The development of the FIGARO new precision agriculture Decision Support System has been completed, allowing growers to benefit from cutting-edge developments in irrigation technology, optimize the use of irrigation water and energy consumption, and increase water productivity.
FIGARO, an EU-funded international project focused on developing the new precision agriculture Decision Support System (DSS) to improve irrigation management for increasing water productivity, will unveil the world's most advanced precision irrigation at a partners' meeting which will take place in Kavalla, Greece, June 1-2, 2016.
The FIGARO platform collects climate, soil and crop data captured by soil water sensors and meteorological stations, which is then fed into weather forecasting, hydraulic and crop models, using real-time and forecasted data.
The platform provides accurate recommendations on how much and when farmers should irrigate. The system is modular and flexible, so that new technologies and agronomic models can be easily integrated into the FIGARO platform, and growers can customize the system to meet their individual needs.
"After more than three years of hard work, the FIGARO platform is finally applicable for growers in everyday practice," said project coordinator Lior Doron, Director of New Product Development at Netafim Ltd., a world leader in drip and micro irrigation. "By using FIGARO, farmers and the wider community can now benefit from cutting-edge developments in irrigation technology, optimize the use of irrigation water and energy consumption, and increase water productivity."
Following the introduction of the new platform, FIGARO intends to begin a series of live demonstrations of the benefits and capabilities of the FIGARO System, conducting field days at six FIGARO sites, including Denmark, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
The FIGARO demonstrations and open field days will show both small farmers and large agricultural entities the benefits of using individualized irrigation recommendations that are more efficient and compliant with water regulation, while producing improved yield.
