How we promote sustainable agriculture at a national level with GIS solution
We developed a custom-made National Crop Sustainability Monitoring System.
About MGAP
The Department of Agriculture (MGAP) is responsible for Uruguay’s agricultural, agro-industrial, and fishing sectors, promoting their growth in both regional and extra-regional market based on the sustainable management and use of natural resources.
Uruguay’s cultivable land per capita makes it stand as an agricultural powerhouse. With a national agenda to further boost agricultural productivity while keeping practices sustainable, soil emerges as one of Uruguay's most precious natural resources.
The World Bank’s Global Climate Change Fund supported the MGAP to implement a national program to prevent soil erosion.
The Challenge
A national law required farms over 100 hectares to submit soil management plans certified by agronomic engineers. However, enforcing these plans became complex. The government needed a way to ensure farmers adhered to these plans to guarantee soil sustainability.
The Solution
In 2015, we suggested a satellite-based system to the Department of Agriculture to automate the implementation of their plans.
Collaborating with Geocom Uruguay, we built a nationwide GIS (Geographic Information System) named the "Responsible Soil Use and Management Plan Management System." This system calculates slope gradients (crucial for estimating runoff risk) and parcel shapes while identifying crop growth or fallow fields.
Employing Artificial Intelligence through Image Processing and satellite imagery, the system automatically identifies farmers neglecting erosion either by preventing cover crops or failing to rotate crops for soil health improvement.
For this project, we also partnered with GeneXus by Globant, which allowed agile creation of databases and front-end systems, crucial for swift development.
Impact
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