PestNu project strived to enhance the collaboration with European Union (EU) projects, networks and associations to coordinate efforts and avoid the duplication of work, thereby maximising the potential benefits for stakeholders. It had dedicated tasks for harmonization of the PestNu approach - of systemically combining digital and space based technologies with agroecological and organic practices to reduce the pesticides and fertilisers use, and loss of nutrients- with existing efforts, for ensuring interoperability and reusability, and maximizing industrial uptake and adoption of its results.
Some clustering activities were facilitated by the Green Deal (GD) Support Office, like periodic interaction among coordinators of all the 73 GD H2020 projects, or the direct collaboration with eight other GD sister projects in the Food Working Group. PestNu was actively involved in the mapping of opportunities and barriers, including policies, and similar challenges. This practice triggered several successful joint efforts like events focusing stakeholder inclusion in the food sector, standardisation, or the formulation of joint policy recommendations for delivering the concerns of practitioners to the relevant EU decision makers.
Moreover, these and other collaborations, established with other relevant projects in the domains of Pesticide Reduction, Aquaponics and Nutrient Management, supported for instance joint events for dissemination of the EU research and innovation, enhancing communication with farmers, advisors and other practitioners.  
Relevant networks and associations were brought along, promoting collaboration, knowledge-sharing and cross-project support, critical for achieving the desired impact.

In the light of the Farm2Fork (F2F) strategy requirements, PestNu project deployed digital and space-based technologies (DST) along with agro-ecological and organic practices (AOP) combining them under systemic approaches. 
At first, an extensive benchmarking at EU level of user perceptions and needs concerning these solutions was made via online questionnaire, using a multi-actor and cross-sectoral approach including practitioners (primary producers, processors, retailers, food service providers, consumers), citizens from farm, and public and private institutions (NGOs, industry, public institutions). Results showed a high level of familiarity with AOPs across all groups but a considerable gap in awareness and application of the F2F strategy and DSTs, particularly among practitioners. Findings underscored the need for increased educational initiatives and collaborative efforts between F2F chain actors to enhance the understanding and acceptance of the Green Deal and F2F strategy goals, AOPs, and DSTs within agri-food sector. These have later oriented the several dedicated demonstration activities organized at PestNu pilot sites (UTH, CDTA, Tilamur). Participants found the demonstration of these tools and practices in real-case scenarios particularly helpful for familiarizing themselves with or enhancing their existing knowledge as 15% of participants declared in evaluation surveys they were unaware of such DSTs. In contrast, all participants had at least some limited knowledge of AOPs. The usefulness and importance of DSTs and AOPs were positively evaluated and recognized by the respondents. Moreover, the willingness to adopt these innovative tools in the future was a common sentiment among the participants. 

The project website is a robust digital platform for agro-advisory, business services, and digital training, and it will be linked with relevant EU projects and EC services. The platform offers:
1. Five-level matchmaking process pairing users with partners to foster collaboration and innovation.
2. Training materials: 15 videos and 12 PDFs supporting technology adoption.
3. Augmented reality toolkit for converting agricultural plastics into 3D printing filaments.
4. Best practices: 7 files and 4 manuals on aquaponics, precision farming, circular economy, bio-based fertilizers, biopesticides, and organic farming.
5. Outcomes from "Digitalisation of Agriculture 4.0" workshops (2021-2024).
6. Feasibility studies on PestNu-like applications in different countries, linked with sister projects. 
7. Market insights on PestNu-related sectors.
8. Latest national and EU regulations on pesticides, fertilizers, and circular economy practices.
9. FAQs.
The digital platform for agro advisory and business services is a matchmaking tool offering key benefits to users:
 - Real-time business interaction for stakeholders in the farm-to-fork strategy
 - Contact and collaborate with precision agriculture and organic farming professionals (farmers, agronomists, investors, and policymakers)
 - Promote your organization and achievements
 - Easy, free registration
 - Access to training modules on digital and robotic precision agriculture systems
 - User-friendly training materials and interface
 - Augmented reality training toolkit
To subscribe to the digital platform for agro-advisory and business services, visit the project website at www.pestnu.eu.

Safer food saves lives. Each bite exposes people to potential hazards, including chemical, biological, and physical contaminants. Among these, pesticides are particularly significant, often remaining as residues in fruits and vegetables. Pesticide residues persist throughout the farm-to-fork continuum and cannot be removed by processing. Despite efforts to ensure food safety, pesticides continue to pose problems for the agro-food sector, compromising product safety and polluting the environment. Additionally, public demand for greener food with low or no chemical residues has increased the last years.
To address this, Global 2000 created an Ecotox Index catalog for approved pesticides under the PestNu project, providing guidelines for healthier, safer food production with less toxic pesticides. A SEVT survey among fifteen plant-based food industry manufacturers in Greece has showed increased interest in adopting this catalog. Further surveys by Masoutis and SEVT among producers and food industry manufacturers in Greece aimed to define the current status of the agro-food industry on dealing with chemical pesticides and to delineate the perspective of the industrial stakeholders regarding the organic food products. Commitments from the producers were also requested by Masoutis, accordingly by revising the assessment process required for placing their products on the market. Food industry stakeholders also expressed interest in adopting digital technologies developed within PestNu.
The Ecotox Index catalog and the industry's growing commitment to green solutions mark a shift towards safer, sustainable practices and healthier, pesticide-free food production.

Towards demonstration of the systemic use of innovations in PestNu project for reducing the pesticides and fertilisers use, and loss of nutrients, APEMETA and Stratagem performed Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) for calculating its impacts on 
Optimised hydroponic production of cucumber under circular economy with drainages (wastewaters) use for biofertiliser/biostimulant production and further use;
Optimised open field organic lettuce and tomato production under (PestNu’s) Agroecological and Organic Practices (AOP) combined with Digital and Space based Technologies (DST); and 
Optimised greenhouse production of cucumber by decoupled aquaponics under AOP combined with DST
E-LCA revealed that impacts associated with the Control situations reflecting current best practices, seem to be always superior to the PestNu approaches, where DST and AOP are used, demonstrating their added value.
In LCC scenarios excluding environmental costs PestNu approaches typically demonstrated economic benefits like greater net present values (NPV) and shorter payback periods (PP) compared to Control. Including environmental costs raised operational expenses, extended PP and lowered NPV but increases in PestNu approaches were offset by potential long-term savings, not financially quantified in previous evaluations.
S-LCA highlights diverse and complex social impacts of introducing new agricultural technologies. If well-suited to the specific needs and conditions of an agricultural setting—whether in open fields or controlled environments—they can deliver significant social benefits, promoting more equitable and sustainable 
farming practices.

As the market for new technologies and solutions in agriculture rapidly expands, practitioners may find themselves struggling to compare products to find the right fit for their specific challenges. Questions such as "How do I know if the product is of good quality?" "Is the tool compliant with the regulations I must meet?" and "What should I look out for?" can arise. Standards can be utilized as part of the procurement process to address these concerns.
A company or product can be certified to a standard to demonstrate that it meets high quality, safety, environmental, or other requirements, depending on the specific standard. Examples include CE marking for products and ISO 17025:2017 for laboratories.
Harmonized standards in Europe have been established to support regulatory compliance. It is understood that a product certified to a standard is also compliant with relevant regulations. For instance, the Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009 will be supported by a number of standards, which can be found in the Official Journal of the European Union. PestNu partners Neoalgae and Fertinagro, who develop biofertilizers, actively participate in the development of these standards to ensure they are actionable for developers.
When choosing between similar products, these standards can help inform procurement criteria by establishing quality benchmarks.
For more information about harmonized standards in the sector, visit the Official Journal of the EU: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/european-stand…  

The PestNu project addressed the field-testing and demonstration of digital and space-based technologies (DST) alongside agroecological and organic practices (AOP). This systemic approach aims to reduce pesticide and fertilizer use while minimizing nutrient loss, shedding light on how food production systems can operate in the near future, in alignment with the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy. The project identifies pathways for future action by various stakeholders: 
a) The complexity and trade-offs between productivity and sustainability require the integration of DST, AOP, and supportive tools, necessitating adoption beyond pilot or demonstration scales. This includes establishing sustainability measurement schemes, labeling for sustainable crops, and supporting the registration of new bioproducts. 
b) The heterogeneous methods of collecting, storing, and reporting agricultural data generated by digital tools lead to underutilization, highlighting the need for greater data standards in the agricultural sector, such as a data type registry standard. 
c) To enhance good practices, stakeholders require more comprehensive information. This includes tools for reducing nutrient leakage, standards for calculating nutrient losses, methods for measuring CO2 capture, guidelines for soil fertility and plant nutrition, and simplified online consulting platforms. 
d) In addition to supporting producers in increasing production while keeping costs low, policy actions to boost consumer demand are necessary, involving training citizens and communicating the benefits of 
sustainable food products.

According to FAO data, approximately 40% of global crop productivity is lost due to insects and diseases. Pests not only reduce agricultural yields but also degrade crop quality, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers. 
In response, the European PestNu project, CERTH in collaboration with the SME Agrorobotica, has developed a smart insect trap that uses Artificial Intelligence algorithms to recognize and count insects in captured images. Additionally, the device monitors environmental data such as temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. 
To evaluate this technology, a trap was installed at the greenhouse of the Spanish demonstration partner Tilamur with cucumber and tomato crops. During the first days of monitoring, the algorithm identified Tuta absoluta insects, immediately notifying the crop management team. Following this notification, a biopesticide treatment was applied, successfully controlling the insect population. However, after 10 days, the algorithm detected a resurgence of the pest, and no further phytosanitary treatment was administered. This decision led to an overpopulation of Tuta absoluta within 7 days, making eradication impossible. The technology developed by the PestNu project has the potential to help farmers reduce preventive treatments and subsequent biopesticide usage by up to 50%, resulting in savings of approximately €1900/ha during the crop period, while also reducing crop losses and improving plant quality.

The PestNu project offers environmentally friendly solutions to achieve precision agriculture following the objectives of the EU by 2030. One of the main goals is the use of biostimulants, which can reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers while ensuring stable productivity in unfavorable environmental and edaphic conditions. 
The application of biostimulants in aquaponic systems offers a straightforward implementation method, integrating easily into the nutrient solution or through foliar applications across various crop types. During the project, the University of Thessaly developed a nutrient- and amino acid-rich biostimulant in collaboration with STAM S.r.l. and Neoalgae by cultivating microalgae on-site which underwent an in situ biocatalysis process, contributing to the wastewater treatment cycle. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of the produced biostimulant compared to a commercial one.
The resulting biostimulant was tested on tomato and cucumber crops grown in Nutrient Film Technique hydroponic systems at the aquaponics facilities of Tilamur in Spain. Foliar treatments were administered every 7 days, with data collected throughout the different growth stages post-transplantation. The results indicated that plants treated with the PestNu biostimulant exhibited greater stem height and leaf mass compared to those treated with the commercial one by 45.6%, and 21.3%, respectively. These findings suggest that the biostimulant developed under the PestNu project holds significant potential for enhancing crop productivity in aquaponic systems.

To enhance the sustainability and efficiency of agricultural practices, CERTH has developed a cutting-edge smartphone application that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) to detect plant diseases and insect infestations in real-time. This innovative tool enables farmers and agronomists to capture images of plant leaves, which are then analyzed by DL models. The application can accurately identify various pests, such as Tuta absoluta, providing immediate feedback on crop health.
The app offers detailed insights, including detection confidence levels and geospatial data, empowering users to make informed decisions about pest control and disease management. Designed to support sustainable farming, this application aims to reduce pesticide use by facilitating targeted treatments, thus promoting eco-friendly crop management. Data integration from various sources ensures comprehensive monitoring, improving crop quality while minimizing unnecessary chemical inputs.
Additionally, the application can integrate with other PestNu solutions, such as the AI robotic traps and agricultural robots, creating a robust ecosystem that encourages citizen science. Farmers can contribute to broader datasets while benefiting from real-time feedback, further enhancing their pest and disease management strategies. Thus, this mobile application plays a crucial role in modern agricultural practices by reducing crop losses and boosting productivity.

PestNu’s Decision Support System (DSS), developed by CERTH, revolutionizes agricultural management through the integration of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain and Cybersecurity. It streamlines data collection and decision-making improving farm productivity. A key feature of the DSS is its intuitive dashboard, designed by SIDROCO, which offers real-time alerts, historical data visualization, and user-friendly interface making it accessible for farmers of varying technical expertise. Notable achievements include a 50% reduction in pesticide use, a 70% cost reduction in sample analysis, and increased crop yield through optimized nutrient management. The DSS also incorporates PestNu’s autonomous agrorobot, capable of real-time pest detection and 3D spot spraying, which reduces pesticide usage and enhances targeted pest control through AI-driven precision technologies. Also, AI-driven robotic traps further contribute to efficient pest monitoring, achieving 75% accuracy in real-time insect detection. CERTH’s blockchain technology ensures secure data verification, while SIDROCO’s cybersecurity framework protects the system. CERTH’s Holistic Report, consolidates key agricultural data such as nutrient levels, pest detection, predictive analytics, offering tailored recommendations. This allows farmers to optimize productivity and sustainability. PestNu’s DSS showcases how AI, blockchain, and precision agriculture can revolutionize farming for efficiency and environmental impact.
Costs: 
DSS Server: 50€/month, starting from March 2024

The groundbreaking agriculture robot, co-developed by IKH and CERTH, represents a significant advancement in Agriculture 4.0. Designed for both greenhouses and open fields, it excels in plant disease detection and precision spraying. The robot features cutting-edge sensors that enable autonomous and teleoperated navigation, dynamic obstacle avoidance, and a scissor lift system capable of vertical farming up to 4.5 meters. Its adaptable wheels can transform to suit different terrains, simplifying setup and navigation. With minimal configuration required, farmers can focus on optimizing productivity.
The PestNu agrobot integrates AI algorithms for detecting pests and diseases. Using multispectral imaging, it achieves 90.1% segmentation accuracy and 84.04% classification accuracy in identifying Botrytis cinerea at early growth stages. It also detects pests such as whiteflies, black aphids, and Tuta absoluta with up to 87% accuracy. Additionally, the robot employs 3D spot spraying to target only affected areas, significantly reducing pesticide use. An anomaly detection AI further alerts farmers to any unusual conditions, regardless of their cause.
Overall, PestNu's agrobot enhances sustainability by reducing pesticide usage by up to 80%, improving crop management by 25%, and safeguarding farmers from chemical exposure. Its versatility makes it an ideal solution for agricultural cooperatives, particularly during times of labor shortages.

Within PestNu project, the Ecotox Index (EI) developed by GLOBAL 2000 is used to classify and evaluate pesticides based on their intrinsic toxicity to non-target organisms and the environment. This index summarizes the environmental behavior and toxicity into a single value. Calculated from physicochemical properties and ecotoxicity thresholds sourced from the Pesticide Properties Database of the University of Hertfordshire (PPDB), the EI offers a standardized framework for assessing ecological risks. 
The EI helps prioritize substances of concern, enabling proactive risk management and mitigation strategies. by decision-makers, informed choices about chemical use, regulation and environmental protection measures. Its standardized methodology aids industries and regulatory bodies in ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, showcasing environmental stewardship.
The application of the EI in PestNu trials conducted on hydroponic cucumber and tomato crops in as well as in open field crops including tomato, pepper, and lettuce in Greece (UTH) and Spain (CDTA), respectively, revealed significant reductions in ecological risk compared to conventional treatments.
Specifically, the EI value in the PestNu-treated tomatoes and cucumbers was only 15% and 12% of that in the conventional treatment, indicating a substantially reduced ecological risk. Similarly, in Spain, across tomato, pepper, and lettuce trials, the PestNu trials exhibited significantly lower EI values, with reductions of 53%, 26%, and 11% compared to the conventional approach. This suggests that the plant protection strategies implemented in the PestNu trials were associated with lower ecological risks compared to conventional methods.

To help farmers mitigate pest-related crop losses, which contribute to a 40% reduction in global agricultural productivity, the PestNu project, in collaboration with SME Agrorobotica, and led by CERTH developed SpyFly—a next-generation AI-based robotic trap. This trap utilizes pheromone-based sex lures and advanced deep learning algorithms to detect and count insect species, such as whiteflies, black aphids, Tuta absoluta, and Bactrocera oleae, achieving detection accuracy of up to 97.6%. Additionally, integrated machine learning models forecast pest population trends, empowering farmers to take preventive action.
Unlike traditional traps, which are labor-intensive and costly, SpyFly automates the process using its 4K camera to capture daily images while continuously monitoring environmental parameters such as humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure. The collected data is transmitted via 4G/5G or Wi-Fi to a user-friendly app, providing real-time alerts and notifications to smartphones and tablets, ensuring immediate action when pest populations rise.
The SpyFly kit features a preassembled modular case, variable LED lighting, GPS, an integrated battery, and a solar panel, making it a comprehensive and self-sustaining solution. By reducing the need for physical field inspections by 50-60%, SpyFly improves pest management efficiency and minimizes biopesticide use by up to 50%, saving farmers approximately €1,900 per hectare per crop season while enhancing overall crop quality.

The PestNu project aligns with the Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies by promoting sustainable agriculture. Its goal is to reduce pesticide and fertilizer use while enhancing biodiversity and balancing food systems. A key innovation is the Food Sustainability Index (FSi), developed by AgroInsider and CERTH, which provides farmers with insights into the sustainability of their crop production. The FSi measures CO2 emissions and nutrient footprints based on factors such as crop area, productivity, irrigation water use, fuel consumption, fertilizers, and nitrogen losses. This enables farmers to assess their environmental impact, compare their CO2 footprints to regional averages, and implement improvements aligned with European sustainability goals.
The FSi encourages more efficient and eco-friendly production, helping farmers meet the objectives of the Farm to Fork and Green Deal initiatives. An innovative feature is the blockchain-based FSi certificate, developed by CERTH, which ensures transparent and traceable food production. This certificate guarantees data authenticity, facilitates verification, fosters consumer trust, and provides market advantages for farmers.
To enhance traceability, farmers can use AgroInsider’s SmartAG app to capture georeferenced evidence, such as photos, videos, or audio. This strengthens farm documentation and promotes transparency in food production systems aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. These tools create a clearer, more accountable system that benefits both farmers and consumers.

Stakeholders involved in the Farm to Fork initiative can benefit from environmental and toxicological studies that quantify microalgae and bacteria using a flow cytometer. The EU-funded PestNu project provides these stakeholders with a robust, artificial intelligence-based flow cytometer for real-time extraction and classification of phenotypic characteristics of microalgae. This device also delivers basic information, such as cell count and growth rate, developed by RISE. The process involves a multi-step approach for counting algae units and AI-based image classification (CERTH).
The AI-based flow cytometer was field-tested at UTH in microalgae-based biofertilizer production systems using agro-wastewater streams. It demonstrated impressive accuracy rates of 99.5% and 88.5% when classifying 2 and 4 algae units, respectively. The results from this device surpassed those of traditional hematocytometers in both precision and accuracy. Consequently, PestNu's AI-based flow cytometry accurately analyzes the chemical and physical characteristics of microalgae, providing real-time results without the need for laboratory analysis. This advancement promotes sustainability, food safety, and environmental stewardship throughout the food supply chain.

Concerns about the negative impact of the extensive application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on natural resources, the environment and human health, have promoted organic farming as an alternative approach to the conventional practices. 
Biostimulants are user-friendly and can be easily integrated into aquaponic systems without major modifications, through water supply or foliar spraying, being convenient to manage and suitable for various crops and system types. While initial costs may vary, long-term benefits include enhanced nutrient uptake, potentially reducing the need for additional synthetic fertilizers, leading to higher crop yields and improved quality, while helping plants withstand environmental stressors such as temperature fluctuations, water scarcity, or disease, resulting in more resilient crops. 
The EU-funded PestNu project aimed to assess the effect of two different biostimulants, rich in free amino acids, developed by Fertinagro Biotech, S.L. on the yield and nutrient uptake in lettuce and tomato crops fertigated through a nutrient-poor aquaculture solution in the Mediterranean basin, at the pilot plant of the University of Thessaly. The key distinction between the biostimulants (Bio1 & Bio2) was the inclusion of Azotobacter chroococcum in the formulation of Bio2, a nitrogen-fixing bacterium.  The Bio2 formulation resulted in a 30.5% increase in calcium leaf content in aquaponic plants, demonstrating its potential to enhance leaf structure and strengthen cell walls, thereby reducing necrosis and improving product quality.

The EU-funded PestNu project introduced a sustainable approach to agriculture by producing microalgae-based biostimulants on-site. This method offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fertilizers by recycling hydroponic effluent streams using a closed photobioreactor (PBR) system. The collaboration between STAM srl, the University of Thessaly (UTH), and NEOALGAE was key to developing and optimizing this innovative technology.
The containerized PBR system (STAM) enables resource-saving with precise environmental control for microalgae cultivation, reduced space and minimized contamination risks, operating semi-continuously year-round, crucial for consistent biostimulant production. Key benefits:
•    Scalability: Adaptable from 100L to industrial scales.
•    Resource Efficiency: Uses wastewater, promoting nutrient recycling.
•    Environmental Impact: Reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers.
UTH's pilot testing optimized microalgae growth from drainages of tomato and cucumber hydroponic production, integrating a CO2 tank into the system, improving microalgae growth while achieving a 75% reduction in nitrate use and 100% reduction in phosphates, calcium, and potassium. 
NEOALGAE managed biocatalysis, converting biomass into a final biostimulant product high in amino acids and minerals, perfect for promoting plant development, able to be used directly by spraying or diluted in a nutrient solution for irrigation.
Despite the upfront costs (around 80k euros, including materials and installation), the PestNu project 
offers a sustainable, cost-efficient solution for microalgae-based biostimulant production, 
paving the way for a greener agriculture through nutrient recovery.

Real-time nutrient monitoring is critical, particularly in aquaponics, to minimize increases in elements such as nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, and phosphates affecting both fish and plants. Traditionally, farmers manually collect nutrient solution samples and send them to laboratories for long-term analysis, which can jeopardize the aquaculture system's viability due to delays.
The EU-funded PestNu project evaluates the effectiveness of two portable, user-friendly real-time nutrient analysers developed by T.E. Laboratories Ltd. These systems were installed at the greenhouse facilities of the University of Thessaly. The integration of the nitrite and nitrate analyser into aquaponic systems led to substantial improvement in crop productivity, with aquaponic crops demonstrating up to a 56% increase in yield compared to hydroponic crops. Additionally, water and fertilizer use efficiency improved by 22% and 42%, respectively.
The phosphate analyser allowed for the analysis of fish water and hydroponic nutrient solution to fertilise aquaponic cucumber crops. The deployment of the phosphate analyser allowed to identify the current limitations of the system, namely the need for dilution prior to analysis, due to high phosphate concentrations. This was a drawback since the analyser was designed for autonomous sampling, now added to other identified requirements of further development to reach the expectations of the end-user. 
A manually handed ammonium probe was also tested. Comparison to continuous nitrite and nitrate analyser highlighted the need of in-situ nutrient analysers in aquaponic systems which represent a promising strategy to optimise crop yields while enhancing resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.

Monitoring of nutrients within the agricultural sector is key to maximise the use of fertiliser without impacting yield. As part of PestNu project, T.E. Laboratories developed low-cost, real-time and online analysers which employ ion chromatography and UV-LED detection to achieve precise nitrite and nitrate detection. These analysers were deployed in aquaponic and open field settings. The analyser is user friendly with automate sampling and remote access of results. It requires minimal service, and it is calibrated at factory. The analyser can be mounted on a wall for optimisation of space. The purchase of the analyser is a long-term investment, being cost effective, with a significantly lower cost per sample (€0.81 versus €2.40) while delivering high accuracy results.

The analyser was deployed in two aquaponic facilities. In Spain, the use of analyser allowed to reduce the input of commercial fertiliser by 50.8% in weight and total cost from €2.73 to €1.34 (for 3000L of aquaponic nutrient solution) by monitoring water from the mixing tank. In Greece, a significant improvement in crop productivity with aquaponic crops showing up to 56% increase compared to hydroponic crops. The analyser was also applied in an open field facility in Spain. The system allowed for cost reduction with samples being analysed on-site, delivering accurate results after minutes compared to external lab analysis.

The installation of in-situ nutrient analysers in aquaponic and open field facilities demonstrates the versatility of the analyser on maximising fertiliser use, reducing time and cost and playing a key role in optimising agricultural systems. 

The PestNu project targets agroecological and organic practices to reduce pesticide use, following EU strategies and increasingly restrictive regulations regarding the use of conventional products.

Fertinagro designed a biofungicide with fungistatic capacity against the foliar phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea providing also a biostimulant effect. Moreover, this product is effective against mildew infections.

The biopesticide was designed based on a circular economy approach, using by-products such as agricultural and food
waste as raw materials. It is composed of:

Potassium carbonate
Surfactant
Humectant
Vegetable extracts
Water

Its final market price would be approximately 15€ / 500cc.

Within PestNu field trials, two tests were carried out (CDTA, Murcia, Spain), one in June 2022 using a pepper crop, and one from December to January 2023 using lettuce plants. However, no fungal infections appeared in the first trial. The fungicide-treated lettuce plants showed traces of chemicals on the leaves, while the PestNu plants (biopesticide) were free of contaminants.

Regarding the fungal attack in the first lettuce crop, 20% of the lettuce analysed presented severe damage by fungi (mildew) when using a conventional pesticide, while only 5% of lettuce suffered from severe damage when using PestNu biopesticide. In the second lettuce crop, after a conventional fungicide treatment, 13.5% of analysed lettuce was severely damaged, compared to 19% damage found for PestNu-treated plants, while the % of partially damaged lettuce was very similar in both treatments.

Taking into account that we are comparing the effect of the biofungicide PestNu with chemical pesticides, the results are promising.

Among its goals of demonstrating agroecological practices, PestNu focuses on the implementation of organic fertilisation plans by Fertinagro, using organic fertilisers and biostimulants, for better use of soil nutrients. 
Nutritional programs priorities:
• Edaphic regeneration
• Rhizosphere nutrition
• Metabolic potentiation of the plant

The aim is to support supporting higher-quality organic crops with yields equal to or higher than conventional fertilisation, improving soil quality. Although it may be more expensive than traditional fertilization, soil regeneration and care lead to a more balanced production. It is also an effective and sustainable tool in hydroponics and aquaponics systems.

In PestNu, a nutritional program is being applied to tomato, cucumber and lettuce crops in open field, aquaponics and hydroponics.

Open field trials conducted in Spain (CDTA) with tomato and lettuce plants resulted in similar yields compared to their conventional counterparts. Fertinagro's biofertiliser helped increase commercial yield (within ideal weight).

However, root toxicity was recorded in a trial performed in an aquaponic system (Tilamur, Spain) after mixing two biostimulants. New trials are underway using the biostimulants separately.

Promising results were obtained in aquaponic and hydroponic trials (University of Thessaly, Greece) when foliar spraying two liquid biostimulants on lettuce and tomato crops. In the case of lettuce, both products increased yield compared to plants standardly fertilised. Both biostimulants resulted in higher leaf Ca2+ content in lettuce tissue. Similar results were also found in tomato crops. Tomato yield, calcium, and nitrogen uptake were significantly enhanced.

PestNu targets agro-ecological and organic practices (AOP) in a systemic approach to reduce pesticide and fertiliser use and nutrient loss. For this reason, the effect of biostimulants on plant growth and yield has been assessed in an open-field farm in Murcia, where different formulations have been tested on lettuce, tomato and pepper crops. In addition, the PestNu project will demonstrate the use of biopesticides focused on fungal diseases under organic farming conditions, combining these products with the aforementioned biostimulant and a biofertiliser developed within PestNu.

The biostimulants under testing are produced using a biotechnological process converting microalgae biomass grown with drainage solutions from hydroponic greenhouses into a sustainable and effective product.

The use of AOPs such as biostimulants can help growers achieve higher yields by providing them with a product that acts as a booster to the fertiliser already applied to their crops. Biostimulants have a high concentration of free amino acids from the high protein content of the microalgae biomass, which are biostimulants at certain stages of plant growth (as well as phytohormones, trace elements, vitamins, etc.) and can improve their stress tolerance.

In a field test (CDTA, Murcia) with lettuce plants, the combination of biostimulant + fertiliser led to a similar yield to a conventional test and slightly increased it compared to a test done with the fertiliser itself (about 7%). These lettuce presented a lighter and more ideal average weight (450-650 g), than the conventional ones, which were heavier and far from the commercial calibres. This is a step forward considering some of the project's goals (30% more production than a conventional test).

PestNu is a comprehensive project that helps farmers improve crop quality and prevent potential issues through a variety of tools and products. These tools gather and process data in a database, which can then be accessed through PestNu's Decision Support System (DSS).

PestNu's DSS, developed by CERTH & SIDROCO, is a user-centric cloud-based Farm Management System that provides circular economy strategies and best practices for efficient decision-making in agriculture. Farmers can use DSS to get detailed information about their crops, including suggested actions and strategies to improve yield and prevent threats. Additionally, DSS produces an analytical report on demand, containing historical data gathered from cultivation. By processing data with algorithms, DSS can provide farmers with recommendations that are based on the latest information and best practices in the industry.

The benefits of DSS usage are: 
• Process large amount of data and extract useful information
• Comparison of current with previous conditions in the field
• Beneficial and comprehensible analysis of the crop
• Punctual and immediate notification when issues or threats are detected
• Reduction of required time for physical presence at the production field

The objectives of DSS are to:
•  Reduce the usage of fertilizers and pesticides
•  Avoid preventable issues and threats occurred at the production field
•  Improve the working conditions of farming
•  Increase the income and reduce the production costs of the farmers
•  Motivate people to involve with farming

PestNu wastewater treatment is a microalgae-based, containerized, modular, scalable, and self-controlled plant capable of treating manure sludge in Photobioreactors (PBR) with low operational and installation costs. The system treats wastewater to reduce the quantity of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P) contained, thanks to the microalgae that are fed with N, P and CO2.  As a result of the process, the water is partially depurated and it can be used for irrigation purposes, with concentrations of N & P compliant with EU regulations. In addition, the produced microalgae biomass can be harvested and used to produce high-value bio-products, such as plant biostimulants. The process is automated and continuously controlled by a central system (PLC) from which the sensors, the pumps and the lighting system are connected. The data recorded (pH, flow rates, temperature) through the sensors permits the system to be automatically adjusted and optimised. The main innovation is the installation of an additional tank, inserted after the biomass collection to convert the biomass into a biofertilizer. It is expected the system will produce a microalgae-based biofertilizer capacity of 10 Kg per five days. The main short-term effects of the plant are:

• Creation of a circular economy model compatible with the Agri-farm wastewater purification process.
•  Production of algal biomass purification process Cost / Benefit analysis, allowing operators and managers to analyse the potential of PestNu technology.
• The agricultural sector has raised awareness of environmental impacts, transferring the concept of waste = resource.

PestNu project follows the Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies for a new and better balance of nature, food systems and biodiversity, by field-testing and demonstrating space-based digital technologies and agro-ecological practices to reduce the pesticides and fertilisers use.

Earth Observation (EO) tools arise as a good technological and cheap approach to map plant nutrients and pests using satellite images from the Copernicus program data/services from European Space Agency (ESA).

Farmers can have their crops monitored and inspected in space and time. They can access information on plant productivity and water stress, vegetation structure, regional canopy temperature (extremely important to delineate pests and diseases management risk zones) through the SmartAG application, the user-friendly interface of AgroInsider’s AgroRadar platform (deployed in PestNu), which automatically downloads and processes EO (ESA Sentinel 1, 2) and Meteosat 2nd Generation (Land Surface Temperature) data using artificial intelligence algorithms that provide big data and deep learning abilities on agro data.

Through the SmartAG app, the farmer can also register georeferenced evidence - samples’ coordinates, photos, videos and sound recordings from the field can be automatically uploaded to the database, thus improving traceability procedures of food production systems targeting the Sustainable Development Goals marketplaces. Moreover, PestNu foresees additional protection of the evidence registered through AgroRadar by blockchain technologies (deployed by CERTH).

In this way, PestNu is creating a transparent process from food production to the end consumer throughout the value chain.

The cultivation of microalgae for different purposes is increasing worldwide. Common to all types of cultivation is the importance of finding the best growing conditions to optimize production and quality of the harvested product.

In the PestNu project, we are developing a device that can monitor the growth of microalgae in real-time, as well as automatically evaluate the shape and size of the individual algae. The information can be used to optimize conditions and provide early warning of potential problems affecting the algae culture. Such problems might be caused by nutrient deficiencies, toxic substances, cross contamination by other microalgae, and even “infections” of the culture by grazing organisms that simply eat the microalgae.

The detection device itself takes small samples at pre-set times and passes them through a flow cell where a camera takes micro-pictures of the culture. The images are thereafter analysed to characterize the algae in terms of number, size, shape, as well as growth rate.

The camera system is designed to see the weak red fluorescence coming from the green chlorophyll inside microalgae when they are illuminated, making the algae shine in the dark depending on the load of chlorophyll. The collected images are automatically analysed by AI-based software, and information is transferred via a web-based interface to any computer or smartphone.

The EU-funded PestNu project will deliver a precision agricultural robot that can operate in both greenhouses and open fields. The agrobot co-developed by CERTH-IKH will be able to navigate autonomously, avoid obstacles, fit in the tight rows in greenhouses, move on the heating pipes and lift its robotic arm 6 meters high. Its mission is to detect pests and diseases using AI algorithms (such as black aphids, whiteflies (developed by CERTH), botrytis’ early detection (co-developed by CERTH-IKH)) and spray the affected areas with high precision.  

The agrobot addresses the rising needs of Agriculture 4.0, integrating innovations such as precision farming, IoT, big data analysis with AI and robotics in order to achieve greater production efficiency. The agrobots are autonomous machines that are able to carry out different agricultural tasks on the farm – from land preparation to harvesting – without direct human intervention. They are able to operate unsupervised in unstructured environments and can perform numerous activities such as autonomous precision seeding, mowing and pruning, picking and harvesting, monitoring and analysis and, last but not least, spraying and weeding. The PestNu agrobot focuses on the latter, while being modular and adaptable to be able to undertake other activities in the near future.

PestNu’s agrobot will boost safety in agriculture, by distancing the farmers from the hazardous chemicals, will ensure reliability and repeatability in its accurate, high-quality work and promote sustainability by reducing the amount of wasted inputs and usage of water.

Effective nutrient monitoring in aquaponics and aquaculture systems is crucial to achieve a profitable production and for complying with environmental discharge regulations. Analysis of nutrients such as nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and phosphate are usually carried out with high-cost analytical instrumentation in external labs that take a few days to report back results so no immediate decision-making is possible for fertiliser dosing and waste discharge. In recent years, a range of various online nutrient monitors have shown promise but remain expensive, deliver poor accuracy and are frequently impacted by the interferences found within the complex sample matrix of aquaculture and aquaponics. Portable and low-cost nitrate/nitrite, ammonium and phosphate analysers developed by T.E. Laboratories during the PestNu project have achieved high accuracy of results based on ion chromatography and UV-LED detection. The development of these analysers was facilitated by 3D-printing technologies for the manufacture of components specifically tailored to the user and market needs developed in collaboration with CERTH. 3D-printing has revolutionised the industry because of the nearly complete flexibility it allows when developing prototypes, while also maintaining a considerably low price point compared to benchtop analysers. The analytical systems developed during PestNu will be deployed and tested in real conditions on aquaponics and aquaculture systems from project partners in Greece and Spain.

The EU-funded PestNu project will deliver Artificial Intelligence (AI) robotic traps for real-time pest monitoring in open-fields and greenhouses. The trap uses AI-based image processing algorithms (developed by CERTH) for the identification of whiteflies and black aphids, along with self-adaptive forecasting and prediction models that are capable of predicting pest attacks (developed by AGROROBOTICA). The trap, exploiting a 5G antenna and a GPS module, can rapidly send an alarm in the case of an insect attack providing the optimised plan for crop protection to the Decision Support System under cybersecurity. Finally, the trap is optimally designed (by AGROROBOTICA) to attack easily the targeted insects using 3D printing (developed by CERTH).

Pest infestations cause an average of 35% pre-harvesting losses and insects account for roughly 50% of these losses by reducing productivity and affecting crop yields. Furthermore, pests can also pose health risks to both farmworkers and consumers when pesticides are used to control them. By accurately identifying and monitoring pests with the PestNu AI Robotic Trap, farmers can adopt more targeted and effective pest management strategies that reduce the use of harmful chemicals and enhance the safety of agricultural practices.