PlantCare smart irrigation

Project information
Water availability in Switzerland varies by region, and water scarcity during the summer is expected to increase due to climate change. Thus, water consumption for irrigation will increase in order to ensure food security. In today’s irrigation systems, the amounts of water used often exceeds the amount of water required by plants. An intelligent and needs-oriented irrigation can enable substantial water savings and prevent nutrient and pesticide leaching into the groundwater. The aim of this project is to further develop an intelligent control system for sensor-based irrigation for agriculture. In a previous research project, the company PlantCare AG has developed a sensor for determining soil moisture, which will be used as a technical starting basis. The system will be tested under field conditions in at three different locations with three types of vegetables.
Project partners: 
Agroscope
PlantCare AG
Project dates: 
August 2013 to March 2016
Contact
Contact person: 
Rolf Krebs
Contact email: 
Contact organisation: 
Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW
Funding
Funding agency: 
Federal Office for the Environment
Grant: 
k€466
Total budget: 
k€500