Author: vassilis

Polar temperatures and heavy snowfall. “‘Elpida’ wreaked chaos across a large part of the country. But were farmers prepared? And what was the role of NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense system?

For many, the heavy snowfall at the end of January was an idyllic break from everyday life. For others, an inconvenience without end. For farmers, however, the ” Elpida ” weather was another reminder that proper preparation saves… crops.

Despite adverse conditions across almost the entire country, there were some who received timely information and took action to protect their crops. Specifically, NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense smart farming system had informed its partner producers about the weather through personalized alerts (SMS). In fact, the alerts from the system were made on a daily basis so that farmers could have continuous precision forecasting and be able to act accordingly.

Notifications that make a difference

With smart farming, “approximate” weather information is a thing of the past. This is because in the case of the innovative gaiasense system developed by the Greek company NEUROPUBLIC, specialized meteorological data is provided. What does this mean in reality? Gaiasense gives a three-day weather forecast, specifically for the area where each farm is located and not generally for the whole prefecture. And the data it provides is accurate and real-time, so the farmer has an almost “live” picture of the weather conditions in his field without having to monitor different websites or weather reports to see roughly what the weather will be like the next day.

In addition, gaiasense warns of extreme weather events such as hail, frost, heavy rainfall, heatwave, etc. 48 hours before they happen. Even if this probability is in the order of 10%, the system sends an SMS alert with the probable time of occurrence of the event. This gives the farmer time to take appropriate measures to protect his crop.

The science behind the weather

We asked atmospheric physicist-meteorologist Dr. Konstantinos Tsarpalis to explain how accurate the forecasts received from gaiasense are and why a farmer should choose it over the competition.

“The gaiasense system’s forecasts are highly accurate as they are performed at high spatial resolutions, unlike inferior spatial resolution forecasts that are freely available on the internet. Also, the forecasts are probabilistic, i.e. multiple scenarios are run in order to derive the probability of any given severe/extreme weather event occurring. Finally, data from the agro-meteorological stations of gaiasense are also used (which is extremely important), so that the forecast is more responsive to the needs of the producers. For example, frosts, which are particularly damaging to crops, are much better predicted compared to other forecasts freely available on the internet,” he explains.

As for how gaiasense can provide such detailed and accurate forecasts, the answer is simple. The gaiasense system has the most extensive network of agro-meteorological stations in rural areas of the country, with more than 300 stations and a forecast to increase significantly in the coming period. Moreover, in addition to the data from the stations, gaiasense also utilizes satellite data so that the weather forecasting models provide farmers with highly accurate forecasts.

Forecasts that take into account both the microclimate of each region and the needs of each crop. Thus, with the ally of smart farming and, in particular, gaiasense, the farmer has peace of mind and weather forecasting ceases to be a chore.

How the eruption of a volcano in the South Pacific created changes in the atmospheric pressure of Greece.

According to the butterfly effect first formulated by meteorologist Edward Lorenz, “if a butterfly moves its wings in the Amazon, it can bring rain to China.” A finding that was in the news again a few days ago, after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Hapai submarine volcano, located almost 65 kilometres from the capital of Tonga, Nukuwalofa. This is because the eruption in question, although on the south side of the Pacific, has come to affect the atmospheric pressure of our country!

In fact, the phenomenon was also detected by several agrometeorological stations of the NEUROPUBLIC gaiasense smart farming system, from Crete to Pieria and Komotini. Specifically, the shock wave from the explosion that took place on 14 January, moving at a speed of about 1,300 km per hour, “arrived” in Greece on Saturday 15 January, when the measurement was taken.

According to atmospheric physicist-meteorologist Dr. Konstantinos Tsarpalis, “the meteorological stations of various agencies, as well as the agrometeorological stations of gaiasense, recorded on Saturday 15 January in the evening a sharp change in atmospheric pressure – which levelled off in a few hours – which is exactly the footprint of the shock wave. Because of the intensity of the explosion, the pressure change was carried thousands of kilometres away.”

What does this phenomenon actually mean? Dr. Tsarpalis is reassuring. “There were some clouds in Greece, but nothing significant,” he notes.

High technology at the service of everyday life

The recording of a volcanic eruption on the other side of the planet proves that in the age of high technology and digitalization, our world is more “connected” than ever before. And phenomena that would once have gone unnoticed are now captured with extraordinary precision.

What does this mean for our daily lives and how can we benefit from similar measurements? If the recording of such phenomena by stations such as those of the gaiasense system teaches us anything, it is that today many events can be predicted – from the tidal wave following an earthquake or the eruption of a volcano to extreme weather events that can have a major impact on agricultural production.

And while the slightest change in atmospheric pressure may not have an impact on the Greek farmer, expert weather forecasting is vital. In short, evolution and, in particular, smart farming can be a comparative advantage for a producer and can make the difference between a smaller harvest and a lost crop.

Between 16-17 December 2021, innovators and scientists presented 19 innovations designed to help solve common problems facing the olive, olive oil and livestock sectors in Greece. Dozens of participants joined the event online or physically at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (” MAICH”) as part of this LIVINGAGRO event, with several of them also participating in meetings with the stakeholders.

Coordinated by Dr Panagiotis Kalaitzis, Director of the Department of Agricultural Genetics and Biotechnology of MAICH, this hybrid event was part of the LIVINGAGRO – Cross Border Living Laboratories for Agroforestry project funded by the ENI CBC Med Programme 2014-2020.

More than 130 people registered for this second LIVINGAGRO B2B event, with the majority participating online.

The speakers presented 19 innovations related to 5 main categories:

1. Re-Using Traditional Practices in Agroforestry
2. Intercropping and Preparing for Climate Change in Olive Groves
3. Precision Agriculture
4. Olive Mill Machinery and Health Benefits
5. Olive Tree and Olive Oil Authentication

NEUROPUBLIC’s smart farming gaiasense system and the European LIFE GAIA Sense project based on gaiasense and coordinated by NEUROPUBLIC were presented at the event by Vassilis Pyrgiotis, Senior Project Manager of NEUROPUBLIC.

Mr. Pyrgiotis, who was physically present at the event, presented the innovative gaiasense smart farming system and discussed its applications in the olive cultivation sector in Greece and abroad with participants of the event, while he also answered questions from the participants. He also had the opportunity to talk to stakeholders about gaiasense in the context of meetings.

The descriptions of the 19 innovations are available in the List of Innovations available in Greek and English.

You can find more information on the gaiasense Smart Farming system on pages 29 and 26 respectively.

Symbeeosis by Nikos and Niki Koutsiana (you know them as the founders of the cosmetics company Apivita, recently acquired by the Spanish colossus Puig) is one of the most powerful success stories of the pandemic. With a focus on biofunctional foods and infusions, Symbeeosis harnesses herbs from the Greek land to create value-added products.

At the same time, the newly established brand uses plants from organic farming and applies innovative practices that preserve the soil and protect the environment, people and animals, with minimal use of fertilizers and zero use of chemical pesticides.

The pioneering Greek company’s ally is NEUROPUBLIC’s holistic gaiasense smart farming system, which helps it reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation water, effectively address the risks that threaten crops, improve production both quantitatively and qualitatively, and reduce environmental impacts.

In short, gaiasense ensures that biodiversity is stimulated and, at the same time, the environmental and climate footprint of its Symbeeosis signature products is reduced.

Want to know more about this interesting “symbiosis”? It’s worth reading the related article in Ypethros Hora.

On Tuesday 9 November, an informative event on the gaiasense smart farming system and its application in cotton cultivation was held in Karditsa.

The event was attended by the Commercial Director of NEUROPUBLIC George Papadimas, the company’s agronomists Minas Pelekanos and Andreas Siregelas as well as Dr. Mohamed Darausse, Head of the National Centre for Quality Control, Cotton Classification and Standardization

During the event, a detailed presentation of the gaiasense smart farming system was given, with reference to the 4 different data sources and the role of the data and scientific models in providing an accurate advice on irrigation, fertilization and plant protection for each crop supported by gaiasense.

Of particular interest was the presentation of the application of gaiasense in a cotton crop in the region of Karditsa, with the presentation of the methodology for recording and collecting data from the region that are used to provide advice on irrigation, fertilization and plant protection of the crop, as well as for the early warning of the cooperating producer both for extreme weather events and for the detailed weather forecast for each field.

Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the gaiasense mobile app, gaiasense’s application for smart phones, and the information they can receive through the app.

The event concluded with a discussion among the participants, during which questions from the audience were answered, more information about gaiasense was provided, and the gaiasense2 and gaiasense3 packages were mentioned.

You can watch the video of the event here.

The presentation of NEUROPUBLIC’s innovative mobile application gaiasense mobile app was successfully completed on Wednesday 13 October at Kato Asites in Heraklion Prefecture under the auspices of NEUROPUBLIC and the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Heraklion. Several producers of the region attended the event to watch the educational activity, to use the application, based on the gaiasense smart farming system, on their mobile phones and to learn how it works. At the same time, they were informed about the benefits of the application and how it can change the way fields are managed, with a “click” on the mobile screen!

The gaiasense mobile app is an advanced, yet simple to use application, which can be used even by a farmer who has no familiarity with the latest technologies. In particular, the app allows one to obtain highly relevant information about one’s farm in a simple and understandable way, helping the producer to improve production both quantitatively and qualitatively, reduce environmental impact and, ultimately, create additional value in his agricultural products.

The agronomist of NEUROPUBLIC, Minas Pelekanos, in collaboration with members of the Heraklion Union, the Head of Subsidies Mr. Filippakis, the agronomists Mr. Damianakis and Mr. Foukarakis, as well as the local agronomist of the Agricultural Cooperative of Kato Asiton Mr. Kabitaki, were there to present the application, to talk to the attendees and to answer the questions of the producers.

True to its annual appointment with the Thessaloniki International Fair, NEUROPUBLIC welcomed again this year the businessmen, the political world, the representatives of local government and the general public, from 11 to 19 September, in the first physical organization of the largest exhibition event in Greece since the pandemic.

With the central message “”Smart Farming is the farmer’s ally in the era of the Green Deal” and spearheaded by the gaiasense Smart Farming system, NEUROPUBLIC managed to make a great impression once again thanks to its specially designed space, which attracted a large number of people who wanted to learn how advanced technology can respond to the ever-increasing need for digitalisation and sustainable development.

In particular, visitors were interested in the brand new gaiasense mobile app, which is based on the technological and scientific infrastructure of gaiasense and brings smart farming to every farmer’s mobile phone, as well as the fully functional agro-meteorological station of gaiasense that was installed at the booth and transmitted real-time data from the atmosphere and soil on a projection screen.

A tribute to the digitalization of the agri-food sector was the occasion for NEUROPUBLIC‘s gaiasense smart farming system to be featured on SKAI‘s main newscast.

Specifically, on Friday, September 17, the well-known TV station hosted in its evening broadcast, presented by journalist Sia Kosioni, an in-depth report on new technologies and the opportunities they give farmers to upgrade their production. In this context, Epaminondas Spanoulis from the Agricultural Cooperative of Thessalian Tomato Producers “THESTO” in Larissa, who is already using the gaiasense smart farming system in the cultivation of industrial tomatoes and has seen significant benefits, spoke to the camera and explained how the transition to smart farming has changed the way fields are managed.

Furthermore, the report also presented the new, innovative mobile application gaiasense app that brings smart farming literally in the hands of all those involved in agricultural production, helping them to save time and money and see their crops improve both in quantity and quality.