On 14 June, the installation of the intelligent irrigation management system for intensive and super-intensive olive cultivation was inaugurated at Finca Sanabria with the collaboration of the Bosch Group and the CSIC.
The event was attended by the Secretary General of Agriculture and Food of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía, Rafael Peral Sorroche; the president of the Andalusian Institute of Research and Agricultural, Fishing, Food and Organic Production (Ifapa), Jerónimo Pérez; The institutional coordinator of the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) in Andalusia, Miguel A. Ferrer Baena; The deputy vice president of Knowledge Transfer of the CSIC, Ana Guerrero Bustos, and the president of the Bosch Group for Spain and Portugal, Javier González Pareja. Representing Interoliva was our CEO, Carlos Jiménez
The intelligent irrigation system, which behaves like authentic irrigation “a la carte”, relies on wireless sensors placed in the olive trees that measure their water stress and transmits information in real time to a server where the information is processed.
Subsequently, an optimized irrigation schedule is generated so that the farmer can consult it, at any time, through an app installed on his smartphone. The aim of the system is to reduce water consumption according to weather conditions, while ensuring maximum productivity.
The Irnas Cultivation Irrigation and Ecophysiology Group, which specializes in the research and knowledge of olive tree physiology, has been involved in the development of the irrigation system to study the particularities of the installation and ensure the proper functioning of the system, as well as the development of deficit irrigation strategies ideal for areas where water is a scarce resource.
On the other hand, the Bosch Group contributes its experience in the development of microelectromechanical sensors (Mems) and solutions of connectivity and in the “cloud”. It is a technology based on the ‘internet of things’ (IoT) that allows simple installation and convenient use from any smartphone.
