Reducing pesticide-related water pollution by improving crop protection practices: the use of embedded ICT technologies

The project AWARE aims to show how the optimisation of the pesticides application techniques can limit the pollution of surface water. It takes place in the small catchment basin of Neffiès (a village in the south of France, 80km far from Montpellier) and focuses on vineyards. The project lasts 3 years (from 2006 to 2008) and is articulated on 4 main actions: * Developing tools and a methodology for reducing the pesticide amount introduced in the environment: By setting up geo-referenced data-recorders embedded on sprayers, which allow mastering of the pesticide volume applied in real time and the production of a objective traceability book for the farmers; By improving equipments (collective filling stations for sprayers which fulfil environmental standards, rinsing tanks and devices and sprayers adjustment); By designing and implementing a plan of improvement of practices based on the records and their analysis. * Extending the results in time and to other contexts thanks to the modeling of pesticides transfer. This modeling is based on the following inputs: deposits on crops and ground of plant health products and rainfalls; * Assessing the feasibility of knowledge transfer through implementation of the methodology and ICT recording system in others European contexts (Spain, Italy); * Communicating and transferring the experience and knowledge towards the stakeholders and mass audience. After 2 years of project, all the tools installed to help the farmers during plant health protection processes have been well accepted. They now have the capability to work with the lowest impact possible on the environment. The comparison between the paper traceability and what is calculated from the sensors data is a very interesting base of arguing during the training sessions (what is the breathing space). The first results on modeling the catchment basin help to prioritize the different parameters involved in pesticide transfer on a given area with a given climate. Next step will to confront many different scenarios of practices on different climate conditions and different contexts.