DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE USE OF ICT TOOLS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE Erasmus Project

Project Title

DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE USE OF ICT TOOLS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Environment and climate change; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

Precision Agriculture (PA) or site-specific crop management can be defined as the management of spatial and temporal variability at a sub-field level to improve economic returns and reduce environmental impact. It incorporates a range of management as well as ICT tools. The concept has been made possible by the rapid development of ICT-based sensor technologies and procedures along with dedicated software(Blackmore et al., 2003
Despite of the existing knowledge at research level and market availability of efficient and affordable tools implementing PA in SMF, its implementation is insufficient, mainly for the following reasons, according to EIP-AGRI Focus Group Precision Farming (2015);
• Perceived complexity and insufficient knowledge of farmers and Agriculture Advisers
• Lack of clear determination of the specific cost/benefits for the individual farm, based on the evaluation of the application of appropriated tools to specific farm´s situation and overestimation of investment risk due to that
• Lack of realistic information on the costs, benefits and technical challenges in real farm situations
• Lack of appropriate training for Agriculture Advisers
• Disconnection between knowledge at Research level and applicability to SMF
As a conclusion, according to EIP-AGRI Focus Group Precision Farming (2015), training and awareness is needed for Agriculture Advisers working in Small and Medium Farms.
AGRICT is launched with the main objective of increasing the competences (attitudes, skills, knowledge) of Agriculture Advisers working in Small and Medium Farms about how to use ICT Tools for the proper implementation of Precision Agriculture (PA) , through an innovative training program
The project has the next specific objectives:
• Aware and transfer knowledge related with the 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
Through the execution of this Project the next results will be obtained;
• Co-Created Methodological Guide will be developed, with the direct participation of End Users, with the main objective of determining the key contents, methodologies and tools needed for creating and improving the critical competences of Agriculture Advisers working in Small and Medium Farms (SMF) regarding the use of ICT Tools for the proper implementation of Precision Agriculture (PA).
• 5 Sets of Training Packages, including Training Materials and Experiential Training Activities, addressed to Agriculture Advisers working in SMF in the next fields;
1. Introduction to precision agriculture; 2. Sensors and electronic systems; 3. GNSS and geo-referencing; 4. ICT devices; 5. Agricultural machinery automation
• Development of an e-Training Platform, for supporting the implementation of the Training Methodology, including Training Packages, Workspace and link to applicable ICT Tools.
• Creation of 5 AGRICT UNITS within the structure of each partner in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime.
• Development of Dissemination Actions addressed to the European Agriculture Sector, involving professionals, students, suppliers, universities, public bodies, etc…
AgrICT will benefit a number of persons during the project lifetime:
• 80 Agriculture Advisers working in Small and Medium Farms will be trained (20 on each participant country) through their participation in the validation actions of Training Packages and e-Training Platform.
• 2.000 persons (500 on each country), including Agriculture Advisers working in Small and Medium Farms, but also other stakeholders in the field of Precision Agriculture, like Advisers, Researchers, Suppliers, etc… will be aware, through multiplier events and dissemination actions to be carried on through the project website, newsletters, leaflets, etc…

Project Website

https://agrict.upc.edu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 144750 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Fundación para la Promoción de la Agricultura Agronómica
• AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS
• INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN SCIENCES ET TECHNOLOGIES POUR L’ENVIRONNEMENT ET L’AGRICULTURE
• AARHUS UNIVERSITET