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Wheat Pilot

Pilot Leader

AFL

Biogeographical region of the Pilot

Central Lithuania, Baltic area

Sector

Arable wheat open field

Range of digital technologies

Data Management Platform, AI-based Digital Twin system, process-based models, AI & Machine Vision, field localization and mapping system, robotic systems (retrofit tractor and Direct Injection Spraying (DIS) system).

Target stakeholders

End-users (farmers, farmers’ associations & cooperatives), agronomists & advisors, agri-food technology manufacturers, AI/Data/Robotics providers, AI, Data and Robotics DIHs, Policy Makers & Standardisation Bodies.

Short description of the Pilot

The SmartDroplets system will be deployed in open wheat fields in central Lithuania in order to evaluate and test its components and their efficiency. The focus of the pilot will be on chemical weeding, nitrogen fertilisation and fungicide applications, utilising state-of-the-art technologies, especially the most relevant advances in AI, Data, and robotics, such as a robotic platform, to perform autonomous waypoint navigation tasks, navigation algorithms, to optimise operation and navigation costs, AI algorithms to supervise the chemical selection and spraying prescriptions, etc.

Major goal

Yield increase by 15-20% per annum, chemical use decrease, operational costs decrease.

Progress & Milestones

Mid-2024

After achieving a functional autonomous navigation state during initial testing, the retrofitted tractor was shipped to the Lithuanian pilot site.

22 October 2024

The first season of herbicide and biostimulant/adjuvant applications was performed for weed control and crop support during the autumn season.

Late 2024

The inaugural Open Day was held at the AFL-led pilot site in Agrokoncernas. The event successfully demonstrated the autonomous navigation and spraying capabilities to an audience of over 100 farmers.

Late March 2025

The "Integration Week" for the Lithuanian pilot was successfully completed.

Throughout 2025

Following the integration campaign, full autonomous spraying missions were executed, and local technicians were fully trained to operate the system. Additionally, scientific outputs directly tied to this pilot's data were published, including a peer-reviewed paper by Wageningen University (Baja et al.) on constrained reinforcement learning for optimizing nitrogen use efficiency at the Lithuanian site.