Events – Smart Mushroom Project

Oral presentation award

The paper entitled “Detection of Macrolepiota Procera Mushrooms Using Machine Learning”, authored by H. Haschatzi, Ch. Karaiskou, S. Goudos, K. Psannis and P. Sarigiannidis were selected by the editors-in-chief of WSCE as an article of significant interest, and was considered extremely important for its research area. The article discusses tracking wild mushrooms using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs – drones). The publication of the article was funded by the project Smart Mushroom fARming with internet of Things – SMART (DMR-0016521), coordinated by the ITHACA laboratory.

Presentation of the SMART project at the conference “Wood in the Modern Era”

Presentation of the project “Optimization of mushroom cultivation in the region of Western Macedonia using precision agriculture” through the company “Agros of Pindos” at the workshop “Wood in the Modern Era” organized in Grevena by the Region of Western Macedonia. The project partners had the opportunity to present the project’s innovative features for the optimization of mushroom production in a greenhouse and the search for wild mushrooms. In addition, products using mushrooms produced with the support of innovative Internet of Things technologies were presented.

BIOFACH 2022

The project “Smart Mushroom Farming with Internet of Things” was presented at Nuremberg’s BIOFACH 2022 organic products exhibition in June 2022. The partners presented the outcomes of the project, which intend to improve the production and the quality of mushrooms in the greenhouse by using modern technologies from the Internet of Things. Moreover, the mushrooms produced through the project are certified as organic products by international organizations. In addition, many different products with mushrooms as ingredients were presented in BIOFACH 2022 exhibition.

FoodEXPO 2022

The project “Smart Mushroom Farming with Internet of Things” was presented at Athens’ FoodEXPO 2022 exhibition in March 2022. The project aims to improve the quality and increase mushroom production in a greenhouse. Another aspect of the project is to help with mushroom hunting using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The partners have the opportunity to present the outcomes of the project, which uses modern technologies from the Internet of Things, such as Machine Learning, Wireless Sensor Networks and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Moreover, the company “Agros of Pindos” presented various products, including mushrooms.

FOOD EXPO 2022, which was organized 12-14 March in Athens, Greece, brought together thousands of food and beverage professionals from more than 83 countries around the world, 1.200 exhibitors from Greece and the rest of the world, 2.088 key international food traders.

Test flights with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

Test flights with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) continue to search for mushrooms in accessible areas in Grevena. The activities are part of the project “Βελτιστοποίηση καλλιεργειών μανιταριών στην περιοχή της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας με τη χρήση γεωργίας ακριβείας” (act code: ΔΜR1-0016521) in collaboration with the company Agros of Pindos and the University of Western Macedonia with scientific coordinator the associate professor of the ECE department Panagiotis Sarigiannidis.

The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of the “Περιφερειακού Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας” (WFP) of the NSRF 2014-2020. It is part of the action “Actions of collaborations and networking between research institutions, educational institutions and enterprises in priority areas of the region’s smart specialization strategy plan”.

Interview on the show Perimeter of ERT3

The University of Western Macedonia, under the scientific responsibility of the associate professor of the ECE Department, Panagiotis Sarigiannidis, in collaboration with the company Agros of Pindos, began the production of mushrooms in controlled areas within the framework of the project “Βελτιστοποίηση καλλιεργειών μανιταριών στην περιοχή της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας με τη χρήση γεωργίας ακριβείας” (act code: ΔΜR1-0016521).
The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of the “Περιφερειακού Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας” (WFP) of the NSRF 2014-2020, and is part of the action “Actions of collaborations and networking between research institutions, educational institutions and enterprises in priority areas of the region’s smart specialization strategy plan”.

Pleurotus mushroom production, freeze-drying and packaging

The production of mushrooms by the company “Agros of Pindos” continues successfully with an initial plan to supply the local market with fresh Pleurotus mushrooms but also with dried ones whose production, freeze-dried and packaging takes place at the company’s premises. The production of mushrooms is carried out through the company’s participation in the research program “Βελτιστοποίηση καλλιεργειών μανιταριών στην περιοχή της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας με τη χρήση γεωργίας ακριβείας” (act code: ΔΜR1-0016521).

The project is implemented in collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia under the scientific supervision of the associate professor of the ECE Department Panagiotis Sarigiannidis and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of the “Περιφερειακού Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας” (PEP PDM) of the NSRF 2014-2020.

SMART Mushroom kickoff meeting

On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, the inaugural meeting of the collaborating bodies in the framework of the research program “Βελτιστοποίηση καλλιεργειών μανιταριών στην περιοχή της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας με τη χρήση γεωργίας ακριβείας” (SMART – Smart Mushroom Farming with Internet of Things) (act code: ΔΜR1-0016521) was hosted at the premises of the company “TSIARSIOTIS CHRISTOS” (act code: ΔΜR1-0016521).

Mushroom cultivation is considered a difficult undertaking as it requires specialized knowledge and careful conditions for their proper and efficient development. “Smart Farming” assisted by the Internet of Things could prove to be a modern approach to mushroom cultivation. The continuous recording of information through sensors for the observation of cultivation conditions as well as their processing with advanced machine learning algorithms can be important tools in the optimization of the crop in order to increase the quantity and quality of the final product.

The “SMART” project aims to optimize the cultivation of mushrooms in controlled areas and monitor the conditions for developing “wild” mushrooms in free areas. More specifically, the main research objectives of the “SMART” project are the following:

- Development of machine learning algorithms to support decisions in controlled mushroom cultures by monitoring growth conditions.

- Investigation of conditions of mushroom growth in free areas through ground sensors placed in selected points of the Regional Unit of Grevena where mushrooms thrive.

- Detection of mushrooms in free areas using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The detection can be based on mechanical vision algorithms and vegetation indices resulting from the use of multispectral cameras used by UAVs.

- Integration of the individual subsystems of the SMART architecture into Cloud Computing infrastructures.

- Development of a Decision Support System in order to guide the interested party for the optimal cultivation and harvesting of mushrooms in controlled and free areas.

During the program, pilot demonstrations of the Decision Support System will take place, in controlled mushroom crops of the company “TSIARSIOTIS CHRISTOS”, but also in free areas where mushrooms thrive.

The SMART project, which is coordinated by Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical and Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering of the University of Western Macedonia, Panagiotis Sarigiannidis, is implemented in collaboration with the company “TSIARSIOTIS CHRISTOS” based in the Regional Unit of Grevena.

The SMART programme, with a total budget of € 297,020 and a duration of 24 months, is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of the “Περιφερειακού Επιχειρησιακού Προγράμματος Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας” (ΠΕΠ ΠΔΜ) of the NSRF 2014-2020, and is part of the action “Actions of cooperation and networking between research institutions, educational institutions, and businesses in priority areas of the Region’s smart specialization strategy plan”.