Researchers worked with farmers, managers and agribusiness decision makers to develop a series of maps ranging from the farm to river-basin scale. The project developed precision farming tools using Earth Observation data and wireless sensor networks tailored to local needs and deployed them on the ground.
“We created high-resolution maps for determining nutrient and water requirements, so farmers can fine-tune the amount of inputs they actually need to avoid over-fertilization and save water,” says project coordinator Prof. Alfonso Calera. In arid La Mancha, Spain, partners focused on ensuring efficient water and fertilizer use; while in Marchfeld, Austria, a key concern was water quality problems due to intensive agriculture. Thessaly in Greece has been declared a vulnerable region due to groundwater nitrate pollution.