ABOUT US

The DATI project aims to develop and implement new technologies and innovative digital procedures to enhance irrigation efficiency by developing low-cost and lean solutions that can reach small-scale farmers, primarily by using low-cost hardware simplified data-driven models.

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Period of Implementation
Jun 1, 2021 - May 31, 2024
Total Budget
EUR 2,175,110.00

Project team

Partners

Donors

OUR IMPACT

Goals

The application of the tools developed during this project will provide a water use reduction ranging between 15-20% compared to conventional irrigation management. Moreover, DATI will allow to save water without any decrease in crop yield by increasing the water use efficiency (WUE) through a more precise use of the water amount applied to the crops, at the right location and time

Objectives

The DATI project will take advantage of innovative low-cost technologies such as Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) for agrometeorological monitoring, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) coupled with different sensors, free satellite imagery, decision support systems (DSS). The systems will be developed in pilot demo farms located in five representative Mediterranean countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, France and Morocco.

Problems and Needs Analysis

Water is becoming the most limiting factor for crop production, with irrigated agriculture being one of the main water-consuming sectors, which is a challenge for substantial water savings. This proposal aims to design and develop new Digital Agriculture (DA) technological solutions and procedures for crop and soil monitoring with the purpose of optimizing irrigation management by improving irrigation equipment at the farm scale and scheduling water release according to crop needs.

Impact Pathway

The technological components will be affordable, flexible and adaptable to be replicated in different locations and applied to different crops and farming systems. More specifically, each TS will be developed as a lean package and will support Mediterranean small-scale farmers to increase the profitability of irrigation and to achieve optimal crop yields, while ensuring water quality and quantity, through the optimization of water use efficiency with a low-cost approach.

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