The FATIMA project, approved under Horizon 2020, focuses on optimizing agricultural resources for sustainable crop yield through innovative nutrient and water management strategies. It encompasses precision farming and aims to connect various stakeholders, including farmers, agricultural managers, and tech companies, with a comprehensive five-level strategy integrating advanced technology and participatory processes. The project includes pilot case studies across Europe to demonstrate its effectiveness in diverse agricultural settings.

1. Presented by
Dilek KAHRAMAN
Turkey Pilot Area Regional Manager

2. What is FATIMA?
Horizon 2020 project that has been approved under the call
SFS-2a-2014: External nutrient inputs,
FATIMA addresses effective and efficient monitoring and
management of agricultural resources to achieve optimum
crop yield and quality in a sustainable environment.
Covers both ends of the scale relevant for food production,
viz., precision farming and the perspective of a sustainable
agriculture in the context of integrated agri-environment
management.
Aims at developing innovative and new farm capacities that
help the intensive farm sector optimize their external input
(nutrients, water) management and use, with the vision of
bridging sustainable crop production with fair economic
competitiveness.

3. FATIMA offers a comprehensive strategy for optimizing external input
(nutrient and water) management and yield by:
harnessing leading-edge agronomic knowledge, crop modelling, and
information and space technology to provide to the farmer with
easy-to-use timely information on the temporal and spatial
variability/heterogeneity of crop input requirements,
spanning a wide range of direct practical applications, from very-
high resolution precision farming for high-value crops to soil organic
matter restoration practices, and enabling policies,
including a socio-economic assessment of application ranges,
extending the concept of VRT to large areas and “low-tech” farms,
being ready / easy to use for a wide range of farm types (with or
without access to high-tech machinery), by means of tools fostering
the direct connection to and between users/farmers,
designing innovative policy instruments for sustainable crop
production that together with innovative technologies and
participative approaches will promote the transition towards
sustainable farming systems.

4. The comprehensive strategy covers
five interconnected levels:
A modular technology package (based on the
integration of Earth observation and wireless
sensor networks into a webGIS),
A field work package (exploring options of
improving soil and input management),
A toolset for multi-actor participatory processes,
An integrated multi-scale economic analysis
framework,
An umbrella policy analysis set based on
indicator-, accounting- and footprint approach.

5. The benefits
FATIMA enables a quantum leap into “wide-area affordable
precision farming” making significant impacts such as input
reduction and yield increase over large areas, positive socio-
economic and environmental cost benefits, contributing to
making farming more prosperous and sustainable;
It has a holistic/integrated/comprehensive yet practical 5-
level/angle strategy,
It proves its concept in 7 pilot case studies strategically
selected to cover the major crops in European intensive
agriculture providing high leverage;
It is well connected with international relevant players (global
export of EU tech) and world of users, multi-actor.

6. Stakeholders
The FATIMA project has a diverse range of target stakeholder groups and
audiences that it intends to contact, attempt to influence or serve.
Currently the target audiences include:
Farmers and farmers’ associations all over Europe and beyond,
Rural communities,
Irrigation water providers, river basin managers
Water or agricultural management authorities of regional or national level,
Irrigation management systems solution companies,
Environmental/ agriculture consultancy and software companies,
Agribusinesses, fertiliser and plant nutrient management industry,
Chambers/ associations/ clusters of the above mentioned companies,
Agricultural research institutes/ networks/ associations,
Agricultural educational institutes/ networks/ associations,
Regional/ national/ European (agricultural or not) authorities,
Social networks about sustainable agriculture,
Research networks and initiatives of similar context,
Mass and social media,
General public and civil society.

7. FATIMA >>> where and who?
1. Wheat, maize, onion, vinyard
2. Wheat, tomato,maize,
3. Tomato, wheat, maize, sugar beet,
vinyard
4. Cereal, vegetables, vinyard
5. Wheat, sugar beet
6. -
7. Cotton,vinyard, wheat
8. Wheat, cotton, maize

8. FATIMA >>> how?: Core tool SPIDER webGIS

9. FATIMA >>> tools and services:
FATIMA Services at parcel/farm scale >>> predict water &
nutrient requirements (“precision farm advisory”);
FATIMA tools >>> participatory webGIS for stakeholder
process, collaboration, transparence, & conflict
resolution;
FATIMA assessment frameworks for large areas (aquifer,
river basin, region) >>> socio-economic impact & policy
analysis (including WEF footprints) & externalities;
FATIMA Stories >>> “change the narrative,
change the future”

10. FATIMA >>> purpose of pilots
>>> development & validation for all elements of
FATIMA strategy at a range of scales <<<
at parcel/farm scale for FATIMA Services addressing
precision farming, energy audit, & detailed VRT-or
management-related CBA;
at larger area size (aquifer, river basin, region) for
community building/process, policy analysis
(including WEF footprints), impact assessment &
externalities.

11. FATIMA >>> Regional Process
>>> implementation of FATIMA in pilot areas<<<
pilots focus on different elements of FATIMA
strategy ;
basic elements (FATIMA Services & tools)
implemented in all pilot areas;
multi-actor stakeholder process conducted in all
pilots, supported by FATIMA Stories (videos).

12. Practice of N fertilization requires “provision of funding in advance to the
expenditure (crop uptake)” but maximizing the timing and efficiency of N
supply with the crop uptake to avoid losses (leaching,…)
Prior to season
Prognostic tool for a first
approach to provide bulk N
rates map prior to sowing
In-season
A diagnostic tool for fine-
tuning of N application
according to actual crop
development
soil potential
productivity
Map of “bulk” N requirements
Scheduling N application
CGM; N
balance
Crop Growth Models,
N balance, inverted
Reflectances, Red
Edge-based indices,…
EO-based
Products
Map of actual N requirements
Tools for N variable rate fertilization:

13. About soil potential productivity map
How to measure variability
Looking at the plant stand: Looking at the soil
Yield monitoring Electrical C maps
Sampling biomass soil sampling
…. ….
… looking at the plants “the variability that exhibits the
canopy, as it is measured by parameters like biomass
accumulation and yield, integrates soil fertility, weather
and management.
… if we can assume uniform management across the plot
(seed density, irrigation, fertilization, diseases,..),
variability exhibited by the canopy expresses the soil
potential productivity
A key tool for variable rate of fertilization Yield monitoring
EO_based maps

14. The basis for EO-based soil potential productivity:
EO-based transpiration is related with biomass
accumulation
 The hypothesis:
 Biomass accumulation is strongly related with:
 Transpiration, T ( Water productivity-based
models) 1 FAO33, FAO66
 Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation
(Light Use Efficiency models) 2 (Monteith, 1972)
 Potential T, [Potential APAR] are good indicators of
 1.-Suitable to be estimated using directly EO +
meteorological data.
 2.- Actual T requires using water balance,
knowledge about soil and irrigation is needed.

15. Soil potential
productivity map
Map of “bulk” N
requirements ready to
be used as guidance
for VR machinery
Scheduling N application

18. ¡GRACIAS !
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