviate psychosocial stresses in poor communities. Community members engaged in urban agriculture improve local knowledge about healthy ways to fulfill dietary needs. Urban agriculture can also better the mental health of community members. Buying and selling quality products between local producers and consumers allows community members to support one another, which may reduce stress. Thus, urban agriculture can help improve conditions in poor communities, where residents undergo higher levels of stress due to hopeless caused by a lack of control over the quality of their lives.

8.

Agroforestry,Intercropping and Ecosystem;

The use of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems help to tackle the triple challenge of

securing food security, mitigation and reducing the vulnerability and increasing the adatability ofagricultural systems to climate change. Trees in the farming system can help increase farm incomesand can help diversify production and thus spread risk against agricultural production or marketfailures. This will be increasingly important as impacts of climate change become more pronounced.Trees and shrubs can diminish the effects of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains, droughtsand wind storms. They prevent erosion, stabilize soils, raise infiltration rates and halt landdegradation. They can enrich biodiversity in the landscape and increase ecosystem stability.Trees can improve soil fertility and soil moisture through increasing soil organic matter.

Nitrogen-fixing leguminous trees and shrubs can be especially important to soil fertility where

there is limited access to mineral fertilizers. Improved soil fertility tends to increase agricultural

productivity and may allow more flexibility in the types of crops that can be grown. 

Agroforestry systems tend to sequester much greater quantities of carbon than agricultural

systems without trees. Planting trees in agricultural lands is relatively efficient and cost effectivecompared to other mitigation strategies, and provides a range of co-benefits important forimproved farm family livelihoods and climate change adaptation. There are several examples ofprivate companies supporting agroforestry in exchange for carbon benefits.

Agroforestry is therefore important both for climate change mitigation as well as for

adaptation through reducing vulnerability, diversifying income sources, improving livelihoods andbuilding the capacity of smallholders to adapt to climate change. However, agroforestry in manyregions is still constrained by local customs, institutions and national policies. There is an urgent need for capacity building, extension and research programmes to screen and to match species withthe right ecological zones and agricultural practices..

Last but not Least ,ICT now can play an important role to inform how to utilize different apps, networks, mobiles, services and applications in Urban Agriculturesystem.In the  Digital Era , Internet is more avialable in city rather than rural then City people can utlize internet service and gather huge knowldege about e-agriculture, rooftop uses,compost fertilizer,intercropping ,how to use kitchen vegetable wastes and wastes water to make compost fertilizer ,where is nursery ,weather condition and seasonal fruits ,vegetable plantation system ,all information are quiet avialble through internet. Now ICT makes life more easier ,reduces complex.But in a developing country ,there are some lacks in  broadband & wifi access,speed  than developed countries.

Greetings, Thanks & Best Regards.

Mahfuja Parven.

The characteristic of horticulture product is perishable then there's need fast decision to sold the product.  The fast information is really important to win the market competition, especiall about the sold price.  The role of ICT (incl. Phone cell) is key to receive, to collect and to determine of price information which the best sold price will we take.  The sold price is an important factor to get the highest profit. That mean, there's a tight or high relationship among  fast decision, perishable product, the best price, the highest profit and to  information power.

My second contribution looks at bridging the information gap among horticulture farmers across the globe, rigional blocks such as SADC and provinces within a country, kind of agricultural extension services without borders. ICT should be used for information interchange and twinning global regions with similar climate however one of them beng less productive. To feed the ever growing world population there should be a lot of coorperation among horticulturists and ICTs should be used to unite efforts by various supporting NGOs programs so that there is cross pollination of ideas and resource sharing to avoid duplication of effort.

I hold the viewpoint that ICTs (broadly) will remain on the agricultural research and development initiatives for quite some time.  They represent a new business and lifestyle order – digital economy – where humans and machines/tools are inseparable, and depend on each other for “exploitation” purposes.

“Sustainable intensification” including that of horticulture crop based systems as one of the suggested solution to meeting needs related to production (food), business (profit), and aesthetic (creativity), must be explored in a greater measure.  Sustainable horticulture crop based systems should be given a fair hearing as to what it is able to contribute to the meeting the needs of an estimated 9 billion people by the year 2050, and other aesthetic means.  More so, we should take the approach/system for what the solution it presents and not necessarily, the hype it creates in the minds of policy makers and practitioners. 

From a strategic and systemic standpoint, ICTs are a “means to an end” and “an end to a means” in horticulture crop based systems.  This is within the “known” and “knowable” domains as presented to modern human history.  Essentially, both smallholder and commercial farmers should as a matter of principle assess in a pragmatic way the use and perceived benefits of using ICTs in such production and aesthetic systems.   

Again, generic merits and demerits of ICTs to smallholders and commercial farmers should be looked at the farm level, and taking into consideration each farmer’s context.  In essence, human-related concerns (such as inspiration and courage) and business concerns such as convenience and returns on investment) should be borne in mind when using ICTs in horticulture crop based systems.

ICTs are also instrumental in bringing knowledge, products, goods, and services to customers in a variety of ways.  They now epitomize the extent of modern civilization because, in a way, ICTs extend the idea that man is able to master his environment under certain conditions.  By extension, man is able to produce for his present and future needs. 

Last, ICTs have also brought together production and consumer in much more intimate ways.  As such, adaptable farmers and entrepreneurs who can capitalize on this development position themselves favorably in horticulture crop based systems. 

We are working in the field of Agro Electronics since 25 years in India with major thrust on ICT for Irrigation by the brand, Nano Ganesh- A Mobile Based Remote Control System for the Water Pumps. During the course of this big time phase, we came across so many challenges faced by the farmers and they sought for the solutions. In all the ways, ICT was a major solution to solve their problems. I am listing and describing briefly how ICT is a magic for the farmers in sustainable crops.

It may be interesting and entertaining too while reading few of unbelievable ICT applications we have provided or witnessed in Indian horticulture. There are so many ICT applications but the following are few universal ones to throw light on the various possibilities.

1. Electronics Fencing for Banana Plot - The electronics fencing of galvanized wire along the perimeter of the farm of two to three acres having a banana plantation. This fencing has been charged by a high voltage such that it is not fatalistic but will provide a mild shock to animals or even a human being.The alert can be sent to the farmers mobile phone if there is some attempt of a breach.

2. Wild Animals Voice Sound Generator for areca nut and banana- In Goa State of India and forest prone agriculture area, there is a big challenge of monkeys spoiling the areca Nut and banana plantation. They easily cross the electronics fencing but are scared due to the loud sound of tiger or elephant. But, these monkeys are so clever that once they get acquainted with the cycles of the sounds, they are not scared. So, there are few ICTs in India creating different sounds at different time cycles so as to confuse the monkeys. The sounds are generated by an amplifier powered by solar and controlled by Remote control.

3. Weather forecast alert for Grapes and Mangos - In India, many times there is a weather change in the month of December when the flowers of mangos have just started blossoming. Sometimes in the month of March, the winds destroy the flowers of mango tending to huge loss of yield. Similarly, showers in December cause a big loss to budding grapes. A few years ago, it was a direct loss, but now with the help of weather forecast from different ICT service providers, farmers can proactively work on the coverings, emergency medicines, temporary curtains etc. to avoid the loss of flowers and buds.

4. Moisture Sensors in Drip Irrigation connected to Cloud (IOT)- The yield depends on the adequate quantity of water to the horticulture products. Accurate sensor controlled water through drip and sprinklers irrigation has helped a lot to Grape Growers in Nasik Region of Maharashtra State in India. The amount of water can be measured per day in winter, summer as well as sensed by the moisture sensors. There is a huge saving of water, soil minerals due to controlled irrigation. Wireless monitoring and controlling of irrigation has been achieved with the help of Nano Ganesh system.

5. ICT in Green House - Many rose gardens and strawberry farms in Western Maharashtra are developed in the controlled weather created by Green House Net sheds. Temperature, irrigation, humidity, light radiations etc. are controlled with the help of different equipment with ICT intelligence. Everything is well monitored from the urban office of the grower.

6. Sorting of fruits (Color, size, smell, weight etc.) - It is a tedious job to sort out the fruits as per color, size, quality and smell. I have seen some photo sensing machines as well as size sorters run with a full automation which gives fruits sorted out in different boxes along with an output in the form of digital data sent to the computer terminal.

7. Sequential timers for irrigation - If there are say 10 plots to be irrigated with less capacity of the water pump, every plot is irrigated one by one with solenoid valve control and water sensors. This data is put to the cloud for analytics.

8. Electrical Motor Pump Burning Prevention Device with alert - There is a big loss of yield if a water pump is burnt due to erratic power in the peak period. There is a vast network of the pumps and electrical cables in the agriculture farms burning of motors tend to not only headache of irrigation but expenses in repairs, logistics and time loss. In India, almost 80% water pumps are equipped with ICT protection devices to prevent burning of motors and sending alerts on mobile phones if any voltage or current crosses the limits.

9. Communication with the overseas market for Grapes - Farmers have now efficiently established the communication with the domestic and overseas market. They can take a wise decision in the group or an individual about driving the products to the logistics network.

10. Health-care of plants and soil - Though it is still in incubating stage, ICT for the health care of plants and soil mineral contents are being on the way to farmers. In sugarcane belt in India, the contents of the particular soil minerals have been totally diluted tending to loss of fertility of the soil due to overwatering. ICT role is important to diagnose the minerals in the plants as well as soil material. Different electronics sensors along with chemical processes are most useful in deciding the fertilizers input to the soil.

11. Postharvest Management and storage - Temperature data of refrigeration and storage along with data of control and monitoring during the logistics as well as static storage is a vital sector of ICT applications.

There are so many localized ICT innovations used in the agriculture that few of them seem to be really scalable across the globe.