UNESCO, Harvard BusinessRevier, Canal+, National Geographic and TechHub, among other institutions, have awarded 250 projects from around the world, including a Huercal-Overa company called Expanhouse SL, to develop and promote projects aimed at improving our quality of life.
The water deficit in the province of Almeria and, the global shortage in general, has motivated Expanhouse to develop a solution: an irrigation system that can save up to 50% of water and fertiliser compared to traditional drip irrigation.
The project, which will be marketed under the PermeaPod brand, consists in the use of small deposits of porous ceramic material buried next to the roots, which release the water as the plants require it. The immediate advantages of the system are the practical elimination of evaporation and infiltration in the soil, almost reducing them to zero. As a result, the soil surface remains dry and the impact of pests and weeds is reduced, which entails savings in labour, pesticides and herbicides.
Plants directly benefit from this by eliminating water stress. The roots have the water they need at all times, thus preventing moments of excessive or deficient irrigation. The system is self-regulated, without the need for a large investment in sensors or other technologies, and the deposits can be connected to existing drip networks in order to minimise installation costs.
What is smart irrigation?
Smart agriculture promises to change established paradigms regarding the management and control of horticultural farms. Climate and pest control, irrigation and harvesting systems can be improved through information and communication technologies, robotics or nanotechnology. In this sense, fertirrigation and smart irrigation control will lead to a significant saving of water, nutrients and energy in the farms thanks to the improvement in the efficiency of their use.
Source: lavozdealmeria.es
