The “DACO-TECH” project with project code M16ΣΥΝ2-00358 is an approved project of Submeasure 16.1 – 16.2 “Establishment and operation of Operational Groups of the European Innovation Partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability” Action 2, of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 (RDP 2014-2020). The project is implemented in the region of Heraklion, Crete, and aims to apply modern electronic, automation, and information technology solutions in a large-scale pilot olive grove. Its goal is to modernize, optimize, and improve the accuracy of the application of the Bait Spraying Method (BSM), in line with the objectives set by the Europe’s Farm to Fork strategy.
The innovation
Greece is the only country that implements Bait Spraying Method (BSM) – through the National Pest Control Program (NPCP) – instead of widespread blanket spraying (BS) methods used by its major competitors, Italy and Spain. The key innovative elements of the Operational Plan that modernize the National Dacus Control Program are:
- The complete abolition of cover sprays in the olive groves of the Agricultural Cooperative
- The use of automatic spraying devices that ensure, for the first time at an international level, the regulation and control of the sprayed quantity per tree, ensuring the correct implement of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.
- The development of an information system for the digital representation of all spraying data, including tractor paths, spraying points, and quantity at each spraying point.
- Continuous, accurate, and personalized provision of information to producers and scientific personnel regarding the progress of pest control.
- The implementation of sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices for the production of higher quality and safer food.
