Less water, higher yields, easier decisions
Is it worthwhile for farmers to use smart water management in the field – and if so, why? A study by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam surveyed more than 40 growers.
In her session, Lilia Planjyan, Co-Founder of Agurotech, showed how data can make irrigation more efficient and achieve better harvest results.
Data-driven water management can be very simple – at least for users. Lilia Planjyan, Co-Founder of the Dutch company Agurotech, explained how her system works on the Farming Forward Stage at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2026: farms provide Agurotech with all relevant information about the variety they grow and its specific characteristics. They then install sensors in their fields to measure soil moisture. The water management system combines the measurement data from the field with satellite images and uses this information to make recommendations for irrigation – always tailored to the specific soil-crop combination on site. Farmers also receive an up-to-date forecast for the next ten days.
Constant irrigation management pays off
The aim is to use the data to make irrigation more efficient and achieve better harvest results. But does it actually work? Agurotech commissioned the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to investigate. The study evaluated soil moisture performance and gross yield on more than 100 fields, and the scientists surveyed more than 40 farmers about their experience with the system.
The results can be summarised as follows: the better the soil moisture, the higher the gross yields. And: constant management of soil moisture throughout the season also increases yields.
All farmers who were asked about their use of the system regularly check the data in their app. Eighty percent of them say they have great confidence in the reliability of the sensors – and yet, without exception, they all regularly go out into the field to check the soil moisture and the situation on site for themselves. Lilia Planjyan said she finds this more than understandable: it simply takes time to develop trust in technological solutions, and there are a whole range of factors that need to be checked in the fields anyway.
Greater certainty in daily decisions
84 percent of farmers also say that smart water management has made their irrigation more efficient. 61 percent said they irrigate less with the system, and 23 percent said they irrigate more. Almost 60 per cent were pleased that their risk of overwatered or overly dry fields had decreased. Given the countless decisions farmers have to make every day, this is perhaps one of the most important effects: the gain in psychological security. Ninety-four per cent said that the measurements make it easier for them to make irrigation decisions or that they make their decisions with more confidence.