Research

We dedicate to illustrate the innovations brought by Atlantide with the aim of clarifying that detalis that distiguish them

High precision phenotyping in open field conditions

Precision agriculture can improve the sustainability of crops. Thanks to it, it is in fact possible to determine with great accuracy and level of detail the spatial/temporal variation of all those factors that on the whole cause the phenotypic variability that can be observed in a cultivated field and can reduce yields: temperature, irrigation needs, nutritional needs, chemical-physical characteristics of soils, presence of weeds and pathogens. In this WP, high-precision environmental monitoring will be performed by means of remote analysis and ground sensors of a variety comparison test of cultivated barley. The variables useful for defining the physical and agronomic environment will be crossed with the molecular information obtained through “omic” approaches, as well as with data regarding the productive, bio-agronomic and physiological characteristics of the plants measured in the field.

Through data processing it will be possible to understand:

– to what extent the different environmental variables (as well as the different genetic predisposition of the different plant materials) can influence the accumulation of secondary metabolites expressed by plants.

– What is the relationship between the “metabolic profile” and “yield” phenotypes.

– Whether and to what extent the variables detected remotely (satellite and drone) and with sensors in the field depend on genetic variability (… and transcriptomics and metabolomics).

Overall, it will be possible to develop an integrated analysis system «-omics»/«remote and proximal sensing»/«classical phenotyping» potentially exportable to different crops and able to support agronomic choices and genetic improvement activities.

New generation digital and modeling technologies applied to Mediterranean agricultural systems

The goal of WP3 is to develop new generation digital and modeling technologies capable of supporting the sustainable intensification of Mediterranean agro-forestry-pastoral systems. The integration of data from remote sensors (satellites and drones) with data from simulation models will allow the development of decision support tools to support decisions to improve the agri-environmental and economic sustainability of agro-forestry-pastoral systems .

The research activities of WP3 will allow to evaluate the impact of different agronomic management strategies of Mediterranean pastures and meadows-pastures on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forage production. The results obtained on the relationships between agronomic and production physiology variables and the multispectral data from the sensors installed on drones and satellites will form the basis for developing “smart” tools capable of guiding agronomic management and grazing choices.

Environmental monitoring for the differentiated managment of crops

Through environmental monitoring we elaborate datasets and produce elaborations in the form of qualitative and quantitative tabular data, vector information maps and reports with the freedom of being able to access them for the following analysis phases. The tools we are talking about are remote sensing, satellites and drones that collect information 24 hours a day on an entire field and monitor the microclimate and agro-physiological parameters of the soil and crops. Correlations, temporal evolutions and execution of targeted analyzes on the various crop management are highlighted, generating fundamental information for precision agriculture.

Through satellite images, on the other hand, we will be able to access vegetation indices by comparing them with agro-physiological and phenological data also detected by ground sensors. Considering the great extension of the set of derived images, a web-GIS (Geographical Information System) will be developed that will allow users to plan the various operations for perfect data management through the observation of information distributed in space on the platform. The goal is to identify the different biological characteristics of plants in relation to the environment, quantify and evaluate other ecosystem services and it is also possible to design innovative agro-pastoral management and monitoring methods, characterized by site-specific agronomic management.

Sensors and innovative management systems for greenhouse cultivation

We deviate from the idea of ​​large and open land, to speak of greenhouses instead. Here too we find a technological development for environmental management and for the collection of data and therefore of information, to be consulted and analyzed remotely, useful for fertilization and plant care methods. This happens through innovative sensor systems inside, for more economical management. As a consequence, a reduction of the environmental impact is obtained, thanks to a better management of water, pesticides and fertilizers, whether the greenhouse works in an organic, integrated or soilless regime. With correct programming, especially with out-of-ground conditions, the use of pesticides can be completely eliminated, thanks to prevention.

All this is especially important for the cultivation of particular plants (aromatic and edible flowers), which, by virtue of specific needs, must be at ease in the habitat reproduced inside the greenhouses with a certain assiduous production.

In fact, it is also possible to create mini-greenhouses that can be used both inside a structure, such as the greenhouse itself, and outdoors. Thus we dedicate ourselves both to large agro-pastoral productions, and to the management of different types of cultivation that also focus on the issue of sustainability and protection of food production.

Development and implementation of a system for augmented reality in agriculture

Augmented Reality is part of the circle of emerging technologies and in agriculture 4.0 it finds a strategic role. This technology allows digital information to be merged simultaneously with that coming from the real world, by means of suitable computerized interfaces. Capable of fully enabling the smart devices of IoT (Internet of Things) systems, it is used to bridge the growing gap between the information collected by the sensors and the operator in the field. Once again there is a tendency to manage a wide range of data that can be transformed into useful information for the optimization of agricultural production processes. We are talking about a parallel path of data integration in the real world and in the digital world through specific application software and wearable devices, such as Smart Glasses for augmented reality. This technology also takes small and medium-sized businesses to a new level. There is a real innovation that makes production processes modern. In fact, agriculture, if before it was associated with a premodern society, today joins the words “intelligence” and “technology”

Crop management of the vineyard with the combined support of precision viticulture and Artificial Intelligence technologies

We talk about innovation thanks to some sensors, derived from classification algorithms, Deep and Machine Learning, which will be installed on tractors, ground Farm robots or on Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to better detect information on the specific state of the plant, the presence of stress. biotic and abiotic and to define a monitoring of the bunch of grapes up to quantify the number. Through new technologies it is possible to transfer to companies a great decision-making power as well as a better efficiency in monitoring and control of cultivation, whereas previously, due to information that was often less integrated, it was more complex. This system has only one direction: to protect digital information in a complete manner through specific application software, to control the regulation of inputs and the quality of grapes for the management of economic objectives. A further positive element of the cultivation management of the vineyard is the detection of all the differences that exist between the existing diseases that infect the plants. As regards only the Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus (GPGV) in Sardinia, we find an even more advantageous aspect, in fact it is possible to analyze the disease, in a latent state, to identify it early.