SmartSoil Project Ng

Merry Christmas to you from this side. Wishing you a prosperous new year as well.

The SmartSoil project team, led by Dr. John Oyedepo, participated in the annual farmers' forum organized by the Justice and Peace Movement of the Catholic Church, Oyo Diocese. The event brought together major stakeholders in the agro-sector in Oyo State, providing an opportunity for farmers to learn about the GeaGrow app.

Developed using artificial intelligence and machine learning, the GeaGrow app is a soil nutrient predicting tool designed by the SmartSoil project team. Sponsored by the European Commission under the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) projects, the SmartSoil project analyzed soil samples from six Southwest states and aggregated the results into an Android app.

Farmers expressed enthusiasm for the innovative solution and requested a detailed workshop on installing and using the app. The SmartSoil project team plans to conduct training sessions soon. Other team members present at the event included Mr. Enikanoselu Oluwafemi, Mr. Damilola Oluyege, Mrs. Akinsunmbo Sade, and Mr. Abraham Fadeyi.

The SmartSoil Project team, led by Prof. Busari Mutiu, had a productive meeting with agro-stakeholders in Ekiti State. The team visited the Ekiti Agricultural Development Programme (EKADEP) headquarters to introduce the GeaGrow app, a soil nutrient predictive tool developed by the project.

The meeting aimed to present the app to major agro-stakeholders in the state. The team, which included Dr. Oyedepo John (GIS expert), Mr. Enikanoselu Oluwafemi (Communication Officer), and others, was received by the Acting Programme Manager (EKADEP), Mr. Adegbola Bamidele.

The team lead, Prof. Busari Mutiu, shared the functionalities of the GeaGrow app, highlighting its potential to reduce food security challenges in the state. The meeting attendees expressed excitement about the innovation, acknowledging its timeliness.

The Acting Programme Manager appreciated the project's supervisors, Icipe, and the European Union for funding the project. He pledged the program's support to disseminate the app to all farmers in the state. Other notable attendees included Chief Ojo Samuel (Director, Agric Extension Services) and Mr. Oni Sunday (Zonal Director, Zone 3).
ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Olusegun Folorunso Emma Femi Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta - FUNAAB, Nigeria IAR & T Ibadan International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

SmartSoil Project Shines at the 3rd African Conference on Precision Agriculture

The SmartSoil Project team made a significant impact at the 3rd African Conference on Precision Agriculture (AfCPA) held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

Dr. Olutoberu Samson, the project's R-statistician, presented a well-received paper titled "Land suitability prediction for maize production in Southwest Nigeria using geographic information systems and most-limiting soil fertility factors.

The publication, co-authored by experts from the project team, highlighted the importance of using geographic information systems (GIS) to predict soil nutrient levels for maize production.

The presentation received commendation from the session chairman and audience members. Notably, Dr. Oyedepo, the GIS expert from the SmartSoil Project, served as the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the conference.

The AfCPA conference, aimed at promoting precision agriculture in Africa, attracted esteemed academics and professionals from FUNAAB and other universities.

The SmartSoil Project is making great strides in achieving its goal of improving sustainable soil management for agricultural production in the Southwest. Recently, the team trained 40 agro-experts from the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture on how to use the GeaGrow app.

The training, led by Project Leader Prof. Folorunso Olusegun, was well-received by participants, including Program Manager LSADA, Mr. Alade Alihu. The experts pledged to share their newfound knowledge with extension agents across the state in the coming weeks.

This initiative is part of the SmartSoil Project's efforts to promote digital agriculture and sustainable soil management practices in the region. By empowering agro-experts with the knowledge and tools to optimize soil fertility, the project aims to boost agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods for farmers in the Southwest.
ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Emma Femi Olusegun Folorunso SmartSoil Project Ng International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) IAR & T Ibadan Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta - FUNAAB, Nigeria

The SmartSoil project is making great strides in Southwest Nigeria, providing a digital soil testing tool to farmers, researchers, and policymakers. Led by Prof. Folorunso Olusegun, the team has been working tirelessly for two years to achieve its objectives.

Recently, they hosted Dr. Michael Kidoido, ICIPE's Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, for a three-day visit to assess the project's progress.
During his visit, Dr. Kidoido was impressed with the project's milestones, including the development of the GeaGrow app, which is now available on the Play Store.

The app has been deployed to over 200 farmers, 30 extension agents, and more than 100 researchers have been trained on Digital Soil Mapping. The project has also created a repository for app users and is working on additional functionalities, such as linking users to the nearest fertilizer vendor.

The SmartSoil team has engaged with policymakers in Ogun and Oyo States, promoting the app as a tool to address food insecurity. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kehinde Olusola, assured Dr. Kidoido of the university's full support in disseminating the app to every farmer in the Southwest region.

Dr. Kidoido's visit also included stops at Citi-veggies Limited, a private agro company, and Olodo Community, where farmers expressed satisfaction with the GeaGrow app's performance. Extension Agent Amina Omolabake praised the project's intervention, encouraging farmers to continue using the app for soil testing.

Overall, the SmartSoil project is on track to achieving its goals, with Dr. Kidoido commending the team's efforts and expressing his impressment with the project's progress.

Geagrow: SmartSoil Project Enhances Accuracy through Validation Exercise

The SmartSoil Project team is committed to delivering precise results to farmers, researchers, young entrepreneurs, and policymakers through the Geagrow App. To ensure the app's accuracy and reliability, we have initiated a comprehensive validation exercise across the six states of the Southwest.

Led by Prof. Busari, our validation team has successfully covered numerous towns in Osun, Ogun, and Oyo states, with more locations scheduled for the coming weeks. This rigorous process ensures that the Geagrow App provides trustworthy insights, empowering users to make informed decisions.

Our dedication to quality and accuracy drives this validation effort, guaranteeing that the Geagrow App remains a valuable resource for:

- Farmers: Optimizing crop yields and soil management
- Researchers: Accessing reliable data for studies and projects
- Young entrepreneurs: Developing innovative agricultural solutions
- Policymakers: Informing data-driven decisions for sustainable development

Stay tuned to our progress as we continue to refine the Geagrow App, ensuring it remains a trusted tool for the Southwest region.
ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Olusegun Folorunso Emma Femi Femi Adekoya Funaab radio