CONTROL

CONTROL aims to analyse, define and identify the most appropriate time to carry out irrigation based on different needs of the crops such as phenological development, soil and climate conditions, energy costs and availability of energy in photovoltaic installations or the possibility of having water for irrigation, in order to reduce annual water consumption and optimize crop performance.

The objective is to use digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), through the use of sensors present on the ground and the use of drones to validate the results, based on the study and analysis of strategies, algorithms and applications, so that the efficiency of irrigation can be improved, saving on the amount of water used.

Furthermore, the project has a general interest because it is aimed promoting agriculture at the national level through digitalization and AI and its application to solar irrigation, lowering energy costs due to the use of solar energy and reducing the consumption of water and carbon footprint, with the corresponding environmental improvement. It meets the environmental and climate objectives of the European Union and the new ambitions established in the European Green Deal, mainly with objective B: Efficiency in the use of resources, in particular precision and smart agriculture, innovation and digitization and modernization of machinery and production equipment, promoting intelligent use of water resources through digitalization and innovation with the application of ICT and AI technologies on agricultural farms.

Specific objectives:

• Application of digital technologies and AI, through the use of sensors present in the ground and drones to validate the results, to improve the efficiency of solar irrigation, making the most of natural resources and reducing water consumption and energy.
• Process analysis, definition of algorithms to control interrelationships and development of applications for farmers’ devices

Additional objectives:

• Establish a population that guarantees the maintenance of the social fabric of rural areas, and the present and future maintenance of agriculture.
• Promote and attract employment that could be called “quality” in the agricultural sector, with the possibility of reconciling work life with family life, thus allowing the incorporation of women and young people into the sector.
• Reduce the costs associated with irrigated crops with a significant technological advance and the use of solar energy as the main/sole source of energy.
• Monitor the evolution of crops and advance harvests, optimizing production.
• Environmental improvement by considerably reducing the water and carbon footprints of the production process.