Intelligent irrigation: growing green

Published on July 23, 2013 02:54 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology

On a huge, 100 hectare corn field near Berlin, a unique research campaign is underway.

Here, researchers are mixing fertilisers with water and injecting the mixture into a prototype ‘fertigation' system.

The system would allow farmers to fertilise and irrigate their fields at the same time, with continuous real-time monitoring of atmospheric conditions and the needs of the plants and soil.

Lucía Doyle Gutiérrez, a chemical engineer involved in the project, explained: "You have many different patterns to control, for example the rain, the light or the soil's structure and its homogeneity. You obviously can't control all of them, even to control a few is quite challenging."

To achieve their goal, researchers have developed sensors than can read the levels of nitrates, phosphates, potassium and ammonia in the soil, which all help crops to grow.

The idea is to equip the system with the sensors and software it needs to be able to autonomously decide when more or less water or fertiliser is needed.

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Fertilizer