Agritech

The AGRITECH project focuses on the use of enabling technologies for the sustainable development of agri-food production, with the aim of promoting the adaptation to climate change, the development of marginal areas, the resilience and multifunctionality of agricultural, forestry and livestock systems, the safety, quality, traceability and uniqueness of the agri-food supply chains, especially in areas with a territorial vocation.

The research activities concern the definition of those cultivation and protection methods capable of reducing the use of inputs in agriculture (fertilizers, pesticides, water, energy) through the adoption of precision technologies, decision support tools for farmers and also with the identification of varieties with higher resistance to the main biotic adversities obtained from specific genetic improvement programs or identified within the biodiversity that Sicily expresses.

For the livestock production sector, the research attention is focused on precision farming techniques (sensors for the detection of climate-altering gases or behavioral parameters indicating animal welfare), on improving the resilience of livestock systems to climate change (research on both crop systems and breeds), on alternative food resources to those imported according to the principles of the circular economy, to the evaluation of the mitigation measures for the socio-economic sustainability of the farms. The AGRITECH Center was founded with the ambition of combining the best scientific skills to make Italian agriculture, and in particular Sicilian agriculture, more competitive, resilient and sustainable.