On Tuesday, 30 January 2024, 10:30 – 12:00, a lecture entitled “Digitalisation for Agroecology” will be held by PD Dr. Andreas Meyer-Aurich, M.Sc. Friederike Schwierz, Dr. Custodio Matavel (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy).

Summary:
Digitalisation for Agroecology is the subject of a current Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (D4AgEcol). The project aims to support the transition to agroecological farming by identifying appropriate digital tools, technologies, and strategies to harmonize this transition. A comprehensive evaluation of digital tools and technologies will be carried out, demonstrating the potential of digitalization as a catalyst for agroecological farming systems in Europe. This will be achieved through workshops conducted in ten living labs across Europe. The consortium will elaborate national and European roadmaps for Digitalisation as an Enabler for Agroecology.
One specific aspect, which will be addressed is site-specific fertilizer management. In this context, a prevalent challenge faced by both scientists and farmers is the selection of the optimal fertilizer level. Despite the abundance of data, varying conceptual perspectives result in divergent optimal fertilizer levels and distinct marginal costs of fertilizer application. This diversity has direct implications on the costs associated with fertilizer reduction and, consequently, impacts the feasibility of adopting fertilizer reduction as a means for agroecology. To address this challenge, we have developed a method involving a statistical procedure aimed at providing a more accurate estimation of optimal fertilizer levels and the derivation of appropriate functions for yield response. This methodology can help to provide unbiased yield response functions and better estimate optimal fertilizer rates. In on-farm experiments, our goal is to implement this methodology to offer farmers a more nuanced understanding of yield response in their fields and contribute to the refinement of optimal site-specific fertilizer application algorithms. The lecture closes with implications for policy action and on-farm research opportunities.

Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85755174906?pwd=oyitMxGibVq11eDaLi6q8T7bAa72iK.1
Meeting-ID: 857 5517 4906
Kenncode: 271587