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In the conversion of the farm from herbaceous crops to almond trees, Sireco was responsible for the installation of an automatic irrigation system, managing through the same head two sources of water, from a well and from a pond of the nearest irrigation community.
The installation has 2 bands of above soil irrigation on each side of the crop line, for this they have 20 mm pipe with integrated drippers at 75 cm distance, with flow rates of 1.6 litres/hour.
CBH is one of the largest service providers for intensive plantation in Andalusia.
Sireco is a service provider for the installation of automatic irrigation systems, in this case they have done the design, implementation, commissioning, farmer training and subsequent maintenance.
Sireco developed the connection to the supply sources, which are joined together in a single head from which the automaton manages all the operations.
Pressure switches and flux switches allow then to control pressures, opening and closing systems for filtering and cut-off in the event of a fault.
They also installed pipes and the double band on each side of the crop line.
The sectors are checked daily by a person who ensures maintenance of breaks and cleaning of the end of the line to avoid blockages.
Of course, as it is an irrigation system placed above ground, it is necessary to be very careful with work, especially weeding.
Agronomic knowledge is necessary for the design of the plantation, the irrigation system, and the automatisms according to the needs of the crop and the farmer.
Knowledge about the types of soil to select varieties and irrigation solutions, whether single or double line, surface or underground band, etc.
Automated systems allow 24/7 irrigation without the need for operator, taking advantage of off-peak and peak hours of electricity consumption.
The design with a single head allows reduction in the investment cost compared to if each water source had its own head.
The automatic system allows homogeneity (pressures-flow rates) throughout the farm, as well as avoiding breakdowns due to human error.
Ecological management has reduced the use of hunting in the area.
Mechanical weeding of grass can be a problem, in the case of this farm it has been replaced by sheep.
Automated systems allow 24/7 irrigation without the need for operator, taking advantage of off-peak and peak hours of electricity consumption.
The design with a single head allows reduction in the investment cost compared to if each water source had its own head.
The automatic system allows homogeneity (pressures-flow rates) throughout the farm, as well as avoiding breakdowns due to human error.
Ecological management has reduced the use of hunting in the area.
Mechanical weeding of grass can be a problem, in the case of this farm it has been replaced by sheep.
When it was planted, it was the largest super-intensive organic almond farm in Andalusia.
Innovative features include pressure controls, sequential filtering, and fertigation automation.
The use of a single head for two supply sources is unusual, with a manifold for automatic sector change.
It was important to stay in line with the farmer, adjusting the design to his needs. The farmer wanted equipment that would be reliable in the long term.
For this it is essential to use good materials, guarantee a filtering system and manage pressures to ensure safe working. This can be helped by oversizing some equipment, as it allows a longer service life by reducing the number of cycles.
The water concession was insufficient to irrigate the whole plot, which led to sectoring it considering the topography, with smaller sectors in higher areas.
The soil variability made it necessary to adjust certain areas, installing double or single-band irrigation.
The biggest challenge was to manage two sources of supply, which conditioned the entire design.
The farmer chose not to install communication systems for remote monitoring and control, which limits some of the functionalities that are now becoming widespread.
These developments require very specific professional technical profiles with extensive knowledge in hydraulics, agronomy, and electronics.
On the one hand, farmers are initially reluctant to use these installations because of the investment required and because they do not initially trust the automatisms.
On the other hand, workers are reticent because they consider that it will take away their work.
The reality is that those who install it increase their quality of life and are not willing to give up these technologies.
Irrigation with automation is essential in farms of a certain size or with complex irrigation structures.
The dissemination of its benefits and the impact on the quality of life should be sufficient to change its levels of acceptance.
It is necessary to create specific profiles through VET to guarantee the availability of professionals for future demand.
As we have seen, the ecological management justifies its environmental sustainability, with significant improvements in soil and biodiversity.
On the other hand, automatisms have limited the possibility of breakages and have allowed a better use and planning of irrigation shifts, aspects that result in greater efficiency in the use of water.
The investment has made it possible to bring the farm into production quickly, which has reduced the break-even point of the new plantation, as well as guaranteeing the availability of water for a crop with a high demand for water resources.
The choice of a single irrigation head has meant savings up to 40% in the investment required to manage two supply points.
The future of the sector will be conditioned by the evolution of precision agriculture and automated systems.
Farms with complex irrigation structures or with a certain size need this type of automation to ensure good management.
The functionalities are multiple and the impact on agronomic management and farmers’ quality of life is enormous.
These systems are usually complemented with communication systems that allow remote irrigation management, which results in greater control capacity and quality of life for the farmer.
Additionally, the system can be complemented with a solar energy system, or the use of variators to adjust energy consumption to the demand of each supply point.
AGRIWATER project has been funded with the support from the European Commission, with the reference number 2020-1-CZ01-KA204-078212. The content of this website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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