SmartProtect kick-off meeting was held between January 27th -28th 2020, in Brussels, Belgium organized by INAGRO (Research, Development and Advice center for Agriculture in the Province of West-Flanders). AGENSO as project partner and WP5 leader jointed the meeting, which goal was to arrange the project action plan for the upcoming period.
SmartProtect is a thematic network focusing on cross regional knowledge sharing of SMART IPM solutions for farmers and advisors. The aim is to stimulate knowledge flow in the regional AKISs (Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation Systems) across the EU and connect these on the innovative potential of advanced methodologies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in vegetable production, integrating precision farming technologies and data analytics. SmartProtect proposes a methodology based on knowledge collection within 5 dedicated IPM subthemes, by collecting the existing scientific knowledge and best practices and translating this knowledge into easily understandable end-user material. SmartProtect will identify the needs of farmers and propose IPM methodologies to apply in daily practices in both open fields and greenhouses. SmartProtect will create an e-platform that will gather, share, manage and distribute knowledge on IPM.