Artificial Intelligence Software Developed for Pistachio Production
· GıdaTarım
Developed in Batman, the FATGES software offers instant disease diagnosis, soil analysis, and satellite monitoring support to pistachio producers via smartphones.
The Era of Artificial Intelligence in Pistachio Production
In Batman, a prominent center for Turkey's pistachio production, a new agricultural technology is being implemented to prevent disease, pest, and yield losses for producers. FATGES, a software developed within the Boğaziçi Technopark Batman Entrepreneurship Office, focuses on Antep and Siirt pistachio cultivation. While pistachio farming is carried out on more than 129,000 decares across Batman, it is stated that only 2% of these lands can receive professional agricultural engineering consultancy. Artificial intelligence is being directly offered to the service of producers to prevent misdiagnoses and incorrect chemical interventions made with traditional methods.
Diagnosis and Analysis via Smartphone
FATGES, which stands for Pistachio and Agricultural Development Integrated Systems, facilitates farmers' daily agricultural decisions via smartphones. Producers can upload photos of leaves they suspect to be diseased to the system and receive instant AI-supported disease and pest detection. The system also converts complex laboratory soil analysis reports into a simple format that farmers can understand, preparing field-specific fertilization and pest control programs. This provides scientific guidance to small and medium-sized producers with limited access to agricultural engineers.
Satellite Monitoring and Academic Validation
FATGES enables regular remote monitoring of pistachio orchards with the help of satellite imagery, without the need for expensive hardware investments. Integration of smart security cameras into the mobile application is planned to combat increasing product theft during the harvest period. The system's database and algorithms are validated with the scientific contributions of academics from Batman University, Siirt University, and Harran University. The software, trained according to local climate and soil conditions, aims to increase productivity in regional agriculture by combining software engineering with agricultural expertise.