Written by: Nikola Saraginovski
The COST Action FruitCREWS successfully organized the training school “Introduction to Remote sensing for Irrigation Management”, hosted by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia (29 September – 1 October 2025). Among a cohort of 68 applicants, the event drew 26 early-career researchers and FruitCREWS members from 15 countries, fostering a rich exchange of knowledge and ideas.
The main objective of the training school was to provide participants with a solid theoretical foundation of the tools and techniques of remote sensing in the context of sustainable irrigation. This objective was met through a blend of lectures, a field visit, and practical instructions. The following topics were included in the program:
- National experience in developing decision support systems for Irrigation
- Introduction to remote sensing:
- Physical principles of remote sensing
- Spectral signatures in remote sensing imagery
- Spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution
- Satellite vs. drone-based image acquisition
- Case studies across crop species using thermal multispectral imagery to calculate vegetation and water stress indices
- Satellite remote sensing – In depth
- Practical session on Google Earth Engine for monitoring field crops and orchards using available satellite imagery collections
- Field trip: Drone-based image acquisition
- Hands-on session on flight mission planning, image acquisition, and image processing for orthomosaic generation
- Drone imagery – In depth
- Theory and practice of orthomosaicing, software tools, and programming code
- Hands-on analysis of drone imagery for irrigation management
- AI-based case studies, including plant disease detection
- Beyond Irrigation: Broader applications of drone imagery
- Spatial variability in vegetative and reproductive growth in orchards – challenges for precision management
- LAI prediction from RGB image
- From remote sensing to irrigation advice: Practical insights from Hidrosoph’s Experience
- Practical case study on how remote sensing data can be integrated with ground measurements to generate irrigation advice, with examples of grower interaction and benefits
Speakers and trainers:
The training school was led by the following experts in the field:
- Prof. Ordan Chukaliev, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodis, North Macedonia
- Dr. Assaf Chen, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Israel
- Dr. Or Sperling, Volcani Institute, Israel
- Ms. Sandra Pires, Hidrosoph company, Portugal
- Mr. Gil Shoshani, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Israel
- Mr Goran Georgievski, FlySense company, North Macedonia
- Dr. Martin Panzel, Thuringen Education and Research Center for Horticulture, Germany
- Msc Marco Bignardi, Giesenheim University, Germany
The training school was marked by strong engagement from all the participating researchers. Attendees contributed actively to discussions after each topic, exchanging ideas and approaches. They expressed very positive feedback. The field trip hands-on session stood out as especially impactful, allowing participants to see the practical aspects of flight mission planning and image acquisition.
The training school advanced participants’ knowledge on remote sensing for irrigation management and fostered momentum for future collaborative work. The training school was a notable success, reflected in the productive interactions and enthusiastic participation throughout the event. Its mix of theory and hands-on work created a comprehensive learning experience, supporting the further adoption of remote sensing techniques for both research and practical irrigation management.
