Progress of the FOPRODES Operational Group: fieldwork and validation of the new data collection software

The FOPRODES Operational Group continues to make progress toward its goal of optimizing forage production processes through digitalization, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction. During September and October , the consortium intensified field activities and technical testing of the digital tool being developed within the project.

A project to digitize and decarbonize the forage sector

FOPRODES aims to provide the dehydrated forage sector with digital tools that improve working methods and allow for better results in both agricultural operations and in the transformation and marketing processes.
To achieve this, the project works comprehensively across the entire production chain , incorporating carbon footprint measurement at different stages, certification through blockchain technology , and the release of the results obtained, so that the solutions developed can be used by the entire sector.

September: intense days of fieldwork

The work in the field does not stop, and neither does the project.
During the month of September, the technical team of La Pastora de Quinto , a partner of the Operational Group, carried out various tasks of supervision and data collection in the alfalfa plots.
These tasks included monitoring the raking and drying processes , with the aim of analyzing how different practices and machinery configurations influence drying efficiency and, therefore, the reduction of CO₂ emissions .

Favorable weather conditions allowed for detailed observation work, recording key information to adjust the parameters of the energy calculation model that drives the FOPRODES project.

October: New developments with the digital application

In October, the technical teams continued collecting data on machinery in the field , this time in collaboration with Agropal , another project partner. Despite the cloudier and wetter days—which increase drying times and, therefore, emissions—the team managed to gather valuable information that will allow them to compare the impact of different weather conditions during the post-harvest phase.

In addition, a technical working session was held this month with the computer application developed by 7eData , the consortium's technology partner.
During the meeting, progress was made in validating the software, completing checklists, correcting errors, and adjusting functionalities. This digital tool will allow for the real-time recording and analysis of machinery and process data, facilitating more efficient and sustainable decision-making.

Next steps

The data collection and analysis software will be released as the final result of GO FOPRODES , becoming an open and useful tool for professionals in the forage sector interested in reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency and optimizing production processes .

The FOPRODES project continues to demonstrate that innovation in the agri-food sector is built from the field, combining the experience of farmers with digitalization and new technologies in service of a more sustainable, transparent and competitive model.