Nowadays, peach farms, and agriculture in general, face intensified challenges linked to pest control and irrigation needs, due to the effects of climate change. A contemporary and effective approach to these challenged is presented herein, which is based on the utilization of a smart farming system and its specialization in peach farms in Greece, in the framework of the SmartPeach project.

The proposed smart farming system is based on specialized forecasting models that optimize irrigation and predict diseases to rationalize the use of plant protection products. It utilizes heterogeneous information sources including agro-environmental sensing stations, Earth Observation services (mainly Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Copernicus missions), farmer’s digital calendar, and on-the-field observations of the cultivation. The most important advantage of the specific Smart Farming System is its service based approach. Smart Farming is offered as a Service and so its application does not require technological investments from the farmers.

SmartPeach is an on-going project, expected to be completed in June of 2022. The current research indicates a potential reduction of up to 25% on total production cost due to optimization of irrigation and pest control applications, as well as an increase in farmers’ income up to 10% linked to improved product quality and yield.

In addition to the significant economic benefits from the implementation of the proposed Smart Farming System, the enhanced adaptation of the farms to the ever-changing climatic conditions, due to climate change, and the minimization of the ecological footprint of the farms are of crucial importance and worth emphasizing.