Automation and digitilization of irrigation and fertigation systems

Background

Gefion S.r.l. is an Italian company that specializes in designing and constructing agricultural irrigation systems.

For many years, it has been addressing the needs of farmers wanting to use state-of-the-art solutions tailored to their specific production requirements on their land by offering irrigation and fertigation management systems that use self-cleaning, maintenance-free filtration solutions controlled remotely via a private VPN or mobile network.

Gefion develops the most suitable solution for each plot of land based on data collected by a specialist technician during the survey phase — this includes information on the irrigable area, plant spacing, height differences, and the distance between the crop and the source of the water supply.

What sets the company apart is its continuous investment in research and development with the aim of offering end users solutions that are capable of simplifying and automating production cycles, thereby optimizing production and saving both water and energy.

To make this possible, Gefion has spent almost a decade collaborating with Eaton, which has given the company access to its team of specialized technicians — as well as its solutions, technologies and Industry 4.0 expertise.

Challenge

In an industry increasingly dominated by climate unpredictability and consequently by the success of the annual harvest, not to mention the pressing need to optimize production and for all businesses to play their part in reducing the environmental impact of agriculture, farmers are facing challenges that are far more complex than they used to be - meaning they need reliable, innovative partners to help them through the digital transformation in order to remain competitive in the market.

The Internet of Things and Big Data make it possible to receive and manage information faster and more accurately. In the agricultural sector, this allows farmers to automate otherwise unconnected production activities in order to improve the yield and sustainability of various crops such as grapevines, pomegranates and hazelnut trees.

Receiving balanced water-mineral nutrition, for example, is essential for grapevines to yield the expected production results in the context of sustainable viticulture. Which fertilizers to use on each individual plot must be decided according to the characteristics of the vineyard and the viticultural objective that the particular wine grower intends to pursue – quantity and/or quality.

Wine growers are able to predict how the vintage will turn out from as early as March/April and can adapt production accordingly through fertigation, i.e. the technique that allows optimum spreading of water and nutrients in the space and time available.

To ensure that the vineyard is productive, it is equally important that the grapevines do not experience water stress and consequently activate protection mechanisms: insufficient water and nutrients can actually result in visible external signs that cause a lower harvest.

When the plant lacks irrigation, it takes water from the grape, which begins to shrink. This dehydration process can be prevented from starting by cross-checking the water supplied and the weight of the grape.

Solution

For the vine to grow properly, the balance between the mineral compounds in the soil and the plant must be exactly right. Since being exposed to either insufficient or excess minerals can be harmful, a balanced mixture must be used to ensure healthy growth.

Based on the tangible benefits of crop fertigation estimated by the winegrower, Eaton implemented XN300 series modular I/O systems, several inverters (including the DE1 and DA1) and various buttons in the Gefion systems according to the complexity of the machine.

This enabled the company to offer farmers a solution for integrating the irrigation system with maintenance-friendly automation systems that are able to dose the amount of fertilizers needed by the crop in an appropriate and controlled manner based on data collected relating to the vines and the land. This data is processed using the Gefion software package Hydro Evolution V3, which is able to manage the fertigation section (CODESYS 3 application). The filtration systems have mixers to stir the water inside the containers and probes to check the temperature and monitor the flow, EC and pH of the water.

The irrigation mixture - calculated based on specific parameters that are proportional to the area and can be configured according to agronomic and nutritional needs - is calibrated so that the water-soluble fertilizers within it are in the correct quantity to be dissolved. Indeed if there is too much fertilizer or the water temperature is not ideal, the fertilizer will not dissolve and will remain in suspension, causing problems in the system. This problem is quite common in traditional systems and creates many problems in the distribution section by making farmers believe that fertigation has taken place when in fact it has not.

Eaton sensors send data about the inlet and outlet pressure and the condition of the filters and the fertigation section to the Hydro V3 management software. This allows the Hydro V3 system to correct the fertigation supply pressure which ensures the fertigation is injected into the irrigation flow in a linear fashion, thus ensuring correct distribution of the fertigation in the crop.

The Eaton components in Gefion machines enable intelligent monitoring of the irrigation and fertigation system. The solution makes it possible to perform various functions remotely too, including managing the filtering stage, monitoring the inlet and outlet pressures of the filter and initiating washing cycles if needed or if the filter becomes clogged, notifying the user of the pressure status, checking and monitoring the operating status of the pump and indicating any faults, and managing aquifer stress.

Furthermore, the photovoltaic power supply system for the system's supply pumps and for electronics management has been increased. This makes the solutions offered by Gefion unique and 100% green, allowing autonomous islands to be created that can manage themselves automatically and make life easier for farmers.

"Fertigation makes it possible to reduce fertilizer dosages compared to the doses indicated for crops fertilized in the traditional way. Thanks to the new technology implemented with Eaton and the Hydro V3 management software, the mixture can be monitored and the distribution apportioned, localized and targeted. This is undoubtedly an advantage, not only in terms of respecting the environment but also thanks to the ability to manage aquifer stress more effectively," says Mr. Manieri.

Moreover, Gefion has spent the past year or so experimenting with the groundwater control to be introduced into the current systems. This control is able to monitor water demand stress that an irrigation system can place on a well. The system is able to understand when too much is being demanded of the aquifer and, through an algorithm in the panel/PLC, proceeds to automatically resize the water demand to the subsoil, ensuring irrigation that does not send the crop into water stress.

The Eaton XV300 HMI PLC panel has also been installed within Gefion's systems to improve human-machine interaction and greatly simplify system management, as well as offer simplicity comparable to that of a smartphone thanks to the intuitive user interface.

The XV300 HMI PLC offers advanced graphics and allows operations to be loaded very quickly, even when the pages are very detailed.

"Gefion pays close attention to the type of experience users have when interacting with their machines. The reliability, simplicity and user-friendly graphics of the Hydro V3 software realized with Galileo—as well as the trusting relationship we have with the company—were elements that guided us in our strategic decision to choose Eaton as a partner over its competitors." comments Mr. Manieri.

Results

Controlled distribution of the fertilizers in the water has improved nutrient absorption by the plants while ensuring that water is used more efficiently: Fertigation has achieved synergy between water and fertilizer, which benefits wine growers in terms of both water consumption and production continuity. Managing aquifer stress ensures better groundwater yield and longer use of the well, thus avoiding damaging and expensive drainage operations on the well.

Furthermore, installing the photovoltaic system means that the systems have a low environmental impact, above all simplifying both the installation of the system and the need for the infrastructures necessary to operate a standard system. The fact that the system can be managed entirely remotely and in-depth analysis of data/alerts makes it easier to not only program the irrigation cycles but also maintain and manage the systems.