Throwback to the first Intensive Program

The first year of AGreenSmart has started since end of March 2021 with two activities for the students:

• an e-learning refresher to introduce the five topics treated in the project (precision agriculture, animal husbandry, robotics/big data/artificial intelligence, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, sustainable agriculture and agroecology).
• a group work (group is composed by students coming from the same university) dedicated to make an overview of the technologies used by farmers in each country involved in AGreenSmart with concrete case studies.

Intensive Program Online

The third activity, named intensive program or IP, has started on June 14^th 2021 for two weeks. Due to uncertainties remaining under covid-19 situation in the seven countries, it has been decided that the IP has to be done online. The consortium maintained the program in order to keep that IP running and to provide high-quality teaching classes to all students.

During that IP each topic has three to four half-days of classes with various activities: lecture, group works, seminars with companies, debate and exercises of data analysis.

Thanks to all partners of AGreenSmart, and even if the covid-19 situation remains not convenient for face-to-face activities, the first intensive program could be maintained and the project can advance to fulfil pedagogical continuity for the participating students.

Program details

Monday June 14th

Morning

Students preparatory projects presentations

09.00 AM – 09.05 AM CET: Introduction of the IP (H. Andriamandroso, Junia)
09.05 AM – 09:35 AM CET: Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium
09.35 AM – 10.05 AM CET: Helsingin Yliopisto, Finland
10.05 AM – 10.35 AM CET: Junia ISA, France
10.35 AM – 10.45 AM CET: Break
10.45 AM – 11.15 AM CET: Perrotis College, Greece
11.15 AM – 11.45 AM CET: SLU, Sweden
11.45 AM – 12.15 PM CET: UTAD, Portugal

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 03.30 PM CET: Introduction to precision agriculture (PA): how and why should I vary crop management – Swedish examples (B. Stenberg and J. Wetterlind, SLU, Sweden)
• 03.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Relating sensor measurements to soil properties (calibration/validation) (B.Stenberg and J. Wetterlind, SLU, Sweden)

Tuesday June 15^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM – 10.00 AM CET: Why is PA important? Finnish examples (L. Alakukku, UHelsinki, Finland)
• 10.00 AM – 12.00 PM CET: PA under mediterranean conditions, Greek examples (A. Gertsis, Perrotis, Greece)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 02.30 PM CET: Digital field visit to the Douro Valley vineyards (J. Aranha, UTAD, Portugal)
• 02.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: PA, remote sensing and GIS (J. Aranha, UTAD, Portugal)

Wednesday June 16^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM – 12.00 PM CET: Researches in Precision Livestock Farming (H. Andriamandroso, Junia, France)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Grassland management (J. Bindelle, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)

Thursday June 17^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM – 12.00 PM CET: Grassland management (J. Bindelle, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 02.30 PM CET: Short introduction of the robotics/big data and artificial intelligence topic (L. Grimstad, NMBU, Norway) + AI/big data(H. Soyeurt, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)
• 02.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Artificial intelligence and big data (H. Soyeurt, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)

Friday June 18^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM – 11.30 PM CET: Control theory (B. Mercatoris, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)
• 11.30 AM – 12.00 AM CET: Robotics (L. Grimstad, NMBU, Norway)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 02.00 PM CET: Robotics (L. Grimstad, NMBU, Norway)
• 02.00 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Mini project (L. Grimstad, NMBU, Norway)

Monday June 21^st

Morning

• 09.00 AM -12.00 PM CET: Climate Change Impact Assessments: from theory to practice (J. Santos, UTAD, Portugal)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Evaluation of climate change impacts on soil carbon (G. Colinet, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)

Tuesday June 22^nd

Morning

• 09.00 AM -12.00 PM CET: Evaluation of climate change impacts on crop production (B. Dumont, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Presentations and analyses of technologies in animal husbandry, with presentations of:

– NoFence (by Silje Eftang)
– Hencol livestock planner (by Henrik Österlund)
– Lely sphere robot (by Marion Cavret)

Wednesday June 23^rd  

Morning

• 09.00 AM -10.00 AM CET: Agroecological applications in Europe
• 10.00 AM – 11.00 AM CET: Green Deal (C. Vasilikiotis, Perrotis College, Greece)
• 11.00 AM – 12.00 PM CET: Presentation on debate activity (H. Desmyttère, Junia, France)

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 02.30 PM CET: Presentation : farm sustainibility assessment tool (H. Desmyttère, Junia, France)
• 02.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Debate preparation per group (group work)

Thursday June 24^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM -10.00 AM CET: Debate – Role of technology in Sust. Ag
• 10.00 AM – 11.00 AM CET: Debate – Role of livestock in Sust. Ag
• 11.00 AM – 12.00 PM CET: Debate – Role of Organic Farming in Sust. Ag

Afternoon

• 01.30 PM – 03.30 PM CET: Group work – farm sustainibility assessment tool (all)
• 03.30 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Discussion – Carbon footprint

Friday June 25^th

Morning

• 09.00 AM – 12.30 PM CET: Co-design work – “The farm of tomorrow” (B. Dufossé, Junia, France)

Afternoon

• 02.00 PM – 02.30 PM CET: Survey about the intensive program
• 02.30 PM – 03.00 PM CET: Discussion – debriefing about the two weeks of IP
• 03.00 PM – 04.30 PM CET: Closing conference

Focus on the Closing Conference

• 03.00 PM CET: « LIFE Maronesa – Climate Governance and Information project. Extensive livestock – a sustainable model that contributes to climate change mitigation » – Juliana Salvação (Aguiar Florestas)
• 03.30 PM CET: « Sustainable and productive agriculture » – João Coimbra (Qt. da Choldra)
• 04.00 PM CET: « Tools for precision viticulture: case study’s in Douro Wine Region » – Fernando Alves (Symington)

About the presenters

Graduated in Forestry Engineering and Master in Geographic Information Systems.

Specialized in photogrammetric processing of digital images and 3D data generation using RPAS (Metashape software – Agisoft).

Technical training in LIDAR data processing with application to forest inventory.

Practice in conducting drone flights in agro-forestry environments, namely in hillside viticulture and forest stands in mountainous areas.

Photointerpretation of aerial images and elaboration of thematic cartography (ArcGIS and QGIS software).

Degree in Agronomic Engineering from the Escola Superior Agrária de Santarém.

Director of family businesses engaged in agriculture, forestry and renewable energy production

Director of the Agricultural Cooperative Agromais and the National Association of Corn and Sorghum Producers (Anpromis)

Agricultural Engineering (BSc) graduate and holder of a post-graduate diploma in Plant Science-Viticulture, both from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro – Vila Real.

Worked at ADVID between 1987 and 2013, serving in several positions including Technical Director of Viticulture and Executive Director of the association with responsibility for the Douro Wine Cluster’s candidature to the Collective Efficiency Strategies.

Since 2013, R&D Senior Manager for viticulture at Symington Vinhos SA. Main areas of interest and research include climate change, crop protection, grapevine physiology, water stress, efficiency of grape production in mountain viticulture, and sustainable viticulture. Also cooperates with the OIV as a Scientific Delegate at the Enviro Group.

Participates in several national and European projects, with several public presentations and publications as author and co-author.