The Agrivate Irrigation Algorithm: An Analysis

Agrivate has developed an innovative irrigation algorithm that leverages advanced technologies and scientific data to ensure optimal water management on farms. The algorithm's goal is to calculate plants' water needs accurately, based on scientific indices such as ETo (reference evapotranspiration), and adjust irrigation volumes to save resources and increase productivity.

What is ETo and how does the Agrivate algorithm calculate it?

ETo (evapotranspiration) is a key index expressing the water evaporated from the soil surface and transpired by plants under standard conditions. The Agrivate algorithm calculates ETo using a range of environmental and climatic parameters, such as:

Agrivate integrates data from local weather stations, satellites and soil sensors to produce a dynamic estimate of ETo.

Calculating irrigation needs

After calculating ETo, the algorithm adjusts the result to each crop's specific needs by applying the crop coefficient (Kc). Kc depends on the crop type, its growth stage and local conditions.

The formula used is: ETc = ETo × Kc

Where:

Applying the optimal irrigation factor

Agrivate integrates an optimal irrigation factor for water resource management. This factor is based on real-time data from soil moisture sensors, weather forecasts and historical water-use data.

Advantages of the method

Applying the Agrivate irrigation algorithm offers many benefits:

Example

The Agrivate irrigation algorithm, using weather-station data from an olive grove in Magiko, Xanthi, and considering parameters such as the final olive harvest stage (Kc), soil moisture (20%), soil type (sandy loam – SL) and irrigation equipment (Palaplast AXIOS 24lt dripper), calculated the irrigation needs for 100 olive trees. For the period 10/11 to 24/11, with no irrigation applied, the algorithm estimated reference evapotranspiration (ETo) of 62.70 mm. Based on this, it determined a need of 83.74 litres of water per tree and an irrigation time of 3 hours and 29 minutes, covering the trees' needs with optimal water use.

What's more, the grower's practical use of the Agrivate irrigation algorithm is combined with an automation system that enables automatic irrigation based on the calculated time. Irrigation is scheduled in the early morning, from 05:00 to 09:00, ensuring optimal water efficiency and limiting moisture-related diseases. At the same time, the grower benefits from water and energy savings and has observed significant improvement in overall tree growth. Better water management has led to a healthier canopy without excessive vegetative growth, improving production and the crop's long-term sustainability.

Conclusion

With the irrigation algorithm it has developed, Agrivate combines cutting-edge technology and scientific knowledge for managing water and growth. Using ETo as a key index and integrating real field data, the algorithm offers a tailored, efficient irrigation solution. This approach contributes not only to water economy but also to the sustainability of agriculture.

See an application example with an installed weather station here!

See the general version of the algorithm using general weather data here!