Examples of Smart Farming Applications from Greece

In the Prefecture of Chalkidiki, there are two companies that apply methods of smart agriculture. The company Yanni’s Olive Grove in Nea Potidea, Chalkidiki and the Agricultural Association of Metaggitsi.

The company Yanni’s Olive Grove, is a family business that produces fresh oils and olive products with unique varieties Chondroelia, Agrielia and Galani of Chalkidiki. Its olive groves are in Nea Potidea, Chalkidiki and its facilities are in Nea Tenedo, Chalkidiki, in northern Greece. The high quality of the products is very essential for the company where its owners are very proud of its progress, whose green olive oil products have won 46 international awards to date. The company also belongs to the TOP 100 SOCIETIES OF THE WORLD list and its olive oils to the TOP EVOOS OF THE WOLRD list according to the WORLD RANKING EVOOS. Following the instructions of the International Olive Oil Council, the harvest is done only by hand and the olives are transported to the oil mill or the processing plant in a short time, after they have passed the first sorter. The extraction of fresh olive oil is done at low temperatures and its storage is done under constantly controlled conditions of zero oxygen. Bottling includes nitrogen packaging to ensure product quality. The basic philosophy of the company is the healthy Mediterranean diet, so its new products called YANNI'S OLIVE SNACK, which were recently placed on the market in North America, have a different approach from the one we are already accustomed to in terms of green and black olive in Chalkidiki .They harmoniously combine the salty, sour and sweet taste. They follow the ideal snacking for all hours of the day. They are completely natural, without any liquids, lactose and gluten, with low salinity, without the addition of extra sugar, except that contained in dried cranberries and black currants by nature. With high energy, low fat and the lifespan of snack products is 12 months. They are ideal for diabetics and people with heart problems and for any type of diet.

The basic belief of YANNI'S OLIVE GROVE, is the creation of foods based on green olives and olive oil from unripen olives (Agourelaio) with the highest possible quality, which is achieved through the continuous effort to upgrade the production process, close cooperation with the scientific community and finally confirmation through a series of certifications from official accredited bodies. The company YANNI’S OLIVE GROVE among its certifications, has the ability to produce the PDO AGOURElAIO OF CHALKIDIKI, which is the only Greek fresh olive oil certified as PDO in Greece today. Through ideal conditions of cultivation, harvesting and standardization, which are under the auspices of the KRINOS Olive Center of the American School of Agriculture, its olive groves participate, as a pilot crop, in a new pioneering for Greece and unique in Europe three-year program called intelligent agriculture (Gaiasense), organized by the team of the KRINOS olive center of the American School of Agricultural and in collaboration with the Greek national organization GAIA BUSINESS. The company, respecting the final consumer, believes that he needs to know, how the production was done and where the product it is coming from. For this reason, the company now has a QR CODE on the final package, so that the customer can only see the entire course of the product from field to shelf directly with just the LOT NUMBER. The varieties of YANNI’S OLIVE GROVE olive trees are genetically certified by the Ministry of Agriculture for their authenticity. At the same time, it implements special protocols for the protection of the environment through the recycling materials and the management of waste.

Its products have higher levels of polyphenols and natural antioxidants, than conventional Greek extra pure olive oil, and for this reason, YANNI'S OLIVE GROVE are the only sponsor of the first world study on people with mild mental disorders, which is the precursor of Alzheimer's disease. The results of the study will be published within the year 2020 release on the market of the study. Yanni’s Olive Grove is owned by Ms. Sofia Prodromou, BS in Chemistry and Oenology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and her husband, Ioannis Prodromou.

The Metaggitsi Cooperative of Chalkidiki has been active since 1901 in the part of the rural area. Wanting to meet the modern challenges faced by farmers and at the urging of the President of the Cooperative Vlavi N. Konstantinou in 2011, the agricultural land registry of the Agricultural Cooperative of Metaggitsi, Chalkidiki, is decided and implemented. Specifically for this project, the satellite images purchased from abroad were procured and corrected, and then a database was created, which is connected with a program and aims at the correct mapping of parcels and agricultural areas in digital form, offering spatial and descriptive information. With the completion of the cadastre of the area of Metaggitsi, another information system was created that is connected to the existing program where it is possible to record the results of the chemical analyzes of the product and the soil and leaves diagnostic analyzes (philodiagnosis) of the farm. Specifically, for each estate that is recorded, the results of the chemical analyze of the product it produces per year as well as the results of the soil and leaves diagnosis analyzes per year are recorded and can be announced to the producers. The purpose of this recording and information is to control the product per year and in the long run, to control the cultivation of the producers and to improve the production and the way of cultivation, through the results provided by this information, if evaluated.

In addition to the useful information for the producer, this method was also chosen to ensure the consumers, as a result for the PDO excellent pure olive oil Galano Metaggitsiou Chalkidiks, for having completely traceability of the product and also for the production coordinates of the product in ESGA87 . In the next steps of the Agricultural Association was the cooperation with the American School of Agriculture. The actions which were developed are: 1) the training of young farmers 2) transition to the digital age smart farming. The Association participates in the pilot project carried out in the context of the implementation of the Interregional platform HIGH TECH FARMING as a result of the scope expansion , so as to include olive growing in accordance with the decision was taken unanimously of the platform’s members during the 1st Technical Meeting which was at the American School of Agriculture on June 12th , 2019. Specifically, a meteorological station has been set up which can provide information through a software system to the producers about the conditions that prevail and will prevail in the area and to be informed about the cultivation works that can be carried out to the farm (e.g. in case of a rainfall they will be able to informed about when they can spray, etc.). In the context of the cooperation, a pilot program was developed to protect the olive groves from “enemies”, such as olive fruit fly with the use of olive fruit fly traps , which have the ability to locate the olive cultivation “enemies” , without the producer going to the farm. All this information is provided electronically, so the producers have the opportunity to make good use of their time and make less use of pesticide. We attach indicative photos from the equipment used by the members of the Cooperative.

Finally, in the short plans of the cooperative, is the development of software to inform producers about irrigation and the proper use of water to save it, since the area is now developing in irrigated crops. From September 2015 in the register of Products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), after the approval of the European Commission (Official Journal of the European Union L 252/1 _29.09.2015), the [Galano Metaggitsi Chalkidikis (PDO)] an extra pure olive oil, which is prepared in Metaggitsi of the Municipality of Sithonia and has special quality characteristics, which now give it added value.

In Greece, hydroponics has been developing only in recent years, mainly in greenhouses where vegetables and flowers are produced. According to the available data from the International Center for Research and Education for Sustainability IRTC, 1750 acres are cultivated in Greece by hydroponic methods and concern the cultivation of both vegetables and flowers. Specifically, 1450 acres are cultivated with vegetables and 300 with flowers. Given that the total cultivated area in Greece amounts to 36.600 acres (arable land crops, horticultural land and permanent crops), (EL.STAT., 2018), hydroponic crops cover about 5% of the cultivated areas. About 400 acres of these are cultivated in Northern Greece, 150 acres in Central Greece, 300 acres in Attica and the Islands, 450 acres in the Peloponnese, 100 acres in Western Greece and 350 acres in Crete.

As for the species of plants that are cultivated, the tomato is the pre-eminent vegetable of hydroponic cultivation, since it covers about half of the areas. 25% of the areas include cucumber crops, 10% of the areas include peppers, lettuce, zucchini and eggplants while 15% of the cultivated areas are covered with flowers (gerberas, carnations, chrysanthemums and gypsophila), (www.luciafarm.gr, 2018). A number of entrepreneurs have entered the field of hydroponics since 2006, several of whom coming from sectors "foreign" to food production, investing millions of euros. Most of the groups in this category are concentrated in Northern and Northeastern Greece. The ITA Group was the first to "see" the business opportunities through its subsidiary.

ITA Group "Piperies Dramas" The company has developed a modern and innovative project, a Glass Fence unit of 100 acres, for the heating of which, is used a built-in Fuel and Electricity Cogeneration Station with natural gas (ita-sa.gr). Many varieties of peppers are produced and exported to more than 10 European countries. State-of-the-art, automated aquaculture systems are used and aquaculture takes place in inactive substrate. The cost of the project is estimated at 19 million Euro.

Wonderplant -The company is located in Petrousa, Drama and produces & packages tomatoes that come from 329,000 tomatoes in 66,000 planting lines. For this purpose, it has 120 acres of glazed greenhouse (www.wonderplant.gr). The use of the hydroponic method allows the production for nine months a year, while saving significant amounts of water. The company utilizes the thermal energy and carbon dioxide emissions of the natural gas that uses as fuel. The investment of the company amounts to EUR 30 million.

Lucia farm- The investments of the Efthymiadis group (Lucia) Lucia Farm is located in Alexandria, Imathia. It cultivates tomatoes in a glass greenhouse of 100 acres with the method of hydroponics (www.luciafarm.gr). The cultivation takes place in inert fiberglass substrates. 500,000 plants are grown by this method and 5,200 tons of tomatoes are produced per year. In the greenhouse is used a cogeneration system of electricity and heating while the produced carbon dioxide is consumed by plants and does not pollute the environment. The produced electricity is used for the town’s needs.

Greenhouses of Thrace -This is a company that has 140 acres of modern greenhouses where, since 2013, vegetables are grown with methods of integrated management. The company uses geothermal energy to heat its facilities, while by the method of hydroponics, produces products in autonomous cultivation booths and rotates crops per season managing to have production all year round. It is worth noting that in Thrace and generally in Northern Greece, there are geothermal fields whose use helps to save energy. It is a renewable energy source whose use has replaced oil and contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development. The Greenhouses of Thrace operate entirely by exploiting the geothermal energy (www.thracegreenhouses.com).

The products produced by the company are various varieties of tomatoes and cucumber.

Selecta One is a German company that recently, in collaboration with two Greek companies, started the production of floriculture in Chrysoupoli Kavala. The company uses geothermal energy and has developed 35 acres of greenhouses where rooted cuttings of ornamental plants are produced are exported almost entirely to Italy - mainly - but also to other countries (www.selecta-one.com). The company uses state-of-the-art production methods and has already invested 7 million Euro.

The company Georgiki Anaptiksi AEE is located in the Peloponnese, in Filiatra, and has greenhouses of 45 acres where, since 2009, it produces tomatoes and cucumbers with the method of hydroponics on technical stone wool substrates. The annual production reaches 1,800 tons. The company also produces about 3 million seedlings of vegs and vegetables for outdoor and greenhouse crops per year while using modern, certified production methods (geoana.gr).

At the same time, in the Greek region, more and more remarkable small and medium units are being implemented lately, such as the greenhouses of AGAN in Messinia. This is a modern business founded in 2012 and located in Messini (Messinia) and has 43 acres of greenhouse tomato cultivation with the method of hydroponics. Stone wool substrates are used, while the pollination of the fruits is done with the use of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), in a natural way. The company uses modern hydroponic systems, such as drip irrigation that is done automatically and allows the appropriate amounts of water to be taken from the plants. Also, water is recycled so that there is minimal consumption. Harvesting is done twice a week (www.greektomato.gr).

There is also the first hydroponic unit for strawberries near Manolada. This is a hydroponic strawberry cultivation system which is internationally innovative and has been awarded (gr.fraoulabest.com). This system is used by production units in Manolada, Rhodes, Pieria and Crete. Strawberries grow one meter above the ground while stone wool substrates are used and there is about a 30% saving in water use.

Businesses in Crete

In Crete, especially in Ierapetra but also in other areas, the cultivation of greenhouses is widespread. The climate of the area allows the low energy consumption but also the cultivation all year round. In recent years, hydroponic crops of vegetables and seedlings have been developed on the island with modern methods. Some worthwhile efforts are mentioned as examples.

Tampakis SA -The company is located in Ierapetra, Crete and has 50 acres of hydroponic vegetable crops (tomato, cucumber, pepper, eggplant) on substrates. Modern cultivation methods are used while the company has relevant certifications (www.tampakisveg.gr).

Hatzakis -The hydroponic unit of Mr. Hatzakis is located in Ierapetra, Crete and is one of the oldest, since it deals with hydroponic cultivation in stone wool since 1998 (www.agronews.gr).

Siamantouros SA This is a modern hydroponic installation in the prefecture of Heraklion that covers 25 acres of vegetables and flowers. In a closed circuit of hydroponics are grown mainly tomatoes where its effluents nutrient solution are reused saving significant amounts of water, which is very important for the island. The investment amounts to 1.5 million euros (www.agronews.gr).

AGRIS AE This is a seedling production unit in Ierapetra, Crete. The investment for the creation of the hydroponic facilities amounts to 1.7 million Euro.

In addition, in Samos we have the company " Ellinika Thermokipia SA" in which the tomaccini tomato snack is produced (s.s. olive type tomatoes in a package of 220 grams in a specially designed package). This is a pioneering idea that promotes the consumption of tomatoes as a snack. The company is located in Samos and produces tomatoes with the method of hydroponic cultivation promoting them as "the ideal snack" for children and adults (www.tomaccini.gr). This is a small-fruited, hydroponic tomato of the angel variety that is produced for the first time in Greece.