Description
BrioAgro is an intelligent system for the management of automatic smart irrigation based on collected soil and environmental data. The system, available as a mobile app and via an online app, processes and visualises the information obtained from low-cost technologies, including field sensors and satellite data. This system is adaptable to greenhouses and outdoor agriculture systems, including olive groves and vineyards. The soil moisture calibration algorithm is connected to the irrigation system, and so irrigation is begun automatically when the crop needs it, with precise calculations of the amount of water required, thus preventing water wastage. The system also provides alerts to farmers of any conditions that may threaten their crops, and advises them to take appropriate action in real time via the mobile app. The app can be used to monitor treatment tanks and pipe pressure, and to oversee motorized battery charging in solar energy systems, with potential uses in an expansive range of sectors. It is also adept at controlling both water and fertilizer pumps, maintaining fertilizer lines, managing irrigation ponds and recording rain data through pulse rain gauges. It also provides access to past irrigation data and offers flexibility between traditional and sensor-driven irrigation methods. In greenhouse applications, it can monitor conditions both inside and outside, and can assess fertilizer levels in olive groves and vineyards.
Technology
BrioAgro Aqua comprises many components. The sensing component collects and integrates a large volume of real-time soil and environmental data (humidity, conductivity, temperature, etc.) through sensors; and the processing component analyses and transmits data to the mobile app, which is available in both Android and iOS versions. BrioAgro intelligently analyses the aggregated data and provides specific recommendations for the crop and soil type, while supporting forecasting and remote decision-making as regards irrigation and fertilization management. BrioAgro Aqua integrates the mobile app with solenoid valves, with a Latch system that allows for the mechanical operation of irrigation and fertigation systems, benefiting multiple sectors. Its design allows for the management of several meters, both general and fertilizer-specific, and there is no limit on the number of fertilizer tanks it can oversee. The indoor sensors mounted in greenhouses measure humidity, luminosity and DPV (Deficit of Vapour Pressure), while those mounted outside measure ambient temperature, relative humidity, rain, wind speed and direction, and cloud cover as a percentage. In vineyards and olive groves, the system measures geolocalised meteorological information up to 7 days in advance, and moisture at the plant root level.
Target
This app is accessible by users in Italy, Portugal and Spain and is available in multiple languages, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and English. The solution’s main users are medium- and large-sized farmers with irrigated crops. BrioAgro has been built with the support of more than 200 different farmers, among them industrial and agricultural enterprises, growing a range of different crops in different regions of Spain and Latin America. The solution draws upon agronomic and computer data to come up with its suggested solutions, and so farmers must have sufficient computer skills to operate the system.
Business model
Use of the app requires the purchase of BrioAgro Aqua hardware. The system is installed upon purchase, with no strings attached. Users can even return the device when they have no need for it, and request it again when the need arises.
Impact
According to their website, BrioAgro reduces the risks associated with water loss and increases irrigation performance (20 percent or more) and irrigation quality, while also reducing the percolation of fertilizers and plant protection products that can permeate into underground aquifers. Tests performed in 2019 in olive groves in Spain and Portugal revealed a reduction of around 70 percent in fertilizers used. BrioAgro can support the application of smart irrigation and fertigation programmes, triggering watering when needed at the right time and in appropriate quantities, thus increasing profits. It also uses the collected information to create predictive harvesting models for each crop in the region. The solution has been tested by many farmers in different regions of Spain, and has been shown to meet the requirements of both small and large agricultural enterprises, and to be adaptable to all types of irrigated crops.
Four Betters
Better production
Better environment
