An expert irrigation system based on could computing
In countries with scarce water resources where irrigation of farmland accounts for more than 70% of water use, the competition for this resource is intensifying and will continue so as long as the demand for water increases and its quality decreases. In 2012, the EU-report on identifying water saving potentials in the EU countries mentioned that improving water application efficiency would save 15 to 60 % of water use. Water conservation potential accrue from not irrigating non-cropped areas, matching irrigation schedules (doses and frequency) to the real crop water requirements and fully optimizing the economic value of water applied through irrigation. This potential could be targeted through precision irrigation defined as any system that can determine the timing, magnitude and spatial pattern of applications for the next irrigation to give the best chance of meeting the seasonal objective. Recent advances in precision irrigation have substantially improved present knowledge about the tolerance of crops to water deficit and about the ability of soils to supply water, which have led to the application of regulated deficit irrigation, highlighting therefore potential water savings between 15 and 30%.
Aim of the paper is the presentation of a knowledge-based system for online precise irrigation scheduling (OpIRIS) using advanced results from previous FP projects on water and fertilizers productivity in fruit trees orchards and hydroponic productions in greenhouses. The proposed system has been tested (sensors, data transfer, analysis and interpretation) in field conditions for hydroponic exploitations in order to evaluate its performance and versatility for different agricultural conditions. First results from its use show a 30% reduction on water use, 20% on fertilizer use without compromise the quality and quantity of the products.