The University of Sharjah (UoS), in collaboration with IBM through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator, is pleased to announce advancements to the My FarmWell mobile application – an innovative platform designed to support sustainable agriculture in water-scarce regions.
Built using IBM Environmental Intelligence and UoS Welly Chatbot, My FarmWell integrates IBM Cloud and region-specific water and climate data to provide farmers with timely, farm-level insights. From optimizing irrigation strategies to understanding local regulations, the app offers a comprehensive toolkit to support more sustainable and productive agricultural practices.
The new version will introduce several powerful enhancements aimed at expanding the app’s global relevance and improving user experience. The new release will feature:
- Interactive maps with well locations, helping farmers visualize their proximity to monitored groundwater sources.
- Improved imagery and educational content to promote sustainable groundwater use and conservation.
- Updated farming tips focused on climate resilience, delivered through push notifications for greater engagement.
- An improved login system that will support access via both email addresses and phone numbers, enhancing security and usability.
- Global groundwater well-level and quality data, enabling users outside the UAE to access essential environmental information.
These enhancements reflect the project’s ongoing commitment to scalable impact. Once deployed, the updates will enable broader usage of the app by farmers and water users across different regions who face similar water management and agricultural challenges.
Dr. Adewale Olalekan Giwa, Assistant Professor at University of Sharjah, Principal Investigator of the UoS-IBM Collaboration Project, commented: “The enhancements align with the mission of the University of Sharjah and IBM Sustainability Accelerator, which supports technology-driven projects that address pressing environmental issues through collaboration with academic and nonprofit organizations”.
Currently available for both Android and iOS, the app provides farmers with:
- Historical groundwater trends and severity assessment
- Integrated Water Quality Index (IWQI) ratings
- Smart crop recommendations based on water conditions
- Location-based weather insights powered by IBM Environmental Intelligence
- A chatbot for on-the-spot guidance, powered by University of Sharjah
- A water consumption calculator for crops, trees, and livestock
- Agricultural regulations and food market price updates for farming guidance.
The updated version will be rolled out as a free upgrade to the app users.