Highlights from the 3rd STELLA Capacity Building Workshop on Tomato Crop Protection

By Dimitra Fourkalidou | Head of Communications | reframe.food

On June 20, the STELLA Horizon Europe project held its 3rd Capacity Building Workshop, titled “Pest Prognosis and Detection/Response Tools feat. The Italian Tomato Use Case Pilot”. The event brought together researchers, technology providers, and plant health experts to explore how digital tools are being applied to monitor, predict, and respond to pest threats in industrial tomato production.

The workshop focused on the Italian Use Case Pilot, offering a detailed look at the digital solutions being deployed to support early pest detection and precision response in one of Southern Europe’s most important crop sectors.

From Pilot Concept to Digital Deployment

Kicking off the session, the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA)—coordinator of STELLA—outlined the project’s broader goals and introduced the Italian Pilot as a model of integrated, data-driven crop protection. This Use Case focuses on regional threats to tomato crops and demonstrates how layered technologies can work together to provide timely insights for field action.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) presented the specifics of the Italian Pilot’s implementation, while Emilia-Romagna’s Regional Plant Health Services provided an overview of response strategies against Ralstonia solanacearum, a high-priority bacterial threat to tomatoes in the region.

Technologies in the Field

The workshop featured a series of technical presentations on digital pest surveillance solutions:

• Remote sensing applications were presented by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) and AUA, demonstrating how satellite and UAV (drone) systems provide scalable and high-resolution data on crop health and stress indicators.
• EdenCore introduced Eden Viewer, showcasing proximal sensing capabilities for in-field pest detection and monitoring.
• HORTA demonstrated the use of pomodoro.net, a decision support system tailored for tomato growers that helps guide precise and timely interventions based on real-time data.
• METOS by Pessl Instruments presented an integrated suite of tools including FieldClimate, spore samplers, weather stations, and the iScout® mobile app, which brings citizen science into the pest surveillance workflow.
• The session also featured a presentation of the SMART DROPLETS project, highlighting sustainable crop protection innovations aimed at reducing pesticide and fertilizer use through targeted delivery technologies.

Digital Tools for Sustainable Agriculture

Throughout the workshop, discussions emphasized the importance of combining technology with regional plant health policies, farmer engagement, and cross-sector knowledge sharing.

By showcasing field-tested solutions and fostering a dialogue between academia, industry, and regional authorities, the event advanced STELLA’s mission of enabling a digitally supported, sustainable future for plant health in Europe.

Looking Ahead

The STELLA Horizon Europe project will continue to organise Capacity Building Workshops through 2025 and 2026, sharing field experiences, facilitating cross-project exchange, and scaling up innovative pest management tools across sectors and regions.

Stay connected through the STELLA website and LinkedIn to follow the journey toward a smarter, more sustainable agricultural future.