Bringing precision agriculture to the next generation
DREAM’s main achievements
After five years of research, our project has developed new instruments and protocols that read the photosynthetic state of plants in real time, turning their responses to light into a measurable fingerprint of their needs.
Our goal is to help growers in controlled environments like greenhouses use light, water, and nutrients more efficiently, reducing waste and environmental impact.
DREAM VISION
The vision of the EU-funded project DREAM is to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture introducing technological solutions tailored to meet plant needs and improve their growth.
Started in 2022, in 5-years we aim to introduce innovation in lighting, scientific instruments, and data processing to foster precision agriculture in optimized and controlled environments such as greenhouses, vertical farms, and indoor gardens.
Sustainability
By implementing the DREAM farming protocols, growers will reduce their water, nutrients, pesticides, and energy demands and act towards a sustainable practice.
Data Flow
In return to data acquired with a miniaturised device, DREAM users will receive plant-specific protocols for selective sensing and optimised lighting.
Sharing DREAM
Fed by the participative action of multiple users, the DREAM server will benefit from data gathered from a wide range of organisms and environments.
OUR APPROACH
Novel protocols and tools for plant sensing
Our tools report on the dynamics of photosynthesis regulation by relying on luminescent nanosensors & chlorophyll fluorescence as well as on modulated illuminations that are much closer to natural environmental light conditions. The resulting multi-parameter fingerprint could guide the design of plant-specific monitoring and assessment protocols to reduce the demands of water, nutrients, and pesticides.
Validation & extension
The protocols will be validated in lab settings and greenhouses on 3 organisms: the green alga C. reinhardtii, the model plant A. thaliana, and the tomato. The data acquisition will be then extended to other communities working on a wide variety of algae and plants under conditions relevant to the future of cultivation in controlled environments. This collection will implement a first-of-a-kind server which will incrementally improve its diagnosis based on the data collection coming from the participants.
Enhance lighting efficiency
Dynamically modelling the light acclimation of photosynthetic organisms will be used to optimise plant growth. Thus, we will exploit models to tailor modulated illuminations, which optimize the photon budget for driving photosynthesis. Our aim is to evaluate up to what level time-modulated illuminations can enhance the lighting efficiency in controlled environments.
The project in numbers
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
DREAM will dissolve the traditional boundaries between sciences, including:
- Chemistry
- Dynamical Systems
- Electrical Engineering
- Fluorescence Bioimaging & Optics
- Kinetic Models of Photosynthesis
- Machine Learning
- Physiology of Microalgae & Higher Plants
