A solution from Italy could help Brazil further develop precision agriculture techniques in food cultivation, which will allow it to reduce the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides in the field. Currently, it is estimated that the country adopts this practice in around 20% of agricultural areas.
Through a joint venture, the Italian Agronica, specialized in professional software solutions in the agricultural sector, joined the Brazilian consultancy Gregori to implement a technology capable of creating an information system that will help Brazilian producers achieve greater efficiency and profitability , without losing sight of environmental responsibility. This will make it possible to produce various crops, such as rice rotated with corn and wheat, more efficiently.
The application of precision agriculture techniques in agricultural production should reduce water and fertilizer consumption by up to 20% and pesticide consumption by up to 15%. This is possible through the use of a big data tool that helps predict and understand intervention techniques and production results, which allows the creation of increasingly “intelligent” Decision Support Systems (SADs).
The internationalization of the solution has the support of CLUST-ER AGRIFOOD, a European Cluster that brings together companies and research institutes from Emilia-Romagna with the aim of multiplying innovation opportunities through a collaborative approach to the transfer of technologies from the region in the north from Italy. The technology that will be implemented in Brazil foresees the provision of “integrated solutions” through platforms for the management of different agricultural productions, such as rice, cereals, fruits and vegetables, developed to collect and manage meteorological and forecast data, as well as information of field maps and sensors in the soil (humidity, temperature, soil nutrients, etc.), which can be implemented according to farmers' needs.
The partnership takes place with the support of the Low Carbon Business Action in Brazil program, financed by the European Union, which since 2015 has brought together small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in Brazil and Europe, aiming to create solutions in sectors that benefit a low-carbon economy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. “We have been promoting exchanges between European and Brazilian companies to adapt innovative and successful solutions to the Brazilian market. Brazil has enormous potential to benefit from technologies that add more intelligence and efficiency to the work of producers, whether small or large”, explains Mercedes Blázquez, leader of Low Carbon Brazil. Through the program's projects in various sectors, including agriculture, it is expected to achieve water savings equivalent to 1,686 Olympic swimming pools.
Source: agrolink
