THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Seven areas of work, one shared objective

PrecisionFert’s activities are organised into seven areas of work (Work Packages, WP), each devoted to a specific operational field. Together they contribute to developing, applying and disseminating the solutions the project sets out to deliver.

Project timeline

Work package (WP) Validation growing season
Month 1Month 6Month 12Month 18Month 24
Wheat season
Maize season
WP1 — Project management and administration
WP2 — Development of the nitrogen fertilisation metamodel
WP3 — Variable-rate application of P and K
WP4 — Economic sustainability of the innovation
WP5 — Integrated repository and further development of the “SmartFit” DSS
WP6 — Validation and calibration of the new DSS
WP7 — Communication, dissemination and transfer of results
To date
Validation growing seasons
Wheat — months 7–16
Maize — months 13–20
Indicative timeline — Month 1 corresponds to the start of the implementation phase.

The seven areas of work

Led by Atea Group
WP 01

Project management

Overall coordination, reporting and liaison between all partners for the entire duration of the project.

WP 04

Economic sustainability

Technical and economic analysis of precision fertilisation strategies, to assess whether variable-rate application pays off compared with uniform fertiliser spreading.

WP 05

Repository and DSS

Creation of a shared data infrastructure and enhancement of the SmartFit DSS, to give farms a practical tool for managing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisation on arable land across the Veneto plain.

Led by the University of Padova — DAFNAE
WP 02

Nitrogen metamodel

Development of an agronomic metamodel combining soil information, weather conditions and crop data to support the estimation of nitrogen requirements across the different areas of the field.

WP 03

Phosphorus and potassium

Extending precision fertilisation to phosphorus and potassium, combining information on soil nutrient status and field variability to define variable-rate application strategies.

Led by Azienda Agricola Goffrè
WP 06

On-farm application of the methodology

The PrecisionFert methodology is applied on the farms taking part in the project, to assess how workable it is in practice and to define an application protocol suited to the management needs of different types of holding.

Led by Istituto Agrario “Sartor” (agricultural college)
WP 07

Communication and dissemination

Outreach and dialogue with the farming community through digital channels, public events and stakeholder engagement, to share the project’s progress and support the transfer of the innovation.