A correct water measurement is a fundamental prerequisite for many applications, from meteorological forecast to flood prediction, drought, agriculture and, in general, water management. FAO states that water is the biggest problem that humanity will face in this century. At global level, 70% of water resources, used by humanity, are currently destined to agriculture. In 2050 the water demand will grow by 50%, especially in developing countries. The water supply emergency currently affects about eighty countries in the world, involving 40% of the world’s population. It is evident that the programmed and sustainable use of the water resources in agriculture is crucial, not only to meet the food demand, but also to the water lack. Precision farming is the answer to this problem. Irrigation is needed and we need to do it better, without wasting water. The advantage of irrigating crops is evident: with irrigation, farmers can produce more food. Irrigated agriculture accounts for only 20% of the total cultivated land on the planet, but produces 40% of the food it needs. Our company aims to provide a solution for sustainable consumption of water in agriculture. Our product is able to measure the water content of the soil, mediated on a large area (about 5 ha), up to 50cm deep with only one probe by measuring the neutrons produced by cosmic rays. This quantity is directly related to the water content in the soil. Precise knowledge of soil moisture content, available for plant growth, is one of the key pillars on which precision farming is based. This new technology will be the key for an efficient and cost-effective environmental monitoring. We can obtain a sustainable agriculture only employing programmed irrigation, in order to both maximize crops and minimize waste, above all. The most rational use of water will be, in the near future, not only a goal to be pursued in agricultural production, but also the qualifying element of policies in Italy, Europe and all around the world

https://www.finapptech.com

• Italy

• Remote and rural communities

Finapp is an innovative startup, spinoff of Padua University - Italy, established in 2019. Founded by university lecturer and researcher of Experimental Nuclear Physics Department, Finapp perfectly embodies the spirit of the research team, devoted in finding new applications as innovative as solid, starting from theoretical physics notions. The original idea of using nuclear detector to estimate water content is dated autumn 2016: since then, step by step, that idea took shape and first became a project, then a prototype and finally a company that perfectly represents the concept of technology transfer from the university to the industry. During the development of the prototype we had the opportunity to test the technology in several place across the Europe, from small and big farmers to important university like the one in Potsdam that is a state-of-the-art center for the use of CRNS probes and is a reference point for the international CosmicSense project for the use of CRNS in agriculture. Actually we are running a proof of concept program with the goal of realizing an extensive field test of the technology (16 sites across Europe, one of it at IAEA headquarters in Vienna) in order to spread to farmers and university the possibility of using this new approach in agriculture and water management. Thanks to this program we also defined the scale-up program and from spring 2021, we will be ready to scale up the production at industrial stage. 2020 saw other important news, with the entry into the company of new partners from the business world and investment funds, to enrich our working group with experience, knowledge and sensitivity different from the university ones. Thanks to our innovative technology, Finapp has obtained some important awards: - StartCup Veneto 2017: first place in cleantech & Energy category - National innovation award, December 2017 Napoli: final round of 4 - Seed & Chips, May 2018, Milan: best 60 startup worldwide in agritech and best 4 for the sustainable use of water resources

https://www.finapptech.com/en
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/9/202
https://www.finapptech.com/reference.pdf

One of Finapp's main objectives is to transfer an innovative technology, that of the CRNS probes, from the world of research to that of agriculture. Without a doubt, the greatest challenge we have encountered to date is that of overcoming the skepticism of farmers, consortia and official bodies. Although the measurement of soil moisture is deficient, the current standard made of point probes or remote sensing is so deeply rooted in everyday life, that a totally different approach is not perceived as possible. Being able to make the concepts underlying our probes simple and above all understandable to non-experts (physicists, researchers, university professors), gaining the trust of our interlocutors, is undoubtedly the most difficult and at the same time most stimulating challenge we have fronted. We also believe that a universally recognized and appreciated body such as FAO can help us a lot in reaching our goal.

We would simply like to tell you how Finapp's idea was born. As often, it happened by accident. Our university research was focused on anything else: machinery capable of detecting the presence of radioactive sources at a great distance. Such was the success of our research that for reasons of national security, the entire project passed "into other hands". However, we did not despair, and we wondered if this ability we had acquired to track atoms, even at great distances, could prove useful in some other field. From this simple question Finapp was born and our hope is to be able to give a convincing answer.

Category 3 – Agriculture innovations systems and sustainable farming 21. E-agriculture Ensure the systematic dissemination of information using ICTs on agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry and food, in order to provide ready access to comprehensive, up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information, particularly in rural areas. Public-private partnerships should seek to maximize the use of ICTs as an instrument to improve production (quantity and quality). 22. E-science Promote affordable and reliable high-speed Internet connection for all universities and research institutions to support their critical role in information and knowledge production, education and training, and to support the establishment of partnerships, cooperation and networking between these institutions. Promote electronic publishing, differential pricing and open access initiatives to make scientific information affordable and accessible in all countries on an equitable basis. Promote the use of peer-to-peer technology to share scientific knowledge and pre-prints and reprints written by scientific authors who have waived their right to payment. Promote the long-term systematic and efficient collection, dissemination and preservation of essential scientific digital data, for example, population and meteorological data in all countries. Promote principles and metadata standards to facilitate cooperation and effective use of collected scientific information and data as appropriate to conduct scientific research.