The project PANTHEON introduces a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the precision farming of orchards.
THE VISION: The project PANTHEON introduces a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the precision farming of orchards.
ARCHITECTURE: We will design an integrated system where a limited number of unmanned aerial and ground robots move within the orchard to collect data and perform typical farming operations. The information is then collected in a central operative unit that integrates the data to perform automatic feedback actions (e.g. to regulate the irrigation system) and to support the decisions of the agronomists.
INNOVATION: The proposed SCADA will acquire information at the resolution of the single plant. This will allow to dramatically increase the detection of limiting factors for each individual plant, such as lack of water or pests and diseases affecting the plant health, and to react accordingly. This focused interventions will result in a better average state of health of the orchard. The proposed architecture has the potential to increase the production of the orchard while being more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.
PILOTING: This project aims at developing a working prototype of the foreseen SCADA system able to operate in a real-world orchard. Inspired by the real needs of the industrial partner Ferrero Trading Lux S.A., we will focus on the management of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) orchards. PANtHEON will demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed SCADA system in a real-world (1:1 scale) hazelnut orchard located in the Tuscia area (province of Viterbo, Italy).
