Irrigation automation in action

Two producers spoke to Netafim Southern & East Africa's Marike Brits about their experiences with non-automated and automated irrigation, highlighting the benefits of switching to the latter.

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Irrigation automation unlocks the full potential of precision irrigation and fertigation.

"It is about the ability to timeously and accurately execute irrigation strategies based on precise data. Even with a lot of effort and time, and the right precision emitter at the plant, 100% precise execution of strategic irrigation and fertigation tasks will not be possible without automation," says Nickie Theron, product manager specialising in digital farming at Netafim Southern & East Africa.

The natural starting point of any conversation about irrigation automation is often the challenges that negatively impact the adoption of these technologies.

According to Jared Gouws, digital farming technician at Netafim Southern & East Africa, there are clear-cut reasons why these challenges should not discourage farmers from adopting irrigation automation technologies.

"The main challenge is often the high initial cost of these technologies.

However, this cost will be offset by the resulting long-term savings in resources.

Suppliers can also address this by offering modular solutions that directly meet farmers' needs," he explains.

Gouws explains why challenges like high cost and unfamiliarity shouldn't be discouraging factors:

• Long-term savings: automated irrigation reduces water waste and labour costs, often paying off the initial investment.

• Improved crop health: precise watering and fertigation lead to healthier plants and better yields.

• Sustainability: automation helps conserve water and other resources.

• Continuous improvement: systems are improving continuously, becoming more affordable and user-friendly.

• Competitive advantage: it increases productivity and resilience. According to Theron, irrigation automation is driven by two main factors.