Plantae, a start-up supported by the C3N-IA Science Park at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and specializing in precision agriculture, has developed new predictive models using artificial intelligence (AI) to anticipate water needs, optimize irrigation and increase crop productivity. The potential applications of this technology range from intensive agriculture to professional gardening and the maintenance of football pitches, golf courses and other sports facilities.
The technology developed draws on an extensive database generated by more than 10,000 sensors installed on farms and agricultural holdings, which collect some 10 million monthly data points on soil moisture, electrical conductivity and temperature. What this new system does is use this ‘Big Data’ and combine it with AI to make more accurate predictions about weather events and crop conditions.
“Our goal is to anticipate what is going to happen, providing the farmer or technician with specific recommendations on irrigation amounts or preventive actions for their crops up to ten days in advance,” says Samuel Lopez, CEO and co-founder of Plantae.