SMART agriculture for innovative vegetable crop PROTECTion: harnessing advanced methodologies and technologies (SMARTPROTECT)
Project annotation:
SMARTPROTECT is a thematic network focusing on cross regional knowledge sharing of SMART IPM solutions for farmers and advisors. The aim is to stimulate knowledge flow in the regional AKISs across the EU and connect these on the innovative potential of advanced methodologies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in vegetable production, integrating precision farming technologies and data analytics.
Through a well-balanced consortium and an emphasis on multi-actor approach the outcome of the project and exploitation of its results will stimulate an increased adaptation of IPM methodologies, taking the specific regional needs of farmers across Europe into account. The EU-wide concern for environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness for agriculture requires the entire agriculture sector to grow under IPM conditions. This project develops a basis for a common EU approach to collecting, sharing, managing and disseminating knowledge on IPM in order to maximise the knowledge flow. Farmers from different European regions will thus dispose of the latest knowledge, best practices and practical tools for the implementation of IPM in their daily practice in crops in open field and greenhouses.
The project provides an e-platform for exchange on a variety of innovative IPM techniques. We will benchmark practices in the frame of their socio-economic and regulatory context, select those with a high innovation potential and disseminate them through participatory events including cross border exchange visits. Local and regional knowledge sharing will lead to interactive cross-regional seminars for farmers and advisors, resulting in a final SMARTPROTECT innovation rally. The project’s results will be deployed through a targeted communication and wide dissemination strategy, providing an online data sharing platform and close interaction with EU and national initiatives and projects, the National Rural Networks and the EIP-AGRI.
Leading Partner: INAGRO, PROVINCIAAL EXTERN VERZELFSTANDIGD AGENTSCHAP IN PRIVAATRECHTELIJKE, Belgium
Coordinator of the Project: Sabien Pollet, sabien.pollet@inagro.be
Cordinator of the Project from partner's side, Institute of Horticulture: Dr. agr. Līga Lepse, liga.lepse@llu.lv
The project consortium consists of 16 partners representing Greece, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, France and Latvia.
Project Partners:
- PROVINCIAAL EXTERN VERZELFSTANDIGD AGENTSCHAP IN PRIVAATRECHTELIJKE VORM VZW, BE
- THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK, UK
- EESTI MAAULIKOOL, EE
- UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI, SL
- INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGAÇAO AGRARIA E VETERINARIA, PT
- VYZKUMNY USTAV ROSTLINNE VYROBY VVI, CZ
- JULIUS KUHN-INSTITUT BUNDESFORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR KULTURPFLANZEN, DE
- ASSEMBLEE DES REGIONS EUROPEENNES FRUITIERES LEGUMIERES ET HORTICOLES, FR
- FUNDACION CAJAMAR, ES
- DARZKOPIBAS INSTITUTS, LV
- MAGYAR AGRAR-, ELELMISZERGAZDASAGI ES VIDEKFEJLESZTESI KAMARA, HU
- GRUPO HISPATEC INFORMATICA EMPRESARIAL SA, ES
- AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, EL
- EFOS INFORMACIJSKE RESITVE DOO, SL
- KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN, BE
- THE AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (AHDB), UK
Project's communication channels:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 862563