In an interview for the agricultural magazine AGRO.TEC on February 20th, 2023, Dimitris Savvas, the Director of the Laboratory of Vegetable Crops and Dean of the School of Plant Sciences at the Agricultural University of Athens, discussed the future of agricultural production with technology as a key ally.
Among other topics, the professor highlighted the European research project, ECONUTRI, implemented through the Horizon Europe program, led by the Agricultural University of Athens.
The project’s focus is on developing and disseminating innovative technologies for sustainable nutrient management in agriculture. The project aims to prevent, mitigate, and eliminate pollution in soil, water, and air. This initiative, aligned with the EU’s Green Deal, seeks to reduce fertilizer use by 20% and waste by 50% by 2030.
ECONUTRI is leading a consortium of 30 partners from 13 countries and is currently piloting 24 technologies that include precision agriculture applications like drone-based and specialized machinery for organic fertilizer distribution, technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in animal husbandry, and recycling technologies for hydroponic farming waste.
Key technologies being developed at the Agricultural University of Athens focus on optimizing fertilizer application to enhance yield and quality while reducing costs. The project, which started in November 2022 and will conclude in April 2026, also includes extensive training and demonstration activities to ensure practical application of the technologies developed.
Overall, ECONUTRI aims to substantially support farmers by reducing production costs and improving environmental sustainability.
The full interview in Greek is available in this link
https://www.agro-tec.gr/dimitris-savvas-ta-lipasmata-kai-ta-fy/
