Grupo La Caña has completed its participation in the iGUESSmed (Innovative Greenhouse Support System in the Mediterranean Region) European project, an initiative focused on improving the efficiency of water and nutrient use in greenhouse crops in the Mediterranean area.
Over four years, the consortium has developed and tested an intelligent decision support system (DSS) to optimize irrigation and fertilization in cherry tomato greenhouses. The system is based on a digital platform connected to climate and soil sensors, which collect real-time data to generate accurate recommendations on irrigation and nutrient management, thanks to predictive models and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
The trials conducted by Grupo La Caña were carried out in greenhouses with soil (Retamar, Almeria) and hydroponic crops without soil (Motril, Granada). In both systems, traditional management was compared with the recommendations of the DSS system during half the season, between February and the beginning of June. The results were conclusive: In both types of cultivation, a significant reduction in water consumption was achieved without affecting productivity or fruit quality. In the soil greenhouse, water consumption was reduced by 5.6%. In the hydroponic greenhouse, a 15.2% reduction was achieved. The reduction was especially notable in the months of greater water demand.
On the nutritional side, the data was also very positive. The use of fertilizers in the greenhouse with soil was considerably reduced: 40% less nitrogen, 67% less phosphorus, and 27% less potassium, maintaining commercial quality standards and production levels at all times. This optimization in the use of inputs directly translated into economic savings for the farmer, with an estimated cost reduction of about 1,000 euros per hectare in fertilizers and about 40 euros per hectare in water during the trial period.
The project, funded under the PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) program with support from the European Union, involved the collaboration of several international partners, including CREA (coordinators), the agricultural research and economics council of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Tourism; the Italian start-up Evja; the University of Pisa, UNIPI; Bioplanet, an Italian company dedicated to the mass breeding of insects and mites for biological control in agriculture; the University of Almeria, UAL; the financial institution Cajamar; the Akdeniz University of Turkey; and CRRHAB, the regional research center for horticulture and organic farming of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Resources and Fisheries.
Grupo La Caña will incorporate the knowledge and experience gained in the project into the technological solutions it currently offers farmers, strengthening its technical service with data-based tools and precision recommendations that allow a more efficient management of resources in the field.
For more information:
Grupo La Caña
Tel: +34 648 469 715
Email: [email protected]
www.grupolacana.com