With the climate changing and water-shortages becoming more commonplace, how we water our crops must change to conserve water. A revolutionary system is currently being tested on a wide variety of crops in Australia and America. A gravity drip irrigation system, that does not require pumps, is currently using 70% less water and crop and soil quality have increased.
Using battery powered sensors, the Long Range Wide-Area Network and a phone app, the system monitors weather and soil conditions and irrigates accordingly. Liquid fertiliser can be added to the system and delivered right to the crop roots. The amount of fertiliser used has also dropped considerably.
Irritec is in talks with a large foliage company, who irrigate a small section of their farm with drip irrigation and due to increased yields, want to expand the system. We are planning to use the LoRaWan network to operate sensors and solar powered valves. By the new year, we hope to have network coverage expanded from Irritec and covering the foliage farm. Visit irritec.ie for more information.
