Project start: 01.11.2024
Project end: 31.10.2027
Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Autonomous field robots have enormous potential for ecologizing crop production and mitigating labor shortage. Although these systems are now ready for market, there are still major challenges, particularly with regard to their interaction with machine management, process control and the interaction between robot and implement. The aim of ISObot is to develop an integrated system for optimizing the operational management of field robots through improved interoperability at different levels, as well as automated process control. The starting point are commercial robot-implement combinations and a web-based machine management system. A process controller is being developed for weed management in viticulture, which uses sensors and intelligent algorithms to monitor and actively control the work process and document the quality of work. Another use case in arable farming will focus on monitoring the hoeing process and recording process parameters. In both cases, the robots will be linked to the machine management system via an IoT system in order to visualize process-relevant information via user-friendly interfaces and make it available for further agronomic use. Finally, approaches are being developed to bring communication between the subsystems involved into an automated, machine-readable form, primarily on the basis of the ISO 11783 (ISOBUS) standard, thus ensuring maximum interoperability at different levels without additional manual effort. Dissemination and transfer activities will be leveraged in the project to establish an exchange with agricultural practice. Eventually, another aim is to derive recommendations for further standardization efforts to improve the interoperability of electronic communication in agricultural machinery.

Project start: 01.05.2024
Project end: 30.04.2027
Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The diversification of cropping systems supports sustainability, climate resilience and ecosystem services, and will be considered in the context of Precision Agriculture in NSmartSystems. Various methods and open-source tools will be developed to optimally combine diversification and precision fertiliser management, enabling farmers to improve their profitability and reduce negative environmental impact. The specific objectives of the NSmartSystems project are: (1) Development of decision support systems (DSS) for the diversification of cropping systems through crop rotation and the intelligent use of catch crops. (2) Improved decision making for variable rate N fertilisation through user-centered, multi-parametric tools. (3) Optimisation of in-field variable rate N application through improved coordination of the application system and spreade. (4) Develop tools for farmers to analyse and monitor the impact of their management decisions over time.

Project start: 01.06.2023
Project end: 30.11.2026
Sponsor: European Commission, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Oenotrace will provide solutions to the ICT-AGRI-FOOD call for proposals as it includes a data-driven system enabling and promoting transparency for the end-users along the value chain from producer to consumer. Mapping of the value chain will be performed, and in the next step critical points/process steps where information flow (and transparency) can be improved will be identified. This will be examined having wine-growing in the focus and will provide the consumers with a clear and transparent tracing of how the bottle of wine has reached them. Data will be available along the entire value chain starting from machinery working in the field applying various rates of inputs (fuel, pesticides, fertilizers) and climate conditions up to winemaking, bottle filling and transportation. One main target is to trace back with full transparency sustainable cultivation practices.