WHEATWATCHER

Revolutionising agriculture in Europe by combining soil monitoring, plant health and food traceability via an integrated digital system.

European soils are under increasing pressure due to the intensification of agriculture and climate change. Joint efforts at EU, Member State and local authority level are focusing on restoring soil health.

The WHEATWATCHER project is an innovative European initiative aimed at advancing soil health monitoring, plant health assessment and food traceability. This ambitious project is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and brings together a diverse consortium of leading universities, research centres and industrial partners from across Europe.

Kick-off meeting

In October 2024, a two-day kick-off meeting was held at the University of Ghent to establish a clear strategic vision for the project. Representatives from each partner organisation, including experts from nine countries, took part in the discussions to lay the foundations for the project’s work.

During the meeting, the consortium:

• Described the main objectives and expected results, with a focus on monitoring and improving soil health and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
• Developed a strategic framework for deploying cutting-edge technologies, including soil sensors, robotic platforms and decision support systems, at pilot sites in several countries.
• Discussed collaborative activities to maximise the impact of the project and foster synergies with other Horizon Europe projects.
• Discussed relevant European policies and the necessary contributions.

WHEATWATCHER’s objectives

WHEATWATCHER is designed to address pressing challenges in agriculture, soil degradation and environmental sustainability. The project aims to:

• Implement innovative soil monitoring technologies to provide real-time data, enabling farmers to make informed decisions.
• Deploy and validate predictive models that incorporate local soil conditions and the specific needs of wheat cultivation.
• Foster collaboration with stakeholders, including farmers, policy makers and research institutions, to support the implementation of sustainable practices.

CRA-W’s involvement

CRA-W has numerous roles in the project:

CRA-W is leading work package number 7 on food traceability. The aim of this work package is to develop a comprehensive food traceability system that tracks food products from their point of origin through all stages of production, processing, distribution, storage and consumption. To achieve this, three key steps are planned:

• Define food quality and safety indicators
• Incorporate soil and plant health parameters into grain quality and safety indicators
• Develop protocols for identifying potential risks to food quality and safety (based on soil and plants)

CRA-W is also involved in numerous other work packages, contributing its expertise. This includes expertise in rapid analysis methods using spectroscopy, via the numerous sensors available, spectral libraries, knowledge of local prediction methods, etc.

Next steps

The WHEATWATCHER consortium will integrate several sensor technologies into various platforms, including stationary, mobile and remote systems. The first results are expected to be shared in mid-2025, demonstrating the potential to enhance agricultural sustainability and resilience across Europe.

Consortium :

• Ghent University
• Hahn-Schickard
• Exobotic Technologies
• Tel Aviv University
• Weizmann Institute of Science
• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
• GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
• Walloon Agricultural Research Centre
• University of Rostock
• NGO Soil Innovation Cluster
• ena Development Consultants
• Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation State Research Institute
• Vytautas Magnus University
• University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

Funding: This project is funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) under the powers delegated by the European Commission.

The project is part of the Call HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01 (Research and Innovation and other actions to support the implementation of mission A Soil Deal for Europe).

Topic: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03.

Type of Action: HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions)

Team