Smart Agriculture: Cloud Data Control Platform

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Precision and Digital Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 529

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Computer Science, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Interests: Internet of Things; machine learning; dynamic processes; agro-informatics; health informatics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to this Special Issue on “Smart Agriculture: Cloud Data Control Platform”. The agricultural sector is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by IoT devices, sensors, robotics, and drones that generate unprecedented volumes of agronomic data. This shift to smart agriculture promises enhanced productivity, sustainability and resource efficiency, thus turning farms into intelligent, data-enabled ecosystems capable of feeding a growing world. However, harnessing this data deluge is a significant challenge. Cloud data control platforms provide the critical infrastructure for collecting, storing, processing, and analyzing farm data in real-time. They enable automated irrigation, precise fertilizer dosing, early disease warnings, smart livestock monitoring, and predictive crop management bringing data-driven decision-making directly to the field.

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative cloud architectures, data control mechanisms and automation solutions that improve productivity and sustainability. Contributions highlighting benefits for farmers, agronomists and stakeholders (i.e., improved crop performance, soil health and reduced input waste) are encouraged. The scope includes platform design, data interoperability, real-time analytics, edge–cloud collaboration and practical applications across crop production and field-management systems.

We invite studies that showcase innovative cloud data control platforms in agriculture, integrating technologies such as machine learning (ML), remote sensing, and AI-driven decision support systems. Submissions addressing secure data traceability, agricultural dataspaces and real-time analytics that enhance productivity, sustainability, or resource efficiency are particularly encouraged. Work demonstrating practical deployment or measurable benefits in real-world agricultural settings is highly valued.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, technical reports, and case studies focusing on the design, development, and application of cloud-based platforms. Manuscripts that provide field validation, system performance evaluation, user-centric interfaces, or multidisciplinary approaches bridging ICT and agronomy are especially relevant. Contributions should illustrate how cloud platforms can convert agricultural data into actionable insights, supporting smarter, data-driven decision-making on the farm.

Dr. Mino Sportelli
Dr. Alexander Kocian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • precision agriculture
  • crop monitoring
  • soil and water management
  • cloud-based data platforms
  • IoT in agriculture
  • real-time farm analytics
  • AI-driven decision support systems
  • agricultural dataspaces
  • data traceability
  • smart farming systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 1134 KB  
Article
An IDS-Compliant Agricultural Data Space Tailored to the Italian Context
by Francesco Camaccioli, Manlio Bacco, Gianluca Brunori, Federica Casarosa, Stefano Chessa and Alexander Kocian
Agronomy 2026, 16(10), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16100990 (registering DOI) - 17 May 2026
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Abstract
The digital transformation of agriculture has generated vast heterogeneous datasets from sensors, machinery, and administrative systems; however, interoperability and data sovereignty remain critical challenges. This study presents an IDS-compliant Agricultural Data Space tailored to the Italian context, integrating regulatory frameworks (General Data Protection [...] Read more.
The digital transformation of agriculture has generated vast heterogeneous datasets from sensors, machinery, and administrative systems; however, interoperability and data sovereignty remain critical challenges. This study presents an IDS-compliant Agricultural Data Space tailored to the Italian context, integrating regulatory frameworks (General Data Protection Regulation, Data Governance Act and Data Act) with the International Data Spaces (IDS) Reference Architecture Model. The study addresses key barriers to data sharing, including technical fragmentation, governance gaps, and economic incentives, by mapping Italian agricultural data flows onto the five-layer IDS model. Policy-based usage control is implemented through machine-enforceable Open Digital Rights Language policies, enabling farmer-centric data sovereignty. Three use cases, namely administrative Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) declarations, machine-generated data portability, and agri-food supply-chain traceability, demonstrate how structured and interoperable data exchange can reduce redundancy, mitigate vendor lock-in, and support sustainable agri-food systems. The findings highlight the feasibility of IDS-driven solutions in real-world agricultural ecosystems, emphasizing the need for sector-specific policy templates and scalable governance mechanisms. This work contributes to the development of the Common European Agricultural Data Space by bridging institutional, technical, and regulatory gaps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Agriculture: Cloud Data Control Platform)
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