PlantCareBot - Agricultural Robots for Plant Care in smallholder permanent crops

Mediterranean Region is a hotspot for biodiversity and also a well-known centre for the entry and dispersion of new virulent plant and animal pests which may become responsible for significant yield and quality losses. Furthermore, conservation agriculture approach in Mediterranean environments has been moderate to date and this is particularly true for the smallholders, who are prevailing in the region. This problem will be tackled by advanced and precise spraying actions. High precision spraying actions represent a societal challenge, as they mitigate the negative impact in human and animal health and in environment of the conventional techniques. The goal is to comply with the motto "the right amount on the right time and place". Increasing precision by localizing applications will reduce losses on pesticides, fertilizers and water usage, human and animal exposure and environmental residues. Innovate and automate this spraying action in Mediterranean countries is challenging due to low farmers income, farms size, lack of water availability, lack of manoeuvring space (in old crops), difficulties of communications and harsh atmospheric conditions. To cope with these challenging issues, a consortium with complementary precision farming actors was formed for PlantCareBot project, bringing together agricultural associations representatives, robotics and agricultural machinery RTD institutions, agrofood RTD institutions, and SME's. PlantCareBots solution will be a safe and autonomous high precision spraying tool, integrated into a modular unmanned tractor. It will focus on Permanent crops (Olive Groves, Fruit Trees, Vineyards) considering the Mediterranean crops constrains and opportunities. PlantCareBot will bring the TRL of the technologies involved from 3 to 5. This increment is driven by three main RTD topics: robotics; novel plant treatments; sprayer tools with Variable Rate Technology. PlantCareBot will contribute to advanced and sustainable agriculture in Mediterranean Countries, carachterized by limited access to specific farming machinery and by several hydrogeologic issues, and create new business opportunities. PlantCareBot increases the Mediterranean farming system efficiency and income that will generate better and more employment. Besides, reduces and optimises the use of scarce natural resources (water, energy, nutrients) and potentially toxic substances (synthetic pesticides, mineral fertilizers, antibiotics) in agriculture; Improves the production of Mediterranean crop by applying the products in the right place, right quantity and right moment; Reduces the soil compaction and erosion.