Pl@ntAgroEco

Agroecology necessarily involves crop diversification as well as early detection of plant diseases, deficiencies, and stresses (e.g., water stress), along with better biodiversity management. The main challenge is that this shift in agricultural practices requires expertise in botany, phytopathology, and ecology, which is generally lacking among field actors such as farmers and agri-food company technicians. To overcome this knowledge accessibility barrier, digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, can play a crucial role.

The goal of the Pl@ntAgroEco project is to design, experiment, and develop new high-impact services in agroecology within the Pl@ntNet platform. This includes:

• Research in AI and plant sciences.
• Agile development of new components within the platform.
• Organization of citizen science programs and user community engagement on Pl@ntNet.

This work program aims to improve the detection and recognition of plant diseases, as well as the identification of infraspecific levels. It will enable the development of tools to estimate symptom severity, deficiencies, declining stages, water stress, or the characterization of species associations from multi-specimen images. It will enhance species knowledge.

The Pl@ntAgroEco project brings together complementary strengths in research, development, and engagement. The multidisciplinary team responsible for the Pl@ntNet platform will be joined by new research forces with recognized expertise in citizen science. The consortium will comprise 10 partners, including research organizations, universities, civil society actors, and international partners.