European Projects STELAR and CrackSense Join Forces at the 92nd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad
Two Horizon Europe projects – STELAR and CrackSense – were presented together at the 92nd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, held from 17 to 22 May 2025. The joint presence underlined their shared commitment to advancing precision farming methods and data-driven agricultural practices across Europe.
The Novi Sad Agricultural Fair is an important meeting point for the agri-food sector in the region. For over nine decades, it has brought together individuals, business leaders, scientific and political delegations, and innovators from Serbia and beyond. The 2025 edition gathered more than 1,200 exhibitors from Serbia and 40 other countries, and recorded over 130,000 visitors. It remains an essential platform for presenting new technologies, discussing topical issues in agriculture, and encouraging international cooperation.
Shared Vision: Smarter, More Predictable Agriculture
STELAR and CrackSense showcased together at the event, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding collaboration document, recognising shared interests in precision agriculture and predictive analytics.
STELAR, through one of its pilots, is focusing on remote sensing and the use of satellite data to improve early-season yield forecasts. By deriving consistent field-level time series from Earth observation sources, STELAR contributes to more reliable crop prediction and better-informed agricultural planning.
CrackSense, on the other hand, is applying precision farming techniques to address the persistent issue of fruit cracking. Through a network of sensing technologies and data analytics, the project aims to provide a platform for growers outlining timely information to reduce fruit damage and associated yield losses, tailored to specific fruit varieties, location and long-term weather conditions. Both projects contribute to predictive capabilities in agriculture – from yield forecasting to early warning for fruit cracking – with data quality and usability at the core of their efforts.
Project Highlights at the Fair
As part of its outreach activities, CrackSense organised an Open Day at the Fair, engaging with media and fair visitors. Srdjan Penjivrag, Chief Research Officer at VizLore LLC, one of the project’s partner organisations, gave a live demonstration of orchard monitoring, showcasing a scaled model of the TOMMY system. This system features a network of sensors and a central unit that processes and updates data in real time – helping growers make informed decisions.
Aleksandra Tolmačev and Sandra Kolarić from Foodscale Hub, who are involved in the CrackSense project, stressed that events like this support both public engagement and cross-project learning: ‘Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the CrackSense project and its technologies first-hand. Through these conversations, it became clear once again that fruit cracking remains a major concern for many growers. Our joint presence with STELAR at this year’s fair reflects a shared goal: enabling smarter agriculture through better information.’
STELAR is a Horizon Europe project running from September 2022 to August 2025. It is building a Knowledge Lake Management System (KLMS) to support smart agriculture and food safety. The KLMS aims to improve access to AI-ready datasets, foster semantic interoperability, and promote intelligent data discovery.
At the STELAR stand, visitors explored the value of better-organised agricultural data. Through interactive quizzes and open dialogue, the team engaged in discussions around the role of digital tools in farming and food monitoring, particularly in the context of fragmented data landscapes.
What Comes Next
With STELAR approaching its conclusion, the project team is preparing for its final event. Meanwhile, CrackSense, now in its third year, is actively progressing through its piloting phase. Experimental setups and field trials are underway across diverse regions, aiming to validate the project’s sensor-based solutions for predicting fruit cracking.
Both initiatives continue to gather insights from the field and share knowledge with stakeholders — reflecting the ongoing efforts to make agricultural systems more data-aware, resilient, and practical for users on the ground.
To follow the latest updates and upcoming activities, connect with STELAR and CrackSense on LinkedIn.