by Kgothatso Monono
The Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) participated in the annual AGRI-Teen Symposium, hosted late in June by the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) in collaboration with the Department of Education. This two-day event aimed to foster career awareness among learners in the agriculture and rural development sectors across various towns in the Eastern Cape province.
The symposium serves as a platform to introduce high school leaners from 17 Agricultural high schools in the Eastern Cape to a spectrum of opportunities within agriculture and showcasing modern technological applications and innovations that are shaping the future of the sector.
Displaying several cutting-edge projects, six FoICT students, Charles Ngala, Amogelang Sibanda, Mavis Masemola, Manzezulu Mazibuko, Sipho Mahlangu and Tshepiso Selopatsa made a significant impact at the symposium s. These included an Agriculture website designed to provide farmers with valuable information on crop management, soil fertility, market trends and agricultural practices.
Another project that stood out, an Egg Fertility Tester, offers quick and accurate testing of egg quality to help farmers maintain high standards in their produce. Advanced Incubator technology also on display, aimed at optimising hatchery processes for poultry.
Drone technology demonstrated precision agriculture capabilities, allowing farmers to monitor crops remotely with high accuracy. The team also shared their work in Animal Intrusion Detection using Renewable Energy, harnessing renewable sources to power systems that detect and deter animal intrusion, thus safeguarding farms and preventing livestock theft.
Computer Vision applications for AI-driven image analysis in agriculture, assist in disease detection, yield estimation and automated farm management. Lastly, innovations in Greenhouse Technologies were presented, focusing on optimising crop production in controlled environments.
The presence of TUT's ICT Faculty at the AGRI-Teen Symposium underscored their commitment to bridging the gap between technology and agriculture. By engaging directly with the learners and educators, they not only showcased their technological advancements but also inspired the next generation of agricultural innovators.
Patrick Motshwene
Patrick Motshwene, Academic Technician from FoICT, spoke about Technological innovations in agriculture, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture, explaining the concepts and categories of AI and talking about AI in Agriculture 5.0. He emphasised the role of agriculture in the world economy, the effectiveness of Drones in Agriculture and the importance of the student projects on display.
Events like the AGRI-Teen Symposium are instrumental in fostering collaboration between academia, industry stakeholders, and government bodies. They play a pivotal role in nurturing a skilled workforce equipped to tackle the evolving demands of the agricultural sector in South Africa.
