Increasing the resilience of agriculture in water and nutrient-scarce environments through digital innovations

Di cosa tratta questo bando?

The topic funds research projects that develop digital monitoring and AI decision tools to help farmers manage water and nutrient scarcity. Consortia must follow a multi-actor approach.

Cosa finanzia questo bando?

Scope

Projects use digital and data technologies to help farmers cope with water and nutrient scarcity, reduce pollution and adapt to climate change.

Activities

• Improve knowledge of interactions between plants, soil, water, air and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) under climate change, across several pedoclimatic regions.
• Develop and test monitoring devices and systems that integrate into farm management or decision support systems and are affordable and accessible to farmers.
• Develop and test AI-enabled decision support systems that assess the water and nutrient effects of farming practices, pollution and biodiversity benefits.
• Create and publish high-quality AI training datasets with clear documentation and standardised protocols.
• Identify barriers and enablers for turning results into commercial tools and for adoption by farmers, including accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Requirements

Proposals should cover several farming systems, one of which should be organic farming, and use capacities of the Digital Europe Programme, EuroHPC and AI Factories where appropriate. They should build on the Common European Agricultural Data Space and work with PRIMA, the Agriculture of Data partnership, the JRC and the EU Soil Observatory.

Expected outcomes

Farmers gain better digital tools and advice, dependency on mineral fertilisers falls and biodiversity benefits from less pollution. Activities are expected to reach TRL 4-5 by the end of the project.

Cosa ci si aspetta dalle proposte?

• International cooperation is encouraged.

Quando scade il bando?

23 settembre 2027 (321 giorni)

23 September 2027 (single-stage call).