The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh) organized a series of online meetings from July 20-22, featuring 15-minute presentations and Business 2 Business (B2B) meetings to showcase innovations in the fields of olive cultivation and pastures to productive entities, cooperatives, agricultural businesses, olive growers, and olive mills seeking solutions to the challenges they face.

The aim of the meetings was to inform and facilitate interaction between the entities producing the innovations and those who could potentially use them, to establish new contacts, and to provide information on innovative ideas, tools, and services.

The gaiasense smart farming system was one of the innovations presented during the event, with a focus on olive cultivation. Specifically, Vasilis Protonotarios, Head of Outreach and Networking at NEUROPUBLIC, in two 15-minute presentations, discussed the innovative gaiasense smart farming system and the gaiasense mobile app for smartphones.

The first presentation focused on the innovation of the gaiasense smart farming system, referencing the concept of smart farming, the benefits it brings to producers and the environment, the role of data and technology in the gaiasense system, and the measurable benefits that olive growers gain from gaiasense.

During the second presentation, various functions of the app were presented, including an explanation of the parameters displayed by the app, such as the NDVI index, growing degree days, chill hours, and reference evapotranspiration. Differences between the gaiasense1 (informational) package, which is already available, and the gaiasense2 (advisory) package, which will be available soon, were also discussed.

We would like to thank the organizers of the event for giving us the opportunity to present the innovation of the gaiasense smart farming system, Ms. Lisa Radinovsky, and our partners from Yanni’s Olive Grove for their excellent communication.

Online Innovation Talks and One-on-One Meetings with Innovators (B2B Meetings) in the Fields of Olive Cultivation and Pastures

As part of the talks by Greek innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs/private entities, presentations were conducted in Greek, covering a wide range of innovations related to the following topics:

• Intercropping in olive groves
• Precision agriculture
• Machinery
• Determination of health benefits
• Identification of olive and olive oil variety origin
• Climate change preparedness
• Reuse of traditional agroforestry management practices

Information on each innovation is detailed in Greek in the event agenda (https://livingagro-brokerage-event-2021.b2match.io/agenda). Participants were encouraged to schedule private meetings directly with the innovators through the Praxis network platform by clicking “request meeting” on the profile of the interested innovator. This allowed them to ask specific questions and learn more about the innovations.

For more information on the innovations in English, visit the link: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/livingagro-innovations-catalogue-greek-b2b-meetings.

The meeting was organized by the Department of Genetics & Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops and was held as part of the implementation of the LIVINGAGRO ENI CBC Med program, which is co-financed by the European Union (90%) and National Funds (10%). For more information, interested parties can contact the project coordinator for Greece, Dr. Panagiotis Kalaitzis, Coordinator of Studies & Research, Department of Genetics & Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, at [email protected], or by phone at 28210-35030.

Innovations Presented

Intercropping in Olive Groves

• Innovation 1: Intercropping olives with legumes – Spyros Lionakis, Emeritus Professor of Arboriculture, ELMEPA
• Innovation 2: Intercropping olives with avocados – Spyros Lionakis, Emeritus Professor of Arboriculture, ELMEPA

Precision Agriculture

• Innovation 3: The gaiasense smart farming system by NEUROPUBLIC – Smart farming services for irrigation, fertilization, and crop protection – Vasilis Protonotarios, NEUROPUBLIC/gaiasense
• Innovation 4: gaiasense1 mobile application – Vasilis Protonotarios, gaiasense
• Innovation 5: ZenIrriware Precision Irrigation System – Konstantinos S. Hartzoulakis, Agronomist-Researcher, Irrigation & Olive Cultivation, former Director of the Institute of Olive and Subtropical Plants
• Innovation 6: FruitFlyNet-ii automated monitoring and control system against the olive fruit fly and the Mediterranean fly – Theodoros Tsiligiridis, Dionysios Perdiki, Agricultural University of Athens
• Innovation 7: MyOliveGroveCoach multispectral detection for predictive management of Verticillium wilt in olive groves, Aris Lalos/Institute of Industrial Systems, Athena Research Center – Christos Xouris/Robotics Gaia

Machinery

• Innovation 8: New washing and drying system for olives in the olive mill – Eftychis Androulakis, Producer, Olive Oil Processor, and Machine Modification and Timing (PAMAKO)
• Innovation 9: Olive kernel separation – crusher without plastic or rubber parts, designed to remove most of the olive peel to maintain temperature among other purposes – Eftychis Androulakis, PAMAKO

Health Benefit Determination

• Innovation 10: The Olive Predictor – Prokopios Magiatis, Department of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens