ProPopulus Team
Poplars, key features of Europe’s river landscapes and vital to the timber industry, face an increasing challenge: adapting to the impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, and the spread of new pests and diseases threaten their productivity and the stability of an entire value chain that depends on high-quality wood.
To tackle this challenge, the Smart Poplar project was launched as part of the EURECA-PRO Seeds 2024 call. Its goal is to apply biotechnology, digital twins, and artificial intelligence to strengthen the resilience of poplar plantations and ensure sustainable production in today’s climate crisis.
Smart plantations against water stress
One of Smart Poplar’s main focuses is water stress, which is becoming increasingly frequent across Europe. The research team has designed a near real-time monitoring system that combines sap flow and solar radiation sensors with IoT technologies and geoinformatics tools.
This approach makes it possible to create dynamic models that detect when a plantation begins to suffer from a lack of water, offering forest managers an early warning system. With this information, irrigation and management decisions can be optimized, reducing costs and preventing productivity losses.
The first results were presented at the Mediterranean Geosciences Union Annual Meeting (MedGU-24), held in Barcelona in November 2024.
Biotechnology to enhance resistance
The project also explores the role of biotechnology in identifying and selecting poplar clones that are better able to withstand both climate stress and biotic threats.
Poplars are fast-growing trees with high industrial value, but they are also highly sensitive to water scarcity and diseases such as leaf rust. Clonal improvement and genomic analysis make it possible to select more robust genotypes that can then be multiplied and introduced into new plantations.
In this way, Smart Poplar helps boost both productivity and wood quality—essential for industries like construction, packaging, and board manufacturing.
Digital twins: simulating the future of plantations
One of the project’s most innovative aspects is the use of digital twins in forestry. These are virtual replicas that reproduce the real behavior of poplar plantations under different environmental conditions.
Through such simulations, managers can anticipate how trees will respond to prolonged droughts, planting density changes, or new management strategies. This makes it possible to experiment with alternatives without immediately applying them in the field, saving time and resources while minimizing risk.
Artificial intelligence for pest and disease detection
Artificial intelligence (AI) is another key pillar of the project. Using machine learning algorithms, large volumes of data from sensors, drones, and satellite images are analyzed.
The analysis allows the early detection of patterns related to pests or diseases. Such early warning is essential for rapid, effective intervention, minimizing impacts and reducing the use of chemicals. This results in more sustainable management practices, aligned with the principles of the circular bioeconomy.
Towards a circular economy of poplar wood
Beyond ensuring plantation resilience, Smart Poplar also aims to promote a circular economy model around poplar wood. This renewable and versatile resource has a strategic role to play in the transition to a low-carbon bioeconomy.
By combining scientific knowledge with advanced technological tools, the project seeks to ensure that poplar wood production remains both competitive and sustainable, generating balanced economic and environmental benefits.
Science from León with a European impact
Although coordinated by the University of León, Smart Poplar is part of the EURECA-PRO (European University on Responsible Consumption and Production) alliance. This network brings together nine European institutions committed to advancing responsible production and consumption, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The inclusion of Smart Poplar within this initiative reinforces its international dimension, integrating Spanish forest research into a wider European framework of interdisciplinary collaboration.
A promising future for poplars
Although still under development, Smart Poplar already demonstrates the enormous potential of applying science and technology to forestry. The prospect of smart plantations capable of anticipating water stress, resisting pests more effectively, and being managed through digital twins represents a turning point in planning the future of poplar cultivation.
When forestry research combines biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and circular economy principles, it opens the door to new opportunities for sustainability and competitiveness. On this path, Smart Poplar stands out as a key project to secure the resilience of a species deeply tied to our landscapes, our culture, and our economy.