Training & Launch of drones to be used by students for data collection under the “Nbs4Tea” project.

As part of the project’s implementation, the team has also installed a Drip Irrigation System for two commercial tea clones. This automated system uses soil moisture content and tea canopy temperature to precisely schedule irrigation, contributing to efficient water use and climate-smart agriculture.

The project, funded by the Danish Fellowship Centre under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, aims to bridge the tea yield gap in Uganda through research-driven, nature-based solutions that promote climate resilience in tea production systems.

Coordinated by Dr. Alex Nimusiima from the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences at CAES, the five-year project, launched in January 2024, supports five PhD and five Masters students.
Other team members include:
1. Dr. Twaha Ali Basamba
2. Dr. Grace Nakabonge
3. Dr. Prossy Nakawuka

The Nature-based Solutions for Tea (NbS4Tea) project has registered a significant milestone with the successful deployment of drones to improve environmental and agricultural data collection, the project team officially launched the drones at the Rwebitaba Tea Research Centre in Kyenjojo District, the project’s main research hub. The launch event included hands-on training sessions by Mr. Timothy Mutungi, a certified Remote Sensing Drone Pilot. Mr. Mutungi provided detailed instruction on drone operation, safety procedures, and data acquisition techniques specifically tailored to the project’s goals. The training was attended the core NbS4Tea researchers as well as students supported by the project.