Catalogue of Infrastructures and Facilities

Wielkopolska Agricultural Advisory Center in Poznań (WODR)

Bridge sprinkler with a working width of 250 m equipped with a VRI system, e.g., a system of variable irrigation doses. Independent control of each of the 63 sprinklers. The sprinkler can irrigate an area of up to 20 hectares at once. The water dose is controlled manually, but it is possible to retrofit it with an automatic system based on, e.g., satellite data or a weather station system. Systems used: GPS+RTK, VRI. Specification: width 250 m; can irrigate an area of up to 20 hectares at once; possibility of irrigating only selected sectors, e.g., out of all 63 sprinklers, only a part can work at the same time, e.g., half of them, to compare the effect with and without irrigation. It is used for: - Cooperation with the soil moisture monitoring service through the possibility of increasing soil moisture - Machine tests in any soil moisture conditions - Machine tests in controlled rain conditions - Tests of the correctness of shape files with irrigation application maps in field conditions, i.e., tests of correctness and compatibility with a sprinkler equipped with the VRA system

Infrastructure

WODR Physical Infrastructure

WODR is a public organisation running directly under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Its role is to improve the level of agricultural incomes and improve the market competitiveness of farms, to support the sustainable development in rural areas, as well as to raise the level of professional skills of farmers and other inhabitants in rural areas. WODR is also responsible for promoting and disseminating the innovative services in agriculture. WODR has a good experience in implementing projects related to the development of agriculture and digitalisation. It participates in many European projects (financed by RDP, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and Digital Europe). WODR is also a leader of digitalisation of agriculture advisory in Poland. It’s a leader of a flagship ICT project called eDWIN, an established Polish advisory digital platform. WODR has its own test facility located in Sielinko (70 km from Poznań), where on the surface of over 70 ha of experimental fields, apiaries (beehives), and an animal and agricultural technology demonstration centre are situated. In particular, Sielinko is equipped with a control station for field and orchard sprayers, cold pressing of oil training and services, and collection of energy plants. There is also an area of approximately 3 ha where the latest varieties of crop plants, including those from the list of recommended varieties, are cultivated. Facilities used in the project: - WODR land facility in Sielinko - WODR bridge sprinkler

Facility

Trial Farm

The experimental farm spans 145 hectares, featuring a variety of soil types ranging from 30 to 90 cm in depth, including moderately deep clay loam and shallow clay-limestone soils. With certifications in Organic Agriculture and High Environmental Value (HVE), the farm dedicates areas to various types of trials: 2 ha for environmental testing, 4.75 ha for organic fields, 5.32 ha for autonomous organic trials, and 7.08 ha for innovative organic trials. A zero-herbicide area (5 ha) supports feasibility studies on agronomic and mechanical weed control methods, both with and without ploughing. The farm uses advanced precision agriculture techniques, including RTK tractor guidance, self-guided hoeing with RTK and camera systems, sprayers with section cut-off, nitrogen modulation, yield mapping, and comprehensive data recording. Spatial soil characterisation, decision-support tools, and a rigorous technical, economic, and environmental assessment system help extrapolate trial results to inform practices for farms of up to 300 hectares.

Facility

Grain Storage Platform

The facility is designed for efficient and controlled grain storage and processing. It features 350 tonnes of storage capacity with ventilated bins and a silo thermometry system to ensure optimal temperature monitoring. The Sec-LIS® system controls 8 fans automatically to maintain ideal storage conditions, while 4 automatic samplers facilitate continuous quality checks. Two independent circuits with adjustable flow rates (up to 50 t/h) handle grain transport, and a dust extraction system reduces emissions. The site also includes a cleaner-separator and fumigation bins for specific experimental treatments.

Facility

Technological Quality Laboratory

The laboratory specialises in multi-species analysis, including soft wheat, durum wheat, barley, corn, forage, triticale, sorghum, and feed ingredients like rapeseed and soy. With approximately 45 analysis methods, the lab handles 10,000 samples per year and performs 65,000 analyses across 1,000 m² of facilities, including 150 m² of cold storage. For over 10 years, it has maintained a comprehensive database of reference samples. Key areas of expertise include moisture, protein, starch, fat content, hardness, and soil composition. The lab also conducts rheological, physical, and sensory tests, including breadmaking quality (alveograph, gluten, Zeleny, falling number, thousand kernel weight, test weight, ash content, and starch damage). The laboratory’s three main domains of expertise are technological quality, animal feed, and infrared analysis (spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging).

Infrastructure

Boigneville site

The Boigneville site includes 22 buildings, encompassing 17,000 m² of facilities with 6,000 m² dedicated to offices and laboratories. Core activities focus on digital farming, innovative cropping systems, agronomy, agricultural equipment, genetic innovations, and variety evaluation. The site also houses research on plant pathology, grain storage, and the valorisation of cereals and potatoes, supported by statistical analysis, modelling, economic studies, and marketing initiatives. The centre collaborates closely with local farmers, running localised trials to test and improve agricultural practices. List of Facilities Used in Offered Services - 145 ha of trial area - Grain Storage Platform - Technological Quality Laboratory

Facility

Phénofield

As part of PHÉNOME, the French plant phenotyping network, PhénoField® integrates expertise across agronomy, plant physiology, robotics, and bioinformatics. With over 350 plant varieties studied annually, the platform can simulate 17 distinct climates and is equipped with cutting-edge technology: 2 lidars for 3D laser analysis, 6 continuous cameras, 4 spectroradiometers for leaf light reflection measurements, and 36 soil moisture probes across 100 data points. This high-tech setup generates hundreds of terabytes of data annually, enabling researchers to track plant growth, water use, and light absorption in detail. By identifying drought-resistant traits and their genetic markers, PhénoField® paves the way for the development of resilient crop varieties.

Infrastructure

Ouzouer le Marché site

Lukasiewicz Poznanski Instytut Technologiczny (L-PIT)

Designed for agricultural and environmental research, it features 8 rolling roofs covering 5,000 m² of adaptable space, with 384 micro plots (both covered and rainfed) enabling diverse testing conditions. This station supports the phenotyping of up to 400 crop varieties annually and includes 16 irrigation carts and 32 distinct water conduits fed by 650 m³ of harvested rainwater, ensuring sustainable water usage. Equipped with 36 real-time soil moisture sensors and over 100 measurement points at various soil depths, it offers precise hydric management for trials. Located at 45 Voie Romaine, Ouzouer-le-Marché, 41240 Beauce la Romaine

Facility

Stand for testing the reactions or movements of the vehicle

Lukasiewicz Poznanski Instytut Technologiczny (L-PIT)

A test stand with dimensions of 30000x8000 mm, with a centrally mounted, hydraulically lifted platform. The stand is used both in accredited tests based on standardised methods or in-house procedures and in non-accredited activities, including research and development work related to the design and testing of autonomous machinery. The stand is used, among other things, for measuring technical parameters, weights, pressure forces, and stability of machinery and equipment.

Facility

Stand for testing the size of drops produced by agricultural sprayers as a function of pressure and temperature

Lukasiewicz Poznanski Instytut Technologiczny (L-PIT)

The stand is used for verification of the correct operation of algorithms controlling the spectrum of sprayed working liquid in agricultural and orchard sprayers as a function of pressure and temperature. It is used for measuring the size of particles sprayed in the air. - recording rapid process changes in real time.

Facility

Inequality spray table to measurements inequality crosswise spray boom

Lukasiewicz Poznanski Instytut Technologiczny (L-PIT)

This is a setup for testing the transverse spray uniformity of liquid using nozzles mounted on a spray boom. It serves to verify the correct operation of the nozzles and examines the degree of proper liquid spraying on the surface. The degree of uniformity of spraying and quality of the nozzles are determined by the coefficient of spray irregularity. Parameters: Table width: 3000 mm; collection groove width: 50 mm.

Infrastructure

L-PIT Poznan