project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
WAPPFRUIT - Smart technologies applied to water management in fruit growing
WAPPFRUIT - Tecnologie intelligenti applicate alla gestione dell'acqua in frutticoltura
Kontext
Irrigation is a key step in the production process of fruit crops for the achievement of high quality standards and the containment of physiological and pathological problems in the field and post-harvest. In fact, the quality and production level of fruit crops is determined by many factors and among these, irrigation is decisive. Irrigation management must be prudent and rational in order to avoid negative impacts on final production. Over-irrigation undermines fruit quality and leads to optimal conditions for the development of pathogens and post-harvest physiopathologies, resulting in considerable economic losses. Conversely, prolonged water stress risks compromising production even before harvest. The definition of the correct water requirements of fruit crops is therefore an unavoidable necessity for all companies in the area. There are numerous publications in the bibliography defining the calculation methodology, however, for fruit trees it has not yet been possible to find a correlation with the available equivalences and the elaboration of the water balance, that is very complex. Fruit growers, not having effective tools at their disposal, therefore continue to irrigate according to custom without objective references with the risk of obtaining productions with a poor quali-quantitative profile. WappFruit has shown that with today's innovative technologies, the aforementioned limits can be overcome.
Objectives
WappFruit's main objective was to innovate the fruit farm through the use of state-of-the-art technology, allowing the definition of the correct water requirement and the complete automation of the micro-irrigation system. Using sensors that measure the matric potential of the soil, the water requirement of the plants was indirectly determined. The data from the sensors were automatically read by a control unit and an algorithm activated the localised irrigation system when needed. All the data collected by the control unit was made available remotely via a dedicated web interface and smartphone app.
Objectives
Obiettivo principale di WappFruit è consistito nell’innovare l’azienda frutticola attraverso l’impiego di tecnologie di ultima generazione, permettendo la definizione del corretto fabbisogno idrico e la completa automazione dell’impianto microirriguo. Tramite sensori che misurarano il potenziale matriciale del suolo, è stata determinata indirettamente l’esigenza idrica delle piante. I dati dei sensori sono stati letti automaticamente da una centralina e un algoritmo ha attivato il sistema di irrigazione localizzata in caso di necessità. Tutti i dati raccolti dalla centralina sono stati resi fruibili a distanza con un'interfaccia web e attraverso un'app per smartphone dedicate.
Activities
The activities of this project led to the realisation of a multi-sensor system embedded in the soil that transmitted, wirelessly and with low power consumption, information on soil water content and potential. The data collection control unit, according to an algorithm developed in the project, optimised and intelligently activated irrigation in the areas where water was most lacking, leading to a water saving, on the three test fields, of approximately 46%, with a yield in both quality and quantity that was almost identical to the conventionally irrigated field areas.
Activities
Le attività di questo progetto hanno portato alla realizzazione di un sistema multi-sensore inserito nel terreno che ha trasmesso, in maniera wireless ed a basso consumo, le informazioni del contenuto e del potenziale idrico del suolo. La centralina di raccolta dati, secondo un algoritmo sviluppato nel progetto, ha attivato in modo ottimizzato ed intelligente l'irrigazione nei settori in cui l'acqua fosse più carente, portando ad un risparmio idrico, sui tre campi di test, del 46% circa, con una resa sia qualitativa che quantitativa preticamente identica rispetto alle zone di campo irrigate in modo tradizionale.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014IT06RDRP009 Italy - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Piemonte
Ort
- Main geographical location
- Cuneo
- Other geographical location
- Torino
EUR 709929.99
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Ressourcen
Links
- ASTEL partner website
- Demo at Flomart-International exhibition of floriculture, green, and landscape
- Event "In the field for defense - Prevention strategy to protect your field and…
- Participation with exhibition stand at LoRaWAN World Expo 2022
- Scientific article at conference: 1st IEEE Conference on AgriFood Electronics (…
- Scientific article at conference: 13th IEEE Latin America Symposium on Circuits…
- AGRION partner website
- Press release after the final conference
- Post on AGRION Facebook page
- Publication of the final conference invitation poster
- Conference with poster "Innovation and environmental sustainability: objectives…
- Poster session at the event 1st Call for Posters – PoliTO Climate Action – "The…
- Conference "Water resource in Piedmont"
- WAPPFRUIT demo with Saluzzo high schools at the Agrion Foundation
Audiovisual materials
- Project presentation video
- Video interview with Danilo Demarchi POLITO
- Video interview with Valter Panero - Agricultural Company
- Video interview with Davide Canone - UNITO DIST
- Video interview with Paolo Vassallo - Agricultural Company
- Video interview with Lorenzo Saccetto - Agricultural Company
- Video interview with Luca Nari - AGRION
- Final conference video
- Project activity description in the conference "Research and innovation in frui…
1 Practice Abstracts
WAPPFRUIT main goal is to innovate fruit farms by means of new technologies that enable the knowledge of the correct need of water and the automatization of the microirrigation system. The most important innovation is the use of sensors buried in the soil in order to measure soil water potential to understand plants water need. In WAPPFRUIT data will be automatically collected by a control unit at chosen time intervals. A dedicated algorithm will activate the irrigation system depending on the water need. All data collected by the control unit will be remotely available through a web inteface and a smartphone application. In this way, the user can check, in real time, the different irrigation sectors and intervene remotely to switch the irrigation system on or off. Advantages of such solution are different:
1. Plants has always the correct water supply with a consequently positive repercussion on the qualitative features of the fruits.
2. The use of water is drastically reduced by optimizing consumptions with attention to environmental resources and economy for the company
3. With a single app it is possible to control all the irrigation systems even if they are located in different places
4. Irrigation sistems can be remotely swithed on or off
5. Irrigation sistems do not require anymore manual configuration thus enabling time saving farming (especially in case of land splitting, like in Piedmont)
L’obiettivo di WAPPFRUIT consiste nell’innovare l’azienda frutticola attraverso l’impiego di nuove tecnologie che permettano la definizione del corretto fabbisogno idrico e la completa automazione dell’impianto microirriguo. L'iinovazione principale è quella di utilizzare dei sensori nel terreno in modo tale da misurare il potenziale matriciale del suolo determinando così indirettamente l’esigenza idrica delle piante. In WAPPFRUIT i dati verranno letti automaticamente da una centralina, ad intervalli di tempo preescelti e un algoritmo attiverà il sistema di irrigazione localizzata a seconda del fabbisogno idrico. Tutti i dati raccolti dalla centralina saranno fruibili a distanza attraverso un'interfaccia web e un'app per smartphone. In questo modo l'utente potrà controllare in tempo reale i diversi settori irrigui ed intervenire da remoto spegnendo o attivando l'impianto di irrigazione. I vantaggi di questa soluzione sono molteplici:
1. La pianta ha sempre il corretto approvvigionamento di acqua con una conseguente ricaduta positiva sul suo equilibrio vegeto-produttivo e sulle caratteristiche qualitative del frutto che godrà del giusto contenuto di acqua
2. L'utilizzo della risorsa idrica è drasticamente ridotto, ottimizzando i consumi con un conseguente rispetto delle risorse ambientali e risparmio per l’azienda
3. Con una unica app si ha sotto controllo lo stato di tutti gli impianti di irrigazione anche se si trovano in luoghi differenti
4. Gli impianti di irrigazione possono essere spenti o avviati a distanza
5. Gli impianti di irrigazione non richiedono più l'intervento manuale facendo così risparmiare molto tempo all'agricoltore (soprattutto in caso di frazionamento fondiario, molto diffuso in Piemonte)
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Politecnico di Torino, Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni (DET)
Project coordinator
Project partners
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ASTEL SRL
Project partner
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Az. Agricola Giuliano Sacchetto
Project partner
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Az. Agricola La Marchisa
Project partner
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Az. Agricola Vassallo Paolo
Project partner
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Dipartimento Interateneo di Scienze, Progetto e Politiche del Territorio (DIST), Università degli Studi di Torino
Project partner
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Fondazione per la ricerca, l'innovazione e lo sviluppo tecnologico dell'agricoltura piemontese – Agrion
Project partner