The idea of developing drones with the intention of using them to fertilize palm trees started from a simple conversation that brought together a farmer in the Kebili Governorate, south of Tunisia, with the Tunisian student Maysa Karshoud from the National School of Engineers of Monastir.
This simple conversation with a farmer who complains about a lack of crops as a result of his failure to fertilize part of the palm grove that he owns, was captured by Maysa's ardent mind and turned it into a sophisticated project.
The date palm fertilization process is one of the dilemmas that date producers in Tunisia face annually. To this day, in most cases, it is carried out manually by workers who specialize in "reminder", who are good at climbing tall palm trees.
Due to the risks involved in this process, and the seasonality of this activity, which begins in the spring and extends to two months, the specialized labor force is characterized by scarcity and sometimes a lack of competence and know-how.
Maysa paints her vision of the logo of her startup (Al Jazeera)
With the support of the Student 4 Change program, and under the supervision of the US Embassy in Tunis, Maysa called her project "Dro Bee" and won a prize of $ 2,500 that will be directed to providing the technologies, parts and electronic boards necessary to develop Drones are more effective, technically advanced, and in more quantities, after this young engineer and her team managed to successfully manufacture the first prototype.
Maysa in the laboratory makes some adjustments to the drone (Al-Jazeera)
Necessity is the mother of invention
In presenting her project idea, Maysa relied on in-depth field research, and gave the stage of studying the needs and assessing the obstacles faced by date producers in the Tunisian south of utmost importance, given the bifurcation of the field and its strangeness for an engineering student belonging to a coastal city, and therefore the world of palm trees, forests and fertilization does not correspond to her knowledge framework And cultural, which made the feasibility study period take an important time from its time.
Maysa says in this regard, "The idea of developing a technology for fertilization of date palms went through multiple and completely different perceptions. Regardless of extracting the farmers’ urgent need to find effective solutions for fertilization of palms and overcoming this seasonal difficulty that casts its shadow annually on the farmer, the most important question is related to finding The appropriate technology that compensates the person with the necessary provision of the required efficacy.
Maysa and the developer team at the lab (Al Jazeera)
The young engineer added to Al-Jazeera Net that, according to the necessities of the research phase, she met more than 100 farmers and date producers through field visits to southern Tunisia, which gave her the opportunity to study the geographical features of the oases, and that she did not hesitate to attend agricultural exhibitions and events organized by the structures (institutions). Concerned with the production of dates, to come into contact with the people of the field and to learn about the available technologies and the needs of the market.
Maysa and her team make some changes to the drone (Al Jazeera)
It should be noted that the "Student for Change" program provides financial incentives to cover expenses related to travel and research for the benefit of the distinguished projects that are selected within it, if we know that it is directed exclusively to the audience of students who wish to send projects related to the areas of development and marketing, who are often in need. The material potential to advance their own business ventures.
Maysa, the team, and a photo with the first prototype of the date palm fertilization drone (Al Jazeera)
Traffic to execution
The initial choice to solve the problem of palm fertilization was based on designing a climbing robot for palm trees, equipped with technologies that allow it to spray palm pollen, but the calculations related to the time factor and the expected efficiency of it made Maysa retreat, so that her decision in the first stage to "manufacture" the drone was fully manufactured in accordance with The environment of palm forests that do not allow free flight, due to the density of trees, and then equip it with pickers and other mechanisms.
This change in the vision and the perception of the projects is mainly due - according to Haroun and Nas, the project coordinator for the "Student for Change" program - to the continuous framing based on scientific rules based on guiding young researchers without giving them solutions in templates for ready-made ideas, as the importance lies in awakening and pushing their minds. To read their future projects from different angles, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence and invention.
Maysa in the laboratory is about to make adjustments to the date palm fertilization plane (Al-Jazeera)
Wanas added to Al-Jazeera Net that what distinguishes Maysa's project is that it is a graduation project and an engagement in professional life at the same time for her and the team that joined her, in addition to that it falls within the so-called "technological equipment industry", a relatively difficult field that differs from the software and application industry. This made the drones fertilization project a successful combination of equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
The "Drew B" project, developed by Maysa and her team, is characterized by accuracy in dealing with the airspace and space of the palm oases, as it is specially designed according to the characteristics of the density and height of the palms, in addition to the accuracy of spraying pollen that allows the provision of significant quantities of it due to its high prices. Distinguish between "palm bellies" inoculated from unfertilized, with a speedy implementation costing 30% less than manual fertilization.
Maysa and the drone specially manufactured for fertilization of palm trees (Al Jazeera)
Obstacles and prospects
Maysa expresses her fear of the administrative obstacles related to the laws of using drones in Tunisia more than her fear of the interaction of farmers and date producers with her project. In this context, she says that bringing some electronic parts from abroad required a lot of time and licenses, which forced the Ministry of Higher Education to intervene sometimes. The completion of some stages has been delayed for successive periods, and it is hoped that the laws and procedures in this regard will develop.
Maysa and her team with models of drones (Al-Jazeera)
It is noteworthy that the Tunisian Ministry of Transport announced in February 2021 a government project aimed at controlling the technical rules applicable to drones, and the conditions related to their exploitation, in the context of keeping pace with technological development in the field of remote-guided civil aircraft, and pushing for investment and renewal opportunities in accordance with safety requirements.