The Palos de la Frontera Irrigation Community has launched the SmartPalos project, an ambitious digitalisation initiative aimed at improving the sustainability and efficiency of fertigation through the implementation of advanced technological tools for water control and management on agricultural farms.
The SmartPalos project seeks to promote sustainable and intelligent fertigation management within CR Palos through the implementation of digital tools. It is being developed thanks to funding obtained under Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, through the PERTE for the Digitalisation of the Water Cycle, within the second call for grants aimed at the digitalisation of irrigation water user communities.
With a total investment of €1,127,545.87 and funding granted amounting to €1,124,430.87, SmartPalos has been created with the objective of guaranteeing fair and sustainable management of water resources in a context marked by water stress and the need to protect groundwater against diffuse pollution.
Digital solutions
The initiative will enable CR Palos to incorporate digital solutions capable of accurately measuring applied water volumes, monitoring soil moisture and controlling nitrate and plant protection product inputs and leachates. All of this will facilitate more efficient fertigation management and reduce the environmental impact associated with agricultural activity.
Among the planned actions is the renewal of the meter fleet, enabling precise measurement of water consumption through remote-control systems. In addition, electrovalves will be installed to remotely interact with irrigation intakes belonging to community members, while a telemetry network based on LoRaWAN technology will guarantee robust and reliable communication between the different devices.
SmartPalos also includes the installation of capacitive probes to monitor moisture in sandy soils, a particularly relevant issue for optimising irrigation scheduling in berry crops in the province. Likewise, the project will incorporate an automatic drainage lysimeter capable of quantifying, in real time, nutrient balances and nitrogen and plant protection product leachates.
