An innovative synergy of quality agriculture and advanced technology, which makes use of tractors with special optical sensors capable of producing a more detailed mapping of the land than that enabled via drones. This system for precision agriculture allows for increased crop yield and quality, in particular for those growing tomatoes. This project was presented today at the Coldiretti Pavilion of Expo Milano 2015 in a meeting organized by the Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro (the Casalasco Tomato Consortium) in cooperation with TEAM, società di imprese dello studio di ingegneria Terradat (Society of Terradat Engineering Firms), Appleby Italiana and Casella Macchine Agricole. The event was attended Paola De Micheli (Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Finance), Paolo Voltini (President of Coldiretti Cremona), Constantino Vaia (Director of the Consortium of Casalasco Tomato), Davide Rocca (Head of Applications Technology Casalasco Consortium) and Paolo Dosso (TEAM Consortium).
Tractors with precise optical sensors
Sensors installed on Calsalasco Consortium tractors are able to read the vegetative growth of the tomato plant, allowing the farmer to build their own thematic maps and to use the data as input for the machinery, which adapts in real time to the needs of the crop, distributing the precise amount of water and nutrients needed. The system makes the farmer more autonomous, optimizes costs, which are much lower than the mapping techniques carried out by drone, and reduces waste and environmental impact. The system has so far been tested on ten companies in the provinces of Cremona, Parma and Piacenza on a total of 100 hectares, and has now completed the testing phase. The consortium plans to apply it on a large scale, for an increased yield estimated at 25 percent.
Competitiveness and sustainability
"Today - said the Undersecretary Paola de Micheli - we have the opportunity to be able to raise the important issue of sustainable innovation, in a context of international competitiveness, thanks to the cultivation of Italian tomatoes. With this project, we are heading for a real commitment to redesign the structure of production costs in agriculture."
"We must increase the competitiveness of farms - reiterated Davide Rocca, Head of Applications Technology Casalasco Consortium - but also protect the environment, and all this can be achieved through technological innovation and the training of the farmer, which remains the cornerstone of the agricultural system. "
"This highly innovative project - said Constantino Vaia, Director of the Casalasco Consortium - is a further step in supporting the mission that makes sustainability a key pillar of our work."
