AgrICT is launched with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, skills, knowledge) of agriculture advisers working for small and medium farmers, in terms of how to use ICT tools for the proper implementation of precision agriculture (PA), through an innovative training program. The specific objectives:
- Awareness and transfer of knowledge related to precision agriculture.
- Showing specific and affordable ICT solutions for the application of precision agriculture to real farm situations.
- Promoting the customized diagnosis of needs in terms of ICT solutions and evaluation of requirements and cost/benefit relation.
- Improving communication, knowledge, and experiences sharing between research entities and professionals.
Partners
- UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE CATALUNYA- BARCELONATECH (UPC) (Spain). Project Coordinator. Unitat de Mecanització Agrària (UMA-UPC). The Agricultural Machinery Unity (UMA) is a group of transfer and research that it has as a central core the world of agricultural machinery, with great experience especially in the field of technology in pesticide application. The activities developed by the UMA are divided into three sections: teaching, research, and technology transfer. The relationship that the group maintains with the main companies in the sector (machine manufacturers, agricultural organizations and agrochemical companies) enables the organization of teaching activities in which the student has the latest knowledge in the sector, which it allows a perfectly adapted training to current professional needs. These lines have been reinforced through the coordination of a European project H2020 (INNOSETA) and participation in another (OPTIMA, LIFE-PERFECT) for the period 2018-21.
- FOUNDATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF AGRONOMIC ENGINEERING (Fundación para la Promoción de la Ingeniería Agronómica), (Spain) is an initiative of the Official Association of Agricultural Engineers of Levante and attached to the Protectorate of the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs of Spain. Its main goal is to promote and contribute to social progress and development of the agriculture, food sector and environmental sectors. For these purposes, it promotes scientific and technical research in the field of Professional Associations of Agricultural Engineers by studies, works, and projects.
- AARHUS UNIVERSITY (Denmark); The Department of Engineering/Operations Management Unit carries out research and teaching in the fields of Biosystems Engineering as well as innovative technologies to be applied in industrial production and bio-production system. The research includes new production principles concerning the application of robots, sensors, mathematical/physical models, decision support systems, design and implementation of the information management system, systems analyses and sustainability analyses. Research topics have included resource analyses and optimizations, integration of technical management evaluations, and the development and design of management information systems. In terms of automation and smart machines, high-level control aspects like mission planning, path planning, task allocation have been extensively researched.
- INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN SCIENCES ET TECHNOLOGIES POUR L’ENVIRONNEMENT ET L’AGRICULTURE, IRSTEA (France); IRSTEA is a research organization that, for more than 30 years, has been working on the major issues of responsible agriculture and the sustainable development of territories, water management, and the associated risks, drought, floods, floods, the study of complex ecosystems and biodiversity in their interrelations with human activities.
- AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS (Greece); The Precision Agriculture Lab, belonging to the Department of Natural Resource Management and Agricultural Engineering, will represent AUA. The department covers the area of research and provision of knowledge concerning the: design and operation of farm machinery, equipment of agricultural enterprises, automation of agricultural production processes, postharvest technologies, application of modern technology in agriculture and energy saving. Among other fields, its members deal with the subjects of metrology in agricultural engineering, automation in agriculture, precision farming, and robotics.
