YAZ Agricultural Solutions: Revolutionizing Farming with AI and Hydroponics
YAZ Agricultural Solutions is designed to tackle the pressing issue of water scarcity in Morocco and across Africa. As water shortages intensify, the agriculture sector is facing severe consequences, including reduced exports of fruits and vegetables and rising food prices. This situation is a direct threat to food security not only in Morocco but also across the African continent.
The Problem of Water Scarcity in Agriculture
Morocco is grappling with a severe water crisis that is affecting its agricultural output. The scarcity of water has led to a decline in fruit and vegetable exports, driving up prices and endangering food security. This ongoing challenge affects both domestic markets and the broader African economy, as many countries rely on Morocco’s produce exports.
Added Value: Sustainable Urban Farming with YAZ
YAZ Agricultural Solutions equips Moroccans and Africans with cutting-edge technology to grow produce using 90% less water than traditional farming methods. By blending hydroponics with AI, YAZ enables individuals to become urban farmers, producing crops faster and more efficiently. This sustainable solution allows families and communities to thrive, even in the face of climate change, by providing year-round access to fresh produce.
Innovation: Hassan AI for Advanced Farming and Communication
The innovative Hassan AI, developed by YAZ, merges AI technology with hydroponic farming. It revolutionizes agriculture by diagnosing plant diseases, detecting pests, estimating yields, and monitoring livestock health. Hassan AI automates tower operations, optimizing water flow for each plant to enhance growth and conserve resources. Additionally, it integrates advanced communication technologies like Text to Speech, Speech to Text, and WhatsApp API, supporting over 22 million Moroccan users with streamlined communication tools for business and agriculture.
AI Integration: Precision Farming with Hassan AI
Hassan AI employs advanced AI techniques, including the Vision Transformer (ViT) architecture, for accurate segmentation and recognition of plant diseases, pest detection, and yield estimation. This ensures timely interventions for optimal farming outcomes. Additionally, the AI incorporates RAFT (RAG with Fine-Tuning), enabling reliable GPT-based recommendations for plant care and resource management. Hassan AI also optimizes water usage through real-time monitoring and adjusts irrigation schedules based on environmental data, promoting sustainability and efficiency.
Technical Details
Hassan AI is built using cutting-edge technologies like Google’s ViT-base Vision Transformer for precise plant disease recognition and RAG to enhance GPT-based responses. It leverages PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Hugging Face Transformers for AI modeling, and LangChain and LlamaIndex for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). The frontend is powered by React and Node.js, while PostgreSQL handles database management. OpenCV and Matplotlib are used for image processing and data visualization, offering real-time insights for precision farming.
Impact: Water Conservation and Food Security
YAZ offers a sustainable solution by reducing water usage by 90% compared to traditional farming methods, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By accelerating crop growth, YAZ strengthens food security (SDG 2: Zero Hunger) and ensures year-round availability of produce in Moroccan and African markets. Furthermore, YAZ’s hydroponic towers create economic opportunities for low-income families, aligning with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
The YAZ Team
The YAZ Agricultural Solutions project is spearheaded by a dedicated team from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. Their mission is to empower communities by promoting sustainable farming practices that ensure water conservation and food security for the future.