Travelling across Egypt's governorates, Ayther Amr — a young Egyptian phytopathologist and Master's researcher at Cairo University — is demonstrating how the blend of biological innovation and precision agriculture could redefine sustainable farming in Egypt. As a member of the plant pathology research team at the Agricultural Research Center and through his work with the private firm Project Future Egypt, Amr focuses on adapting biological solutions to local agricultural and climate conditions. His main work centers on beneficial strains of Trichoderma — eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides.
In Egypt's challenging desert environment, Amr participated in greenhouse trials testing two Trichoderma strains, applied in both liquid and powder forms, on tomato plants infected with Botrytis cinerea — the fungus responsible for grey mould, a widespread pathogen affecting food and ornamental crops worldwide.
"Trichoderma is a genus of fungi widely used in agriculture as a direct biological control agent against plant pathogens," Amr explains.
He describes the experiment: "We tested two scenarios — one with mild infection and another with advanced symptoms — to evaluate how effectively these beneficial fungi could work under precision-controlled conditions. We used an advanced climate control system powered by Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor humidity, temperature, and ventilation in real time."
Read more at Daily News Egypt
