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Bringing the knowledge generated by STRATUS to the Spanish agricultural system.

Sep 17, 2024 | News

The image shows a group of people attending a presentation in a classroom setting. The presenter, standing at the front, is pointing to a screen displaying a slide about the STRATUS project, which includes key statistics and objectives. The room is set up with tables, and participants are seated, taking notes or listening attentively. The setting appears professional, with branding from INTIA and STRATUS visible on banners and walls, emphasizing the focus on agricultural innovation and sustainable fertilization practices.

STRATUS project coordinator INTIA hosted their first Community of Practice (CoP) on Integrated Fertilization management. Participants shared their knowledge, experience, and good practices on precision farming, organic fertilizers, and soil quality. This is the first of three sessions that the Spanish entity will organize with the group with the goal of bringing the knowledge generated by STRATUS to the Spanish agricultural system.

Communities of practice bring together a group of people who share a common interest or concern, with the objective of spreading relevant knowledge that will help find new ways to reach their shared goals. The workshop was intended for all professionals of the agricultural industry, including farmers, advisors, investigators, and policymakers This approach allows for a bottom-up flow of information, making the ensuing knowledge relevant to local actors.

Participants in the session held at INTIA´s headquarters in Villava (Spain) worked to identify best practices related to precision farming, organic fertilizer use, and maintaining soil quality. These best practices will be analyzed and integrated in the project´s knowledgebase, which will become available through a dedicated platform that will be available later this year.

A person is giving a presentation in front of a room. The presenter is pointing to a projection screen showing various texts and graphics related to 'THE STRATUS PROJECT'. The audience, consisting of several people, is looking at the presenter and the screen. On the screen are diagrams, bullet points and icons of clouds, people and technological devices. There are logos in the lower right corner of the screen that appear to be associated with the project or the organizations involved.

These CoPs are an essential part of the strategy laid out by STRATUS to ensure the adaptation of the knowledge generated to local conditions. Communities like the one recently established by INTIA will be set up in 9 other partner countries. Poland, Greece, Slovenia, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy, Sweden, and Croatia will also set up CoPs like the one in Spain, which will help bring the knowledge generated by the STRATUS project to those territories.

All these efforts are part of the 5-year plan laid out by STRATUS to create a network of advisors across Europe to support farmers bringing the knowledge on integrated fertilization management into practice, to achieve the ambition of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, thus reducing nutrient losses to the environment while maintaining soil fertility.

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