Irristaud

 Water is a precious and increasingly seasonally scarce resource, even in Central Europe. In agriculture and horticulture, water consumption and resource efficiency are among the key challenges. In view of political and social expectations that producers should conserve resources, the search for sustainable solutions is more urgent than ever. Although modern phenotyping methods theoretically enable the precise use of water and nutrients, in practice there is often a lack of concrete implementation of these technologies.

This is where the IrriStaud 2.0 project comes in. Funded by EU Interreg, it aims to achieve a more resource-efficient production of perennials through the use of advanced sensor technology and intelligent control systems. This technology aims to optimize water use and precisely control nutrient supply to minimize the environmental footprint of production while maximizing quality and yields.

As part of the project, we are using modern sensor technology to determine the water and nutrient requirements of various crops in real time. The resulting data enables a precise analysis of the supply status of the plants. In addition, we are developing an irrigation control system based on the data collected in real time. This system ensures that plants receive exactly the amount of water and nutrients they need. Another important aspect of our project is the graphical processing of the sensor data. This data visualization provides production managers with valuable insights into the condition of their crops and enables them to make informed and quick decisions. To ensure that our developments meet the actual needs of the field, we seek continuous exchange with horticultural advisors and practitioners. This dialog helps us to develop needs-based products that are actually used in practice and are useful to producers. A particular focus is on cross-border cooperation between Dutch and German experts, as perennial plant cultivation is of great importance on both sides of the border.

Partners:

    Compas Agro

    The lead partner Compas Agro is an agricultural consultancy from Venlo. The company is at the center of a network of entrepreneurs, educational institutions, government organizations and research institutions, and is committed to knowledge transfer in arable farming and horticulture.

    Yookr

    Yookr is a software company with a focus on horticulture and agribusiness. Yookr develops sensor and software solutions in the "Internet of Things" for modern plant production. Real-time data visualization enables farms to optimally control their production and thus produce efficiently.

    Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

    Prof. Rolf Becker's working group at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences focuses on remote sensing. As part of the project, the working group carries out various measurements on plants (e.g. hyperspectral, LIFT). Both mobile UAV systems and stationary systems are used.

    KoGa

    The Horticultural Competence Center is a network for strengthening the transfer of knowledge between research and practice. KoGa communicates the project results and promotes the exchange between the project partners and external stakeholders, such as practical farms, horticultural consultants, politicians and the general public.

Duration: 01.01.2023 – 31.12.2026

Funding: IrriStaud 2.0 is financially supported by the Interreg program of the EU as well as by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Province of Limburg and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.