Project
Title
Usability of environmentally sound and reliable techniques in precision agriculture
Acronym
USER-PA
Start
01.03.2013
End
31.12.2015
Coordinating Institute
Agricultural Research Organization
Coordinator
Victor Alchanatis
Partner
Agricultural Research Organization
Adnan Menderes University
Hochschule für Technik Changins (EIC)
CEntre for REsearch and TEchnology THessaly (CE.RE.TE.TH)
Harper Adams University College
Politecnico di Milano
University of Copenhagen
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik
Summary
The main objective of the USER-PA project is to develop and demonstrate an integrated and reliable Precision Agriculture solution for orchards and vineyards considering spatial information on irrigation and harvest management.
USER-PA proposes a conceptual framework, an innovative technical architecture, and the enabling technologies that will allow to integrate canopy and fruit sensors with mobile and static data acquisition systems, and farm management information systems, targeting a system that will serve farmers.
The system will integrate sensing methods, along with an appropriate platform that carries the sensors and gathers the data, and a system that analyses and presents the information prior to irrigation and harvesting during the growth season to the farmer.
ATB coordinates the Workpackage Plant sensors (WP1): Sensing technologies will be developed to evaluate canopy and fruit attributes that are important for irrigation, or harvest management. The sensors will be configured and calibrated during the first year of the project. In the second and third year they will be used on the developed platform, and their data will be input to the FMIS. Their performance will be evaluated during the second year in the experimental plots, and during the third year in both, the experimental plots and the demonstration activities.
USER-PA is an ERA-NET ICT-AGRI (European Research Area Network Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture) research project. It brings together experts from eight ICT-AGRI member countries - Israel, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Scientists from universities, research institutions and industry combine their expertise in the fields of plant physiology, sensor technology, robotics and automation as well as decision support systems.
Funding
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL)
Funding agency
Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung - Projektträger
Grant agreement number
2812ERA038
Funding framework
Era-Net ICT-AGRI