Real-time nutrient sensing for mapping fertilizer needs

Project Information

LiveSen-MAP

Grant agreement ID: 101112868

DOI

10.3030/101112868

Project closed

EC signature date 20 March 2023

Start date 1 June 2023

End date 31 May 2026

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 2 499 955,00

EU contribution

€ 2 499 955,00

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LiveSen-MAP (Real-time nutrient sensing for mapping fertilizer needs)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The extensive use of fertilizers in agriculture over recent decades has resulted in a significant increase in production, but also in the contamination of lakes and groundwater, which presents a significant environmental risk. The fertilizer industry is responsible for approximately 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, farmers still face challenges in determining the optimal amount of fertilizer to apply to their crops. There is a clear need for tools that provide accurate and timely information for fertilizer application, which digital technologies have not yet been able to provide. Our group has developed a unique biosensor that is both precise and easy to use. By taking simple and quick measurements of the plant sap, farmers can receive a fertilizer recommendation that will ensure a healthy crop.

The LiveSen-MAP project will collect, in collaboration with farmers, a high-resolution dataset of crop nutrient status over multiple growing seasons. This will be used to validate and deploy an ensemble of predictive models for field-scale and region-scale nutrient prescriptions. In the first year of the project, we will produce biosensor test strips for the main plant nutrients N-P-K, which will be tested in fields in Bavaria. In the second year, we will expand the testing to include all of Germany. In collaboration with farmers, we will test different revenue and business models to improve product development and identify the optimal strategy for the intended market. Furthermore, we will identify and engage key strategic partners, including agricultural and digital businesses, to establish our own ecosystem and enhance our offering.

Our objective is to provide farmers with a laboratory-grade, user-friendly decision support tool to assist them in reducing and optimizing fertilizer use through our fertilization recommendation service. Our service enables farmers to comply with regulations such as the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) and the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), while also protecting water sources and combating soil pollution.
By reducing fertilizer use, farmers in Europe and around the world will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Nitrate fertilizer production and use accounts for 5-6% of the total annual global greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting the adoption of our recommendation service, which is being developed with the LiveSen-Map project, we have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Europe by 20 megatons and globally by 500 megatons per year.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Scientific Impact
The technological developments of the RP1 are concentrated in Objective 1. These results will have a significant scientific impact, as they are scheduled for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Moreover, progress has been made in developing a solution to reduce measurement time by improving the configuration of the test strips through advanced modeling of the kinetic processes within the test strips, thereby enhancing the analysis strategy. Additionally, a low-cost measuring device has been developed that considers the environmental conditions that the users will encounter in the field. The combination of these approaches represents a novel approach to reducing measurement time and background noise. At this time, we are preparing an invention report for submission as part of a European patent application. These developments are essential for the creation of a MVP that meets the requirements of potential customers, for example, by offering a short measuring time.
These developments are consistent with the anticipated impacts outlined in the DoA and represent a significant advancement towards the commercialization phase.

Economic Impact
In the course of this reporting period, 20 of the 60 interviews with potential customers originally planned for completion were conducted. The objective of these interviews was to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the customers, as well as to develop personas (deliverable D5.1). Twenty interviews were deemed sufficient to elicit a representative sample of responses. The data saturation point had evidently been reached, as evidenced by the consistency of answers across the entire interview cohort. Subsequently, usability tests were conducted utilizing a preliminary minimal viable product (MVP) and a software mockup (deliverable D5.1). These are essential stages in the process of achieving the optimal problem-solution fit that we intend to accomplish with Objective 2 by the conclusion of the project in May 2026. The test results will be employed in a user-centric PDCA cycle to refine the MVP and develop the software in an iterative process. In the third year of the project, an offer will be developed, including pricing, for the fertilization recommendation service with the objective of attracting 50 paying customers.
Economic Impact for Farmers.
The objective of the fertilization recommendation service is to provide an economic benefit to farmers who utilize our technology. Based on the findings of current research, it is hypothesized that the fertilization recommendation service will assist farmers in increasing yields by up to 10% and reducing the amount of applied fertilizers by up to 20%, thereby providing an economic benefit to the farmers.
In the initial reporting period, field trials were conducted on fields with an approximate size of 600 ha, and fertilization recommendations were provided for these fields. The aforementioned trials will allow us to demonstrate the efficacy of the fertilization recommendations in the relevant environment and assess the potential reduction in fertilizer use and yield stabilization or increase (KR2) after harvest.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During the reporting period, we conducted field trials on 600 ha with farmers in the Bavaria region of Germany. Through interviews with farmers, we identified their pain points and needs as potential customers. Although we tested the usability with an initial version of our minimum viable product (MVP).
In RP2, we will leverage the insights and feedback from the farmers to enhance our MVP in a user-centric manner.
Our activities have revealed the necessity for us to develop a strategy that will enable us to comply with existing standards in agriculture. Moreover, we have identified the necessity of engaging with pertinent stakeholders at the national level, including Germany and France, as well as at the EU level, in order to contribute to the development of future standards. We are seeking the support of the EU and EISMEA in identifying these stakeholders.

During the reporting period, we identified niche markets for key technology 1, the nitrate test strips. One potential niche market is the use of the test strips and the measuring device in the greenhouse setting for high-value crops. We intend to conduct a small scientific study in a greenhouse setting to demonstrate the concept's viability on a sample crop. We intend to conduct a market study to ascertain the potential market size and identify key customers, such as niche market innovators. Should the market potential be significant, we will collaborate with a potential customer to establish problem-solution fit for the niche market, with the goal to preparing for commercialization. We anticipate seeking an EIC booster grant to support these activities in RP2.