54% less water used for irrigation during the trial period.
Fonteverde is a company with more than 50 years of history, located in Ispica (Sicily, Italy). It is dedicated to various fruit and vegetable crops.
Industry: Fruit and vegetables
I chose Bioagro because we are a company with a strong focus on sustainability and water saving, which is one of the things we are concentrating on the most, also considering the long periods of drought.
D. Giuseppe Calabrese and with Mr. Carmelo Calabrese de Fonteverde
Using BrioAgro devices at Fonteverde they have been able to reduce water consumption.
The BrioAgro system has been installed on the farm to compare traditional irrigation with technology-guided irrigation.
Objectives and challenges
- Increasing sustainability
- Reduce water consumption
- Improve farming practices
- Real-time information and a decision support system
Step 1
First, BrioAgro carried out a soil characterisation of its pepper plantations. This data was used to adjust the BrioAgro calibration algorithm for irrigation optimisation carried out in step 2.
Step 2
We carried out a comparative irrigation test (A/B) to see if the irrigation management carried out by Fonteverde technicians could be improved. For this purpose, two BrioAgro ViTA7 devices with drip meters were installed to collect data from sectors A and B. Sector A irrigation was managed following BrioAgro warnings and alerts, while sector B was irrigated independently by Fonteverde technicians, following the criteria traditionally used in the company. This test was carried out from 23/03/2021 to 23/04/2021, as shown in the diagram on the left:
Results
Sector A, managed according to BrioAgro’s warnings and alerts, exceeded the objectives set for sector B, which was irrigated independently by Fonteverde’s technicians, following the traditional criteria used in the company. In particular, it was achieved:
- Water savings: 54% less water was consumed in sector A than in sector B.
- Energy savings: 54% less electrical energy was consumed for irrigation in sector A.
- Peace of mind: Once the comparative test is over, the technicians continue to irrigate using the indications provided by the BrioAgro system, valuing the fact that they have the farm under control at any time from anywhere.
