Project description
A smart system for agricultural water management
The agricultural water use in irrigation is the main cause of global water wastage. Due to insufficient knowledge of plant water status, farmers often overwater plants by 20 %, resulting in significant wastewater and lowering plant yields. The EU-funded StemSense project will focus on the development and full commercialisation of a unique sensor device that measures stem water potential (SWP), which is scientifically proven to provide the most accurate data on plant water status. By interpreting these data, incorporating external factors such as meteorological data, the sensor will provide recommended irrigation levels to farmers. Through this system, farmers will experience up to 20 % higher income, significant water savings and reduced costs.
Objective
There is an increasing global pressure on water resources and ensuring there is a sufficient supply in the face of climate change. This is of particular prevalence within the agriculture industry where irrigation is becoming increasingly important. Farmers typically overwater plants by 20% due to insufficient knowledge of plant water status resulting in significant wastewater and lowering plant yields. Saturas have developed StemSense, a unique sensor device that measures Stem Water Potential (SWP). SWP is scientifically proven to provide the most accurate data on plant water status. Saturas’ system then interprets this data, incorporating external factors such as meteorological data and provides recommended levels of irrigation to farmers. Farmers using the StemSense sensor experience up to 20% higher income, significant water savings and reduced costs. The overall objectives of the Phase 2 project are to design and engineer a miniaturised sensor that can be deployed in a wide variety of plants; to optimise the communication system and user interface; to scale-up production of StemSense with a contract manufacturer; and to demonstrate and validate the technology in in-field trials with farmers across Europe. The overall objective is to reach full commercialisation of StemSense as a reliable innovation validated by the relevant end-users, farmers.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringwater engineeringirrigation
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
2017400 MISGAV
Israel
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.