STELLA aims to develop a holistic digital system (STELLA PSS) to aid in the early warning and detection of regulated pests together with a response strategy by using modern sensing technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The STELLA PSS will be tested over three years at field, farm and regional levels across 6 Use Case Pilots (UCPs) covering arable, orchard and vineyard crops as well as large, difficult to reach areas (forests). STELLA focuses on eight (8) different RNQP and quarantine diseases transmitted in a variety of ways, that expand across 4 European countries with different climate and geological characteristics and New Zealand. STELLA will perform capacity-building activities in order to equip farmers, agronomists, and stakeholders with the necessary skills to use the STELLA system and encourage them to adopt eco-friendly crop protection methods.

Policy recommendations generated through the STELLA PSS findings, will be targeted to policy makers and decision makers aiming to support the European Commission’s goals of reducing pesticide use, managing priority plant pest outbreaks and promoting digitalisation of EU agriculture and forestry. A networking strategy will be developed to exchange ideas, leverage existing knowledge and enable links with relevant organisations, citizens, networks, projects, and initiatives.