Software contributes to reducing water consumption in crops up to 30%

A software contributes to reduce up to an 30% the water consumption in crops

13/05/2015

Through simple software, farmers record field data such as plot area, soil type, climate and irrigation system, water consumption, pesticides and fertilizers, etc. In addition, it can be complemented with the use of sensors for soil moisture and water consumption to know if it is being irrigated excessively. The eFoodPrint software is a new concept within the online self-assessment tools, since, with just one click, you can obtain a complete report on productivity and efficiency and environmental sustainability. It has a cost starting from 1.500 €, in its basic version.

The benefits of software

The analysis carried out by eFoodPrint allows to know in 30 minutes the productive performance of the fields and, from here, to adjust the exact amount of water that is needed. For Agraz, which currently works with 230 farmers in Extremadura and some areas of Portugal, the measure has saved between 1.000 m³ and 1.500 m³ of water per hectare. Agraz is the tomato supplier of the Unilever company that has worldwide recognized brands such as Flora, Knorr, Calvé, Ligeresa, Hellmann's, Lipton, among others.

Water and carbon footprint

The technological tools developed by eFoodPrint are very useful for calculating environmental sustainability indicators such as the water and carbon footprint. In Spain the water footprint of agriculture and livestock is the largest among all other sectors, and reaches approximately 80% of water consumption. On the other hand, the excess of fertilization is responsible for between the 50% and the 60% of the carbon footprint.

Source: iagua.es