Dutch innovation in the soil moisture control – test run in Ukraine
Lack of moisture and unexpected droughts have become a more frequent reality for the Ukrainian agricultural producers. A project of applying innovative Dutch precision farming technology at the Ukrainian potato farms, was implemented with DHI finance of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. We would like to share with you the article published at the portal of Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine.
Fresh water is a renewable natural resource that is changing all the time. According to the UN, the world freshwater reserves account for only 2,5% of all water resources. Of these reserves, humanity has access to only 1%. And the World Business Council for Sustainable Development estimates that 70% of the world's water is used for irrigation. Water is among the most important factors in agricultural productivity. Both excessive and insufficient irrigation can negatively affect yields.
Scarcity of water
Unfortunately, Ukraine is among those countries on the map of Europe which are characterized by the scarcity of water resources. According to the World Bank data, Ukraine ranks 125th out of 180 countries in terms of availability of drinking water per capita. In this regard, as well as due to the increasing number of droughts caused by climate change, it becomes necessary to maximize the efficient use of water resources, which will, on the one hand, preserve them and, on the other hand, significantly increase the productivity of agricultural land.
Potato yield
Evidence of a high correlation between the yield and sufficient moisture available during the period of growth and maturation of crops, is also shown by the preliminary results of potato yield in parts of Ukraine. So, last summer, the northern and central parts of our country suffered from drought, and in the Western Ukraine (in Lviv and Ternopil region) precipitation was sufficient during the growing season of potato. Preliminary results show that the yield in this region ranged from 45 to 52 tons of potatoes per hectare. This is an excellent indicator given that the average yield of potatoes in Ukraine ranges from 23 to 27 tons per hectare. It becomes obvious how important is sufficient moisture in the soil, and that in periods without rain, the required level of moisture must be maintained by watering.
Smart farming
In the agricultural sector, technology plays a significant role in the efficient use of available resources or “smart farming”. This is the goal of the fast-growing Dutch company Agurotech, which has developed high-precision models and software for farmers that, based on data analysis, help increase agricultural productivity and optimize water use. In this, Agurotech also helps to work closely with Wageningen Agricultural University. One of Agurotech's proposals is a soil moisture management system, which was tested in a pilot project in Ukraine involving 5 farmers.
Pilot project
First, the project performed technical inspections on the pilot farms to ensure the stable Internet connection required for continuous real-time data transmission. Next, sensors were directly installed to measure soil parameters at 4 depths (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) and electrical conductivity was tested. All sensors were calibrated according to soil type, crop type and growth phase, and weather data were also considered. After that, farmers installed and used a mobile application Agurotech for convenient monitoring of soil moisture in real time.
Wireless sensor
Agurotech wireless sensors measure soil moisture, humidity and air pressure, air and soil temperature, electrical conductivity, and added weather data. Thise data helped the participants of the pilot project during the season to get accurate recommendations for irrigation: where, when and how much (volume of water in mm.) of irrigation is to be applied to increase productivity and sustainable growth of their farms.
Broader interest
The pilot project is still running, and the participants already enjoy the benefits of applying innovative technologies of Agurotech and their user-friendly mobile application. Farmers always know the soil moisture level in their field in real time and can request advice. Agurotech is only starting at the Ukrainian market and participates in various agricultural exhibitions and professional events to present its technology and models of smart farming. This technology finds response and interest from farmers across Ukraine.
Agurotech technology is already available at the Ukrainian market starting from this year. Interested farmers willapproach the company through the website and representatives in Ukraine will contact them.
You can read the original article in Ukrainian is at the portal of the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine Ecolog.ua.