DuratechFarm

Three years to challenge new technologies and guide farmers in implementing smart farming

Smart Farming (SF) is a a technology-driven approach that enables farmers to make informed decisions and optimize agricultural processes (precision agriculture), ensuring productivity and sustainability. In the context of major global changes, precision agriculture helps maintain or even improve yields while reducing environmental impact.

The aim of DuraTechFarm is to integrate and evaluate precision agriculture solutions on a fully operational farm, accelerating the adoption of new technologies by Walloon farmers. To achieve this, the project provides farmers with technical, economic, and organizational assessments, helping them evaluate the real impact of the solutions listed below on their farm.

Precision agriculture solutions tested

Légende figure: Precision agriculture solutions evaluated in DuraTechFarm

Yield Mapping

Combine harvester sensor mapping (John Deere)
Remote sensing indicators: Belcam (UCLouvain & CRA-W) and IrriWatch (Hydrosat)

Optimize Soil Fertility

Mapping physico-chemical soil properties: Veris MSP3 (Vantage Agrometius) and INTERRA® Scan (Syngenta)
Implementation of variable-rate applications (organic matter, pH, and Haspargit)

Optimize Irrigation Over Time

Water balance models: Sencrop and Abelio
Soil moisture probes: capacitive and tensiometric tested with Weenat, Challenge Agriculture, and AgroExact

Optimize Irrigation Over Space

Comparison of irrigation guns vs. booms
Soil moisture mapping solutions: gprSense® and IrriWatch
Variable-rate irrigation and sector control with Raindancer (telematics, GPS monitoring, sector control, variable rate irrigation)

DTF, it’s 4 key partners…

CRA-W: (Quentin Limbourg and Jean Artois)
With its strong expertise in precision agriculture and its involvement in smart farming, CRA-W is responsible for organizing and implementing the project in all its aspects: coordination, evaluation of existing solutions, development of innovative tools, assessment of relevant applications, and finally, dissemination and communication of results.

UCLouvain: (Sébastien Lambot)
UCLouvain has been studying the potential of radar for soil moisture mapping for several years. Within this project, UCLouvain will contribute to adapting and calibrating the radar for applications in the agricultural sector, developing an interface, and validating measurements to produce intra-field soil moisture variability maps.

WalDigiFarm: (Sébastien Weykmans)

WalDigiFarm leverages its experience and expertise in digital technologies for crop production in Wallonia to disseminate project results to the agricultural sector and public.

La Ferme du Plein Air: (Manu Jadin)
La Ferme du Plein Air combines organic and conventional crop production, including vegetables and field crops. The farm team’s strong interest in new technologies has turned the farm into an exceptional testing ground, allowing the project to evaluate Smart Farming solutions under real-world conditions.