Students from the Cultivation & Technology course at Zone.college Zwolle successfully completed the ‘Automatic Irrigation with AI‘ trial on 16 December 2024. In collaboration with Vivent Biosignals, they investigated how cucumber plants responded to automatic watering when the plants requested it themselves. This was done using Vivent biosensors that can record drought stress.
Trial Results
The trial, which started in September 2024, resulted in more production and less water consumption.
- more than 15% less water consumption
- more than 10% higher production
These findings show the potential of AI and biosensors to not only optimize water consumption but also increase yields.
How does it work?
Five rows of cucumbers were grown in the greenhouse at Zone.college Zwolle. One row was connected to sensors from Vivent Biosignals that measured the plants’ drought stress and automatically determined when water was needed. The other rows were watered via the traditional strategy with the Priva climate computer.
The students were actively involved in:
- Controlling the climate and performing crop operations
- Recording watering, climate, crop growth and production
- Monitoring the water level in the Grodan mats with Grodan GroSense sensors
Weekly, the students consulted online with plant scientists from Vivent Biosignals in Switzerland. In addition, NovaCrop Control supported the trial with leaf sample analyses to monitor plant health.
The first results are promising, according to the students: the Vivent row produced more cucumbers and used significantly less water. The average weight per cucumber was almost the same as that of the control group. Crop growth showed no significant differences, despite the lower water consumption.
Follow-up
Follow-up in 2025: irrigation optimization
In 2025, the trial will be followed up with further improvements:
- Swapping the control group and AI-controlled row
- Adjustment of watering rules so that plants can also be watered at night
