About

The iGUESSmed proposal aims to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) able to effectively manage fertigation and prevent plant diseases and pests in tomato crops grown in soil and soilless in commercial greenhouses of the Mediterranean region. This innovative greenhouse DSS will be developed to (i) help greenhouse farmers to improve the management of fertigation in areas with low (saline) quality waters (ii) to reduce the use of chemicals by a sustainable and integrated pest and disease control and (iii) to improve the climatic efficiency in the existent greenhouse by low-cost climate actions. The DSS will allow obtaining healthier and higher quality productions and higher yields, while will reduce the use of water and the losses of nutrients and chemicals to the environment. iGUESSmed will be able to manage efficient fertigation, to forecast diseases and pests, and to improve the climatic efficiency in tomato greenhouses, using only climate data acquisition and basic information on cropping system.

We believe that a better worlds starts from sustainable agriculture. Growing healthier food that is available for everyone is our mission and we plan to achieve it with the most advanced technologies and a constant R&D activity.

Objective 1. To develop a DSS in MED tomato greenhouses for fertigation and irrigation management, pests and diseases control and smart improvement of climate conditions, using climate data, IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to turn high technological solutions into simple tools readily available at operational (farm) level.

Objective 2. To develop dedicated protocols to forecast the occurrence of plant pathogens and arthropod pests,

boosting biological control in tomato crops grown in MED greenhouses.

Objective 3. To introduce innovative management (i.e. closed loop system with drip irrigation and gutter subirrigation; use of bio-based substrates) to facilitate the adoption of efficient fertigation strategies, particularly under conditions of low water quality to ensure limited (or zero) nitrate and phosphate leaching.

Objective 4. To create a mutual learning space and to facilitate technology exchange between EU and non-EU MED countries, for boosting capacity building locally, empowering a new generation of innovative and younger entrepreneurs, allowing for gender inclusiveness in working environments and promoting a circular and sustainable greenhouse farming in the MED Basin.

Objective 5. To assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of innovative tomato cropping systems in commercial greenhouses, under a life cycle thinking perspective, thereby highlighting intervention’s cost-effectiveness and gender-related issues.

Objective 6. To spread project results and activities to the relevant stakeholders, for promoting life-long learning for target groups, improving market competitiveness and boosting awareness and social acceptance of advanced and sustainable greenhouse cropping in Med countries.