DATAlife DIH has presented a network of environmental sensors, soil, weather stations and software platforms that allow the identification and real-time monitoring of trees and the conditions of their surroundings, with the main objective of having a better knowledge and management of the forest mass.

The project was developed with the collaboration of the Lourizán Forest Research Center (CIF). One of the key issues worked on responded to a need of the center: to have an unambiguous identification system for the trees in the research plots.

Until now, for the identification of the specimens, the researchers used a system of traditional tags and plates, which were either kept hanging on the tree or buried, but there were problems such as the breaking of the tags or the deletion of the information due to inclement weather during the passage of the years.

The solution presented by the firm NEWMIND, the entity in charge of implementing the technology, was the development of digital labels using RIFD radio frequency technology, which allows a 24-digit alphanumeric code to identify the specimen. Thus, as the researcher showed during the presentation field visit, by using a radio frequency reader, each specimen can be identified. These sensors buried in the ground enable the intelligent location of trees while maintaining traceability.

As part of the work performed, it was not only designed the digital labels, but also developed an encapsulation system to be able to bury them and prevent them from being damaged by rain or solar radiation.

Another axis was the installation of environmental sensors, soil and weather stations to be able to monitor the state of the plantation. These systems offer information about the state of the tree or the soil in real-time and can be useful in making decisions for the management of the plantation. This information is useful for controlling pests related to temperature and humidity, water stress or soil fertilization. All this information makes possible the management optimization of the plantation, from its fertilization to the addition of water.

Finally, the data collected by the sensors is transferred to the platform for precision agriculture Agricolus, obtaining agile access to this data.

The demonstrator carried out in Lourizán has been developed within the framework of the HIBA+ project (Hub Iberia Agrotech), an INTERREG Spanish-Portuguese (POCTEP) initiative aimed at strengthening the connection of local agri-food innovation ecosystems.

Video (Spanish, automatic subtitles may be available): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtgRN85p4KM&t=1s

More about HIBA+: https://hubiberiaagrotech.eu/