Hydro-informatics system for smart crop irrigation and phytosanitary treatments

Overview

Traditional irrigation management based on past experience is increasingly unreliable as climate conditions become more variable. The SIM hydro-informatic system addresses this challenge by providing accurate, site-specific forecasts of soil moisture and weather variables for the days ahead, enabling smarter irrigation scheduling and more effective phytosanitary treatments. By coupling a physically based hydrological model with satellite observations, SIM delivers precise crop water requirements along with key meteorological inputs such as wind velocity, air humidity, and temperature. This improves water use efficiency, reduces environmental impacts, and supports higher and more consistent crop yields. The system has already been deployed and validated across multiple countries and agricultural contexts.

Technical specifications

Core components:

• FEST-EWB backend: A spatially distributed, physically based hydrological model that solves water and energy balance equations, automatically generating new forecasts
• Satellite data integration: Incorporates vegetation and land surface temperature data to refine predictions
• Web-based frontend: An open-source application that presents forecasts and decision-support information in a user-friendly format, fully customizable to user requirements

Key capabilities:

• Forecasts soil moisture and weather variables for upcoming days
• Supports irrigation management across different crops, climates, and agricultural practices
• Compatible with multiple irrigation techniques and varying water availability conditions
• Adaptable to virtually any climate and crop type
• Modular architecture allowing extension with application-specific modules

Technology readiness level

The SIM system has been developed and field-tested through multiple research projects, including the SIM project (2016–2019) and SMARTIES (2020–2022). It has been validated in several agricultural fields and Irrigation Consortia across Italy, China, the Netherlands, Morocco, and Spain, covering diverse crops, climatic conditions, agricultural practices, irrigation techniques, and water availability scenarios. The standard deployment process includes soil and crop data assessment, model configuration and validation, satellite data analysis, integration of local meteorological observations, and frontend customization. The technology is ready for further implementation and scaling to new regions and use cases.