SmartPalos aims to optimise the use of water and fertilisers through use of advanced digital tools
CR Palos – the public body that manages irrigation water for farmers in Palos de la Frontera and Moguer in Huelva – has launched an ambitious project to improve the sustainability and efficiency of fertigation through the implementation of advanced digital water management technologies.
With a total investment of over €1mn and a grant of €1.1mn, the SmartPalos initiative was created to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource management at a time of unprecedented water stress and the need to protect groundwater from diffuse pollution.
“The initiative will allow the Palos Irrigation District to incorporate digital solutions capable of accurately measuring applied water volumes, monitoring soil moisture, and controlling the input and leaching of nitrates and plant protection products,” CR Palos said. “This will facilitate more efficient fertigation management and a reduction in the environmental impact associated with agricultural activity.”
One of the planned actions is the renewal of the water meter network to allow for precise measurements of water consumption through remote monitoring systems. In addition, solenoid valves will be installed to remotely interact with the irrigation outlets of the community members, and a telemetry network based on LoRaWAN technology will be implemented, guaranteeing robust and reliable communication between the different devices.
SmartPalos also includes the installation of capacitive probes to monitor moisture in sandy soils, a particularly relevant factor for optimising irrigation scheduling in the province’s berry crops. Furthermore, the project will incorporate an automatic drainage lysimeter that will allow for real-time quantification of nutrient balance and nitrogen and pesticide leachate.
CR Palos stressed that the initiative will generate direct benefits for farmers, allowing them to reduce production costs by applying fertigation more closely tailored to the actual needs of the crops. Similarly, SmartPalos aims to become a technological benchmark for the Huelva berry sector, serving as a model for other irrigation communities.
In the environmental sphere, the project will contribute to reducing the risk of eutrophication in the protected wetlands of the surrounding area and Doñana National Park, since the Palos Irrigation Community is located above the Almonte-Marismas aquifer, which is essential for the water supply of these ecosystems.
Furthermore, CR Palos noted that sustainable agricultural production represents an opportunity to reconcile economic development with the conservation of natural resources, fostering the creation of stable employment, encouraging young people to remain in the region, and promoting the participation of women in agriculture.
