Second Field Workshop in Lithuania: Practical Application of Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Plant Disease and Pest Monitoring

On 23 June 2026, the second field workshop entitled “Smart Plant Protection: Development of AI Tools for Disease and Pest Monitoring” was held in Lithuania. The event brought together 21 participants, including researchers from the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry and the Agriculture Academy of Vytautas Magnus University, agricultural specialists, advisors, and farmers.
Focusing on Practical Experience

The second workshop focused on providing participants with practical experience of the experimental trials established at different locations across Lithuania and the data collection methods that will support the development of artificial intelligence-based solutions for plant disease and pest detection and management. During the event, participants visited experimental fields located in Verėduva Eldership, Raseiniai District Municipality, and at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas District.

First Visit: Field Bean Variety Trial (Verėduva Eldership)

The first visit took place at a field bean variety trial established in Verėduva Eldership (Raseiniai District Municipality).

Experimental Design: The trial includes ten field bean varieties – “Granit”, “Bobas”, “Tiffany”, “Fuego”, “Laura”, “Isabell”, “Vire”, “Louhi”, “Boxer”, and “Hammerꞌ” – arranged in four replicates, with each experimental plot covering an area of 20 m².

Methodology & Tools: Researchers presented the objectives of the PestSpace project and explained how field observations are organised throughout the growing season, what types of data are collected, and why high-quality data are essential for developing reliable artificial intelligence models. Participants were introduced to the Plutof Go mobile application, used for standardized field observations and digital data collection.

Practical Exercise: A group activity attracted considerable interest. Participants divided into teams to identify disease symptoms and insect pests present in the bean crop. This encouraged active collaboration between researchers and practitioners, enabling them to examine the different bean varieties, compare growth characteristics, and discuss potential differences in responses to diseases and pests under real field conditions.

Second Visit: Winter Wheat Variety Trial (Raščiai village)

The workshop continued with a visit to the winter wheat variety trial established in Raščiai village.

Experimental Design: The trial consists of ten winter wheat varieties: “Ceylon”, “Turanus”ꞌ, “Parlikee”, “Perenaise”, “Etana”, “Wendelin”, “Symetria”, “Persona”, “Brigens”ꞌ, and “Umberto”. Just like the bean trial, it is arranged in four replicates, with each plot covering 20 m².

Fieldwork & Apps: Researchers introduced the monitoring methodology used in winter wheat, explained the priples of disease and pest assessment, and demonstrated how standardized observation data are recorded using the Plutof Go mobile application.

Teamwork: Participants worked in teams to search for and identify diseases and pests occurring in the winter wheat crop. The practical activities were followed by discussions on the agronomic characteristics of the different varieties, plant health, and their potential resistance to diseases. Working directly in the field highlighted the importance of collecting standardized, high-quality data for advanced decision-support tools.

Final Stop: Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas District)

At the end of the workshop, participants returned to the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas District, where they visited comparable field bean and winter wheat trials established using the same experimental design.

This provided an excellent opportunity to:

• Compare research conducted at different locations.
• Discuss the influence of environmental conditions on crop growth, disease development, and pest occurrence.
• Emphasize the importance of applying harmonized monitoring methods across all experimental sites.

The second field workshop once again demonstrated that close cooperation between researchers, advisors, and farmers is essential for developing innovative, data-driven plant protection technologies. Practical field activities, demonstrations of digital tools (such as the Plutof Go app), and the active involvement of participants provided valuable insights into how artificial intelligence and standardized monitoring data can contribute to more sustainable crop production and more effective management of plant diseases and pests throughout the Baltic Sea Region.

📸 Take a look at some highlights from our second workshop:

Programme Manual Online

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