project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Establishment of a National Agriculture Research and Innovation Hub
Twaqqif ta 'Ċentru Nazzjonali ta' Riċerka u Innovazzjoni Agrikola
Objectives
AGRIHUB will serve as a certre to bringing together researchers, innovators and farmers to develop novel farming practices and innovative agricultural technologies. This project will focus on precision agriculture and the production of good quality fodder for livestock. Therefore, AGRIHUB will help the local agricultural sector towards logn-term sustainability and to improve the quality of agricutural products. On-farm trials at Ghammieri will serve as a demonstration sites to showcase and train farmers in the advantages of using innovative agricultural techniology in their everyday tasks.
Objectives
L-għan tal-AGRIHUB huwa li jservi ta' post fejn riċerkaturi, innovaturi, bdiewa u raħħala jaħdmu flimkien biex jizviluppaw prattiċi u teknoloġiji nnovattivi agrikoli ġodda. Dawn l-innovazzjonijiet ser jiġu uzati għall-agrikoltura ta' prċizjoni u l-produzzjoni taħ għalf ta' kwalita' għolja għall-bhejjem. B'hekk, is-settur tal-agrikoltura f' pajjizna isir iktar sostenibbli u jipprovdi prodott agrikolu ta' kwalita' għolja. Il-bdiewa u r-raħħala ħa jkunu jistgħu jaraw dan kollu permess ta' siti pilota ġewwa l-Għammieri u anka jiġu mgħallma kif it-teknoliġija tista' tghinnhom fil-ħidma tagħhom.
Activities
- To document local agronomic practices through the collection of information from local farmer
- To establish an agriculture monitoring station for data collection from remote sensors
- To establish a research strategy, design trails and implement pilot projects aimed at Integrated Pest Management, Smart Irrigation and Sustainable Forage production
- To establish demonstration sites to show the advantages of using technology in agriculture
- To translate findings into guidelines/standards for long term suitability of farming and to improve the quality of agricultural products
Activities
- Ġbir ta’ informazzjoni mil-bdiewa biex niddokumentaw prattiċi agrikoli lokali
- Bini ta’ stazzjon ta’ monitoraġġ biex tiġbor informazzjoni min sensuri installati f’għeliqi
- Niżviluppaw strateġija ta’ riċerka u nimplimentaw siti pilota għal-ġestjoni integrata tal-pesti, irrigazzjoni intelliġenti u sibu soluzzjonijiet sostenibbli għall-għalf għall-bhejjem
- Ir-riżultatti jinkitbu f’ linji gwida sabiex l-agrikoltura f’pajjiżna isir iktar sostenibbli u tipprovdi prodott ta’ kwalita’ għola
- Jintużaw siti pilota għat-tagħlim fuq kif it-teknoloġija tista’ tgħinn fil-ħidma agrikola
Kontext
The National Agriculture Policy (NAP) for the Maltese Islands 2018, states that agriculture research and development (R&D) is essential to wean the local agricultural sector from the conservative approach. It also emphasis that research is critical for the creation of improved agricultural methods, increased productivity or tapping into international markets. The policy highlights the rapid changes that are taking place globally in the use of information technology (IT) to support farming practices as well as through extension services and advisory services. Therefore, establishing AGRIHUB, as a research and innovation hub, is key to bringing together researchers, innovators and farmers to develop novel farming practices and innovative agricultural technologies. AGRIHUB aims to establish a research strategy, design trails and implement pilot projects focused on Precision Agriculture, Integrated Pest Management, Smart Irrigation and Sustainable Forage production
AGRIHUB is well aligned with the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, which aims to strengthen the links between agriculture and food production with research and innovation, including for the purpose of improved environmental management. Also, current discussions on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy indicate that digital farming will take a centre stage in the new framework. Furthermore, AGRIHUB builds on the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, through AI-based research projects in agriculture.
Further details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014MT06RDNP001 Malta - Rural Development Programme (National)
Location details
- Main geographical location
- Malta
- Other geographical location
- Malta
Project keyword
€ 2209303.97
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Contacts
-
Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights
Project coordinator
-
CIHEAM BARI
Project partner
-
MCAST – Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology
Project partner
Ressourcen
1 Practice Abstracts
The project will focus on sustainable agriculture production by concentrating on precision farming practices including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Smart Irrigation. Potential benefits may include increasing crop yields, cost and labour reduction and optimisation of process inputs, all of which would increase profitability. At the same time, Precision Farming increase work safety and reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture and farming practices, thus contributing to the sustainability of agricultural production.
Expected Outputs
A compendium which documents the agronomic practices used by Maltese farmers in the cultivation of specific crops.
A research strategy and framework which includes the research designs for priority areas.
Setting up of research facilities in the form of a National Agriculture Research and Innovation Hub.
2 pilot projects including field trials on Integrated Farm Management, focusing on Precision Farming Methods including Integrated Pest Management and Smart Irrigation and including trials on different species and cultivars of forage and protein crops.
A prototype Monitoring Station and interactive IT system based on artificial intelligence.
Crop specific guidelines for Integrated Pest Management and Irrigation: The collected data will be analysed to develop a set of recommendations on how these current practices may be improved with modern innovative technology. Guidelines will be produced to assist farmers during implementation of the adopted techniques.
Il-proġett se jiffoka fuq il-produzzjoni agrikola sostenibbli billi jikkonċentra fuq prattiċi ta’ biedja ta’ ġestjoni integrata tal-organiżmi ta' ħsara (IPM) u Irrigazzjoni Intelliġenti. Benefiċċji potenzjali jistgħu jinkludu żieda fil-produzzjoni tal-għelejjel, tnaqqis fl-ispejjeż u tnaqqis tax-xogħol, dawn kollha jżidu l-profittabilità. Fl-istess ħin, biedja ta' preċiżjoni jżid is-sigurtà tax-xogħol u jnaqqas l-impatti ambjentali tal-agrikoltura u b'hekk jikkontribwixxi għas-sostenibbiltà tal-produzzjoni agrikola.
Riżultati Mistennija
Kompendju li jiddokumenta l-prattiċi agronomiċi użati mill-bdiewa Maltin fil-kultivazzjoni ta’ għelejjel speċifiċi.
Strateġija u qafas ta' riċerka li jinkludu t-tfassil tar-riċerka għal oqsma ta' prijorità.
Twaqqif ta' faċilitajiet ta' riċerka fil-forma ta' Ċentru Nazzjonali tar-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Agrikola.
2 proġetti pilota inklużi provi fuq il-post dwar il-Ġestjoni Integrata tal-irziezet, li jiffokaw fuq Metodi ta’ Biedja ta’ Preċiżjoni inkluż ġestjoni integrata tal-organiżmi ta' ħsara u irrigazzjoni intelliġenti u li jinkludu provi fuq speċi differenti u kultivazzjoni differenti ta’ għelejjel tal-għalf u tal-proteini.
Stazzjon ta’ Monitoraġġ prototip u sistema tal-IT interattiva bbażata fuq intelliġenza artifiċjali.
Linji gwida speċifiċi għall-uċuħ tal-għelejjel, għall- ġestjoni integrata tal-organiżmi ta' ħsara u Tisqija. Id-data miġbura se tiġi analizzata biex jiġi żviluppat sett ta' rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar kif dawn il- prattiċi attwali jistgħu jitjiebub'teknoloġija innovattiva moderna. Se jiġu prodotti linji gwida biex jgħinu lill-bdiewa waqt l-implimentazzjoni tat-teknika adottata