(ANSA) - ROME - Technology and innovation applied to agriculture, from weather stations to soil moisture sensors up to sophisticated systems based on IoT and artificial intelligence, reduce water consumption by up to 20% compared to traditional cultivation systems.
This is the result of an elaboration by Cai-Consorzi Agrari d'Italia which, in synergy with Ibf Servizi, has produced a detailed report on the difference between the fields irrigated with the traditional method and those that already use the innovations of agriculture 4.0.
Based on the data it emerges that for each hectare of corn, thanks to the help of technologies, it is possible to obtain on average an annual water saving of 10% with 360 m3 of water less, going from 3600 m3 / ha per year with the traditional method to 3240 m3 / ha with precision agriculture.
Consumption is reduced by 12% for vegetables and potatoes with 600 m3 less per hectare, from traditional 5000 m3 / ha to 4400 m3 / ha on average every year with innovations while the reduction in water consumption can reach peaks of 15% for orchards (saving of 630 m3 / ha), and 20% for crops such as beetroot (840 m3 / ha less every year).
Lower water consumption, which in the future could reach up to 50%, in addition to bringing a benefit to the environment, also entails lower costs for farms between water saved and reduced quantities of diesel used for pumping.
"Investing in technology and innovation is crucial for farms to cope with climate change and market challenges, manage natural resources responsibly and also look after the future - explains Francesco Pugliese, Research & Development Director of Consorzi Agrari d 'Italy - the data speak for themselves: the technologies applied to agriculture, from weather stations to artificial intelligence systems that allow automatic opening and closing of irrigation systems, are crucial because they are sustainable and able to help the company to save and maximize agricultural production ".
(HANDLE).