WS.IV - Precision Agriculture

ROOM 7
WS.IV SMART MATERIALS and DEVICES for PRECISION AGRICULTURE APPLICATIONS 18 September
*Co-organized with:*

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE: Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM Maria Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN
The workshop aims to disseminate the activities performed by the SAMOTHRACE ecosystem in the Precision agriculture field. The agri-food chain nowadays needs novel approaches to support crop production and reduce its economic and environmental impacts. Sensors and smart materials, sustained by innovative management of the resources, will allow us to apply the three key points for precise and sustainable agriculture, i.e., to act exactly where, when, and how the crop requests it. The main topics that will be covered are: 1. Sustainable management of natural water resources in agriculture; 2. Smart sensing of irrigation water; 3. Plant health monitoring; 4. Nanotechnologies for plant nutrition and protection. All activities and topics are supported by advanced data management and decision support systems.

18 September
09:00 - 10:30 Sustainable management of natural water resources in agriculture WS.IV.1 - TT.V.B
Chairs: Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM \| Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN
The session on sustainable management of natural water resources in agriculture focuses on innovative solutions for optimizing water use in precision farming. It explores the valorization of agro-mining and fishery waste to produce advanced nanomaterials, the development of 3D-printed polymer nanocomposites for efficient water purification, and novel nanotechnologies to enhance water quality management, supporting a more sustainable and competitive agriculture.
WS.IV.1.1 TT.V.B.1	Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM Maria Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN Opening
WS.IV.1.2 TT.V.B.2	Simone QUARANTA - CV Institute of nanostructured materials (CNR-ISMN) – Sapienza University of Rome Nanomaterials from agro-mining, and fishery waste for advanced agriculture applications
WS.IV.1.3 TT.V.B.3	Libera VITIELLO - CV Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (CNR-IPCB) – Catania Nanotechnology for sustainable agriculture: 3D-printed polymer nanocomposites loaded with TiO2 for water purification
WS.IV.1.4 TT.V.B.4	Silvia SFAMENI - CV Institute of nanostructured materials (CNR-ISMN) – Messina Innovative Nanomaterials for Effective Water Quality Management in Sustainable Precision Agriculture

11:30 - 13:00 Smart sensing of irrigation water WS.IV.2 - TT.VI.B
Chairs: Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM \| Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN
The session on smart sensing of irrigation water highlights innovative technologies for monitoring and improving water quality in precision agriculture. It showcases nanomaterials for pollutant detection and removal, advanced electrochemical sensors for nutrients and contaminants, and miniaturized 3D-printed microfluidic systems. Bio-based materials and engineered biological components are also introduced, enabling sustainable and efficient solutions for smarter irrigation management.
WS.IV.2.1 TT.VI.B.1	Giuseppe NOCITO - CV Institute of nanostructured materials (CNR-ISMN) – Messina Cyclodextrin-based nanomaterials for sensing and removal of pollutants in precision agriculture
WS.IV.2.2 TT.VI.B.2	Roberta FARINA - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania Screen-Printed Electrochemical Sensor Platform for Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonium Detection in water
WS.IV.2.3 TT.VI.B.3	Giuseppe CAPUANO - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania Miniaturizable 3D Printed Microfluidics Chemiluminescence System for ATP Detection in Water
WS.IV.2.4 TT.VI.B.4	Consuelo CELESTI - CV Department of Engineering – University of Messina Electrochemical detection of Arsenic (III) ions using bacteria derived bioactive compounds
WS.IV.2.5 TT.VI.B.5	Domenico CORSO - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania Integrated Optoelectronic System for Environmental Monitoring of Heavy Metals Using Engineered Bacteria
WS.IV.2.6 TT.VI.B.6	Giulia RANDO - CV Institute of nanostructured materials (CNR-ISMN) – Messina Nanostructured Bio-Based Materials from Agricultural Waste for Enhanced and Functional Performances in Precision Agriculture

14:00 - 15:30 Plant health monitoring WS.IV.3 - TT.VII.B
Chairs: Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM \| Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN
The session on plant health monitoring focuses on innovative nanotechnologies and green strategies to enhance crop resilience and sustainability. It explores hybrid nanocomposites with metal oxide nanoparticles as eco-friendly solutions for improving plant stress tolerance, as well as microencapsulation of essential oils for natural pest management. The discussion also highlights the impact of iron nanoparticles used as foliar fertilizers and introduces advanced green sensing platforms for real-time monitoring, supporting smarter and more sustainable agricultural practices.
WS.IV.3.1 TT.VII.B.1	Maria MIRITELLO - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania Metal oxide nanoparticles in hybrid nanocomposites as a green solution for crop resilience
WS.IV.3.2 TT.VII.B.2	Giuseppe ANGELLOTTI - CV Institute of nanostructured materials (CNR-ISMN) – Palermo Microencapsulation of Essential Oils: A Novel Strategy for Eco-Friendly Pest Management
WS.IV.3.3 TT.VII.B.3	Miriam DISTEFANO - CV Institute of BioEconomy (CNR-IBE) – Catania Exploring the impact of iron nanoparticles applied as foliar fertilizer on seedling of different crops
WS.IV.3.4 TT.VII.B.4	Elena PALMIERI - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Roma Green Sensing Platforms for Smart and Sustainable Agriculture

16:00 - 17:30 Nanotechnologies for plant nutrition and protection WS.IV.4 - TT.VIII.B
Chairs: Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM \| Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN
The session on nanotechnologies for plant nutrition and protection presents innovative solutions to enhance crop health and sustainability in precision agriculture. It explores advanced fluorescent sensor arrays for early detection of pathogenic fungi, energy-efficient micro power storage systems for autonomous sensor networks, and a preliminary UV optical monitoring prototype for real-time field assessment. These cutting-edge approaches aim to improve plant protection, optimize resource use, and support smarter, more sustainable farming practices.
WS.IV.4.1 TT.VIII.B.1	Giuseppe TRUSSO SFRAZZETTO - CV Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania Detection of pathogenic fungi by a fluorescent sensor array
WS.IV.4.2 TT.VIII.B.2	Fabio MATERA - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania Flow-Battery Micro Power storage for off-grid sensor networks
WS.IV.4.3 TT.VIII.B.3	Ivana Di BARI - CV Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM) – Catania A Preliminary Prototype System for UV Optical MeSA Monitoring in Agriculture Field
WS.IV.4.4 TT.VIII.B.4	Sebania LIBERTINO, CNR-IMM Maria Rosaria PLUTINO, CNR-ISMN Concluding remarks