SadjAR: Augmented reality in fruit and vegetable production

Duration: 11. 12. 2023-14. 12. 2024

Project title: ENRICHED REALITY IN FRUIT AND GREENHOUSE GROWING

Project leader at {Rudolfovo: Dr. Nika Brili

Project acronym: SadjAR

Sub-measure: 16.2 Support for pilot projects and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies for EIP projects

Project partners:

Slokva, Institute for the Development of Untapped Potentials, Co.p.- Lead Partner

{Rudolfovo Science and Technology Centre Novo mesto

GRM Novo mesto College of Rural Management

Solos realization of graphic ideas d.o.o.

Karlovček Agriculture and Services Ltd.

Farm Omerzel

Farm Kastelic

Farm Judež

Farm Radej

Project value: 83.425,94 €

Project Financiers: 89.90% of the eligible project costs are covered by the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (80% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, 20% by the Republic of Slovenia), 10.21% by the partners' own contribution.

Sub-measure: 16.2 Support for pilot projects and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies for EIP projects

Summary of project content:

Domain: Advanced technologies in agriculture

Theme: Use of Augmented Reality (AR) to improve communication between farmers and agricultural advisors and farmers' access to educational content.

The SadjAR pilot project focuses on the development and implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) in agriculture, in particular in fruit and vegetable production.

The main objective of the project is to enable farmers to remotely get direct expert help from agricultural advisors and access useful content such as video guides to help them in their farming.

The project aims to bring modern approaches to all farmers who need additional guidance or knowledge, either from an agricultural advisor or through online video guides. Calling an agricultural advisor via AR glasses will allow quick resolution of questions and problems in the field. Access to video content through the glasses is more convenient for the farmer than viewing on a computer or phone, as it offers the farmer the freedom of both hands and can be done directly in the plantation or in the field.

The SadjAR project will thus contribute to the advancement of the agricultural sector through innovative technology that will facilitate communication between farmers and experts and allow learning and knowledge sharing in a more practical and accessible way.

Aims and purpose of the project

The objectives of the SadjAR pilot project are aimed at developing and applying Augmented Reality (AR) in the field of fruit and vegetable production and increasing the efficiency and quality of agricultural activities.

The main objective of the project is to improve communication between farmers and agricultural advisors and to provide farmers with access to educational content in the form of video guides in order to achieve the following objectives:

- Increase farming productivity and efficiency: The SadjAR project will enable farmers to get direct professional help from farming advisors at a distance. This will lead to faster problem solving and optimisation of farming processes, increasing the productivity of farming activities.

- Improving farmers' marketing potential: The use of AR technology will improve the quality of fruit and vegetable production, which will have an impact on the attractiveness of agricultural products on the market. Farmers will be better informed and trained to meet market requirements.

- Promoting the use of innovative technologies among farmers: The SadjAR project will introduce and enable farmers to use modern technologies such as augmented reality. This will stimulate interest and adoption of new technologies in the agricultural sector.

- Improving the use of plant protection products (PPP): By accessing expert knowledge, farmers will be better informed about the use of PPP according to the guidance of experts. This will contribute to better organic and sustainable production.

The project will contribute to the development of new or improved products, practices, processes or technologies in the field of agriculture:

The project will develop and test new technologies that are not yet used in practice by farmers. Farmers will be educated to be able to make proper use of all the possibilities offered by smart glasses.

The project will contribute to the transfer of knowledge into practice and to the dissemination of project results:

We will ensure the transfer of knowledge into practice and the dissemination of the project results through a series of activities designed to do just that.

The project aims to develop and test new technology that will allow less transport (less carbon footprint) and help with the use of FFS (less use of FFS, as the expert will identify the disease faster than the farmer would), and therefore has a strong conservation focus.

The pilot project will not be implemented in a protected area under the law governing nature conservation.

Description of the problem addressed by the project and its relevance for agricultural, food or forestry practice.

The main problem addressed by the SadjAR project is the limited availability of agricultural knowledge and advice in the field and the difficulty of obtaining practical information for farming. There is a need for direct and rapid communication between farmers and agricultural advisors and for better access to educational content for farmers.

This problem has important implications for agricultural practice for several reasons:

- Improving agricultural processes: Agricultural activities require precision and timely action. Access to expert advice on the ground enables farmers to make better decisions in managing their farms, leading to improved agricultural processes.

- Increasing the quality of production: By providing expert advice and educational content in augmented reality, the level of knowledge of farmers is increased. This has an impact on improving the quality of food production, which is key to competitiveness in the market.

- Sustainable and organic production: The project promotes better use of plant protection products (PPPs) in line with expert guidance, contributing to more sustainable and organic production, in line with modern environmental and safety standards.

- Transfer of knowledge and innovation: The project facilitates the transfer of knowledge and innovation from agricultural advisors to farmers. This contributes to the exchange of knowledge and experience and strengthens the development of the farming community.

- Adoption of new technologies: Promoting the use of augmented reality among farmers contributes to the adoption of new technologies in the agricultural sector, which can contribute to the future progress and competitiveness of the agricultural industry.