(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. Azerbaijan is introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) system to support farmers and forecast crop yields, Surkhay Novruzov, head of the AI project at the Ministry of Agriculture, said during the Baku Climate Action Week, Trend reports.

He stated that the new project dubbed 'AI in Agriculture' is set to lend a helping hand to the ministry, farms, and government partners in making decisions backed by data.

The project, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, covers more than 30 application cases, including water management, soil analysis, pest and disease monitoring, and a national farmer assessment system.

It leverages an extensive dataset encompassing climatological variables, edaphic properties, plant genomic information, and five decades of historical modeling to forecast frost vulnerabilities, pollination anomalies, and the ramifications of phytopathological threats on agricultural yields.

An essential component of the initiative involves the integration of crop and soil mapping methodologies leveraging satellite imagery, aerial photogrammetry, and unmanned aerial vehicles, complemented by an extensive dataset of 65,000 soil samples. This multifaceted approach facilitates the delineation of optimal agronomic zones and the continuous assessment of edaphic properties.

Moreover, he articulated that a comprehensive agrarian evaluation framework has been implemented, currently encompassing 30,000 stakeholders, enabling financial institutions, corporations, and the Ministry of Agriculture to formulate strategies predicated on agronomic efficacy.

As Novruzov drove home, the initiative serves to mitigate economic vulnerabilities, enhance output metrics, and optimize product placement within both domestic and international marketplaces.

MENAFN01102025000187011040ID1110134873