Globally, pests are responsible for 20–40% of yield losses, with economic impacts estimated at around $290 billion each year, according to the FAO. For farm teams, the challenge is practical: protect crops effectively while avoiding unnecessary pesticide applications.

AGRIVI’s Role in the EFRA Project
As part of the EFRA project, AGRIVI worked with Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) to strengthen the predictive performance of its Pest Detection Algorithm and to validate it under real field conditions.

The algorithm combines pest biology and appearance criteria with weather forecast signals and location data to provide timely alerts for specific pests. It supports teams by indicating likely pest pressure, where it may appear, and the expected risk window, so scouting and protective measures can be better timed. Through EFRA, the goal was to improve prediction accuracy and refine pest management recommendations through real-world validation.

Piloting with existing AGRIVI users covered diverse regional conditions across Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Over two cycles, 24+ farmers tested the Pest Detection Algorithm in their own fields. These were active trials. Farmers received pest alerts up to seven days in advance and used them to guide scouting and crop protection decisions. The pilots served two purposes:

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