NCSR “Demokritos” ENRACT is coordinating the european project LIFE-FROSTDEFEND, with other partners including MSENSIS SA, the Farmers Unions Vostizza, the Agricultural University of Athens and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE).

LIFE-FROSTDEFEND project aims to design, develop and demonstrate the benefits of a novel monitoring and frost forecasting tool to mitigate frost injury in high yield agriculture crops. More specifically the project aims to:

1.  Design and develop a smart IoT-based system for monitoring selected atmospheric and agronomic parameters, forecasting frost events, and provide early warnings of adverse conditions
2.  Assess and predict the vulnerability and sensitivity of different types of fruit trees to frost events
3.  Develop and implement anticipated responses to frost events using sustainable techniques with low carbon footprint to reduce the epiphytic populations of ice nucleation active bacteria under a critical threshold
4.  Strengthening local capacities and provide guidelines about the best agricultural practices, technologies and support services, to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience
5.  Demonstrate the entire effort to several agricultural areas with different geographical and climatic characteristics
6.  Develop the FROSTDEFEND Adaptation Plan to promote best available techniques and environmental practices
7.  Increase awareness among target groups and end-users towards climate responsible attitudes.