Agrotrack 2.0
Agrotrack 2.0 is a project aimed at enhancing the value of Horticultural Productions in South-Eastern Sicily through technological transfer activities capable of triggering innovative methods of process management.
The project
Agrotrack 2.0 is a project aimed at enhancing the value of Horticultural Productions in South-Eastern Sicily through technological transfer activities capable of triggering innovative methods of process management. These activities focus on two fundamental axes: one related to monitoring parameters useful for ensuring maximum quality of productions, and the other related to traceability. These innovations will be able to bring enormous benefits to agriculture in terms of productivity, sustainability, and food traceability.
The context
The production, processing, and conservation of vegetables represent one of the most significant productive sectors of the Italian agricultural system. The transformed area is one of the territories with the highest agricultural vocation. Agrotrack 2.0 focuses on the greenhouse horticulture sector. Various are the problems that agricultural companies in the sector face, as the greenhouse is a confined environment with its own microclimate, which, on the one hand, allows for early harvests and out-of-season produce, but on the other hand, creates an ideal environment (due to high temperatures and high thermal and hygrometric excursion) for the proliferation of biotic agents, including insects, parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria, forcing frequent use of disinfectants and pesticides. Moreover, one of the main problems characterizing the island’s fruit and vegetable sector is the gap that still exists between producer and consumer due to the lack of a strong affirmation of their productive and territorial identity towards the consumer. The possibility of knowing the origin of a food product and all the steps involved in its production becomes a reason for the consumer to prefer that product over competitors.
Mission
The primary objective pursued by Agrotrack 2.0 is to improve agricultural yields and productivity in the horticultural sector through constant and innovative monitoring of parameters related to air and soil temperatures, air and soil humidity, and leaf wetness, in order to control the proliferation of pathogens through early detection of diseases or critical environmental conditions. Furthermore, the objective is to define the supply chain process in detail, outlining the phases and defining the operators for the purpose of traceability, also through innovative systems such as QR-Code and Blockchain.
The main objectives can be summarized as follows:
• Business informatization
• Improvement of product traceability
• Improvement of productivity
• Reduction of disease proliferation in greenhouses
• Better management of water resources
• Reduction of fertilizer and chemical agent use
• Accompanying companies towards the implementation of quality protocols and certifications
THE LEAD PARTNER
Promo.Ter. s.r.l, partner of the Promotergroup S.p.A. group, is a service company for businesses that was established in November 2007, operating in the field of business consulting, offering a wide range of highly qualified services in various sectors. Together with Promotergroup S.p.A., it promotes initiatives aimed at starting and supporting integration and development processes between operators in different regional productions. In the past, it has already been the lead partner and partner of projects financed by the PSR Sicily 2007-2013 “Measure 124 – Cooperation for the development of new products, processes, and technologies in the agricultural and food sectors, and in the forestry sector”, and, with its previous experience in managing innovation projects and GO, it will benefit from the valuable contribution of Dr. Gianni Polizzi as project manager.
The Innovation broker
Gianni Polizzi is the Innovation Broker of the Agrotrack 2.0 project, with significant experience in the sector, both academically and professionally. As a qualified agronomist, he has experience as a collaborator at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Catania and the D.I.S.T.E.F. (Vegetable Pathology Section) of the Faculty of Agriculture of the same university. As a qualified manager and consultant, and President of Promotergroup S.p.A., he has over a decade of experience in the matters covered by the project, with publications and participation in numerous projects. Moreover, he is the promoter of important initiatives for animation, as well as project planning and coordination of cooperation experiences, such as the South-East Sicily Fruit and Vegetable District, a recognized productive district, and the South-East Sicily Food District, registered in the National Register of Food Districts.
Partners
The partner companies are important local realities mainly located in the South-Eastern Sicily territory. The project involves companies engaged in all phases of the horticultural supply chain, from nurseries to production, processing, and research, as well as technology transfer and support services, such as analytical services. The agricultural, commercialization, and processing companies are already part of broader associative projects, such as the South-East Sicily Fruit and Vegetable District and the South-East Sicily Food District, registered in the National Register of Food Districts. They will be pioneers in introducing the aforementioned innovations, trying to transmit them to as wide a productive fabric as possible.
