From Field Signals to Smart Responses

STELLA Detects Plant Pathogens Before They Spread

Bu STELLA Horizon Europe project is moving forward dynamically with a set of coordinated activities aimed at transforming how pest monitoring and plant health surveillance are conducted across Europe and New Zealand.

DIGITAL PEST MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES DEPLOYED

At this stage of implementation, STELLA has successfully installed a network of smart insect traps and initiated the regular capture of satellite imagery across pilot sites. These tools form the backbone of the project’s innovative STELLA Pest Surveillance System (PSS), a real-time pest detection, forecasting, and response platform.

In addition, UAVs (drones) are actively capturing high-resolution images from selected plots, providing granular data to complement satellite observations. The EdenViewer, an AI-powered scouting device, is already deployed in the field and used during scouting sessions. Leveraging machine learning and computer vision, it captures and analyses in-field images to detect potential pathogen presence in real time.

Data collection has already begun and will be instrumental in enabling early pest warning, supporting data-informed interventions, and promoting more sustainable crop protection practices.

LAUNCH OF STELLA CAPACITY-BUILDING WORKSHOPS

The first workshop in the series will take place online on June 4, 2025, at 10:00 CEST, and will focus on pest detection tools with a special feature on the Lithuanian Pilot Use Case, which addresses Potato Leafroll Virus (PLRV), a significant threat to arable crops in Europe.

Participants will explore technologies integrated into the STELLA PSS, including satellite-based monitoring, UAVs, AI-driven scouting solutions, and mobile applications. In addition, the workshop will feature the QuantiFarm toolkit, a curated collection of Digital Agricultural Technology Solutions (DATs) designed to optimise crop management decisions and enhance production efficiency across diverse farming systems.

Registration link: https://shorturl.at/NL50U
Workshop language: English

STAKEHOLDER SURVEY TO INFORM PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

In parallel, the STELLA consortium is conducting a stakeholder survey to better understand the needs, practices, and expectations of the agricultural community. The survey targets farmers, foresters, researchers, policymakers, agri-tech experts, and active citizens, and is designed to inform the user-centric development of the PSS platform.

The survey remains open, and participation is still welcome from all interested stakeholders. Across all languages and outreach materials, the central message remained consistent: “Your expertise makes a difference.” Each response contributes to shaping a more effective, inclusive, and impactful future for plant health in Europe.

Survey link (available in three languages):
English – https://shorturl.at/RiQgP
Greek – https://shorturl.at/VcbeN
Italian – https://shorturl.at/m6ZJZ

The results of the survey will be integrated into the design of the STELLA PSS platform to ensure it meets the real needs of end users.

About STELLA

STELLA is a Horizon Europe project developing a digital surveillance system for the early prediction, detection, and response of regulated pest outbreaks using advanced sensing technologies and Artificial Intelligence. The STELLA PSS platform will be tested over three years across six pilot sites in Europe and New Zealand, covering diverse crops and environments. The project addresses eight quarantine (QP) and regulated non-quarantine (RNQP) diseases, integrates capacity-building for end-users, and generates policy recommendations to support pesticide reduction, digitalisation, and sustainable plant health management across the EU.

Contact for media inquiries:
Project email: [email protected]
Project website: https://stella-pss.eu

Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.