Cloud-supported control of pests, data-empowered precision in the use of water and nutrients, remote monitoring of milk quality... Smart webs of connected objects are opening up new possibilities to boost productivity and sustainability in agriculture. EU-funded researchers are trialling Internet of Things solutions for farms and food.
EU-funded researchers have developed mapping tools and calculators to help farmers use water and fertilisers more efficiently, maintaining yields while cutting costs and limiting the environmental impact.
Nature provides benefits worth billions of euros a year to EU agriculture - such as pest control by insect predators. An EU-funded project has improved knowledge of the habitats that foster these so-called ecological services, helping to support an increase in sustainable farming and food security.
From tackling poverty, climate change and environmental degradation to preserving cultural heritage and agricultural sustainability, crop diversity is integral to solving some of the greatest challenges on the planet. An EU-backed research effort has made agrobiodiversity conservation in the Andean region its business. The hope is that crops like tarwi, amaranth, cañahua, arracacha, yacón and isaño could one day become household names as quinoa is today.
With livelihoods at stake, Europe's farmers are relying on the support of the EU and international research expertise to prevent and/or mitigate widespread damage to their crops and harvests. The scale of the cooperation involved shows that integrated pest management is everybody's business.
Drones, small satellites and smart software are set to enhance connectivity in some of the world's harshest environments thanks to an EU-funded project enabling innovative applications for Internet of Things devices such as polar climate sensors.
A project funded by the BBI JU under Horizon 2020 is developing innovative technologies that will enable mushroom farms to turn compost into novel bio-based products such as natural pesticides, cutting fossil fuel use and positioning the sector at the heart of Europe's circular economy.
The EU-funded project G2P-SOL is gathering, improving and disseminating genetic and phenotypic information on key food crops like potato and tomato. This information can be used in farming to improve the productivity of such crops and provide healthier food.
The expansion of the world's population poses a number of urgent challenges, including increasing food production. An EU-funded project is developing an Earth observation (EO)-based IT platform that provides key information and advisory services to small farmers, to help them play their part in meeting future food needs.
A chip to monitor fish health is just one innovation linked to an EU-funded project aimed at boosting European aquaculture by facilitating research. The possible future benefit for consumers is more high-quality fish.
