This estate is located in Castellón, east of Spain, with an area of 20 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of mandarin orange in an intensive trellis system using the Orri variety.
In this success story, our client was an agricultural consultant who worked at several citrus farms in the area.
Location: Castellón
Farming: Mandarin Orange
This particular property featured root asphyxia problems in the trees due to deep waterlogging during the spring and summer, which negatively affected crop health, especially that of the Orri mandarin variety.
The main challenge was to solve the problem of root asphyxia caused by traditional, excessive irrigation, as well as the farm’s clay soil, which was located near a seasonal watercourse.
The symptoms observed on the trees—such as small leaves, yellowing, and defoliation—indicated the need to restore health from the plantation.
The solution involved improving irrigation practices to address these problems and enhance crop health through the implementation of advanced technology.
A a monitoring station equipped with a temperature sensor, an ambient humidity sensor, and a Rain gauge to monitor temperature trends and precipitation on a highly localized basis.
In addition, a 90-cm-length capacitive moisture probe to monitor soil volumetric moisture content throughout the profile. This probe also provided information on soil electrical conductivity and temperature at different depths.
The approach used by the technicians involved adjusting the irrigation interval and duration based on the behavior of water in the 90-cm soil profile, where the mandarin orange roots were located. In addition, the timing of pre-fertilization, fertilization, and post-fertilization was adjusted using information on soil electrical conductivity, maintaining optimal values for crop health.
Soil temperature and weather data were also used to determine the best time to begin Irrigation and fertilization, responding to the plant’s needs in real time.
The implementation of this efficient irrigation solution through digital management yielded a number of sustainable benefits within one year:
