Kresna, Blagoevgrad region, Bulgaria
Kresna, Blagoevgrad region, Bulgaria
0.45 ha
greenhouses
Greenhouses Nikol Agro
Nikol Agro saves time, water and energy resources with ONDO precision irrigation automation
Bulgaria
Nikolay Donchev
The challenges
The key result that Nikol Agro owner is looking to achieve via precision irrigation automation is time savings. The farm has its own water source, but it is located at a distance of 50 meters from the farm. At specific times of the year, like during the seeding of the plants, it is necessary to water frequently, for short periods of time. The time lost in manual opening and closing of the irrigation valves is significant. During the active crop season the irrigation takes place on a daily basis and again, requires that human staff is physically present at the farm, to manage and control the irrigation process, to monitor for leaks and ensure that the irrigation happens at just the right time and with the appropriate quantities.
In cases of over-irrigation, which is generally the result from human error, the quality of the crop diminishes and there is also substantial loss realized from achieving a crop yield that is lower than expected.
For the owner of Nikol Agro, the need for precision irrigation automation became clear shortly after the farm had started operations. Initially he integrated another irrigation automation solution at the farm, but a friend recommended him to reach out to ONDO, as a more efficient solution for automation of the farm irrigation.
The solutions
- Precision irrigation automation with ONDO
- Arable land managed with ONDO – 0.45 ha
In Nikol Agro farm ONDO automates the irrigation in glass-steel greenhouses with a total arable land of 0.45 ha. The precision irrigation of the plants is now managed and controlled in a fully automated manner, which guarantees that the water and nutrients are delivered to the plants and absorbed in the most optimal way, per the needs of the plants in every stage of their growth, with no loss of water resources or fertilizer.
In case of eventual infrastructure issues, the farm team is being notified automatically, which guarantees their fast reaction.
The installation of the precision irrigation automation with ONDO had been completed smoothly and within shortest terms, and the farm owner needed just a few interactions with ONDO platform before he could start feeling comfortable with the interface for remote management and control of the irrigation processes on the farm.
The results
Enjoying precision irrigation automation with ONDO for more than a year, the owner of Nikol Agro Nikolay Donchev confirms that the time savings have been huge. The irrigation is done in a fully automatic way using irrigation automation programs and schedules, the execution of which the owner is only monitoring remotely via his mobile device.
Even though the farm has its own water source, the efficient usage of the water available guarantees the smooth work of the farm in the long run. The energy consumed is also being used much more efficiently. The precise irrigation and fertigation results in higher-quality crop and an increased yield.
About greenhouses “Nikol Agro”
Greenhouses for tomatoes, salad, lettuce
Glass-steel greenhouses with arable land of 0,45 ha
Kresna, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Nikolay Donchev
Bulgaria
Nikolay Donchev
Owner of greenhouses Nikol Agro
The greenhouse farm Nikol Agro has been founded in 2018 and covers 0.45 ha of arable land in the city of Kresna, Bulgaria. In the greenhouses there are various vegetable crops grown all year round – tomatoes, salad, lettuce and others. The farm employs 4 people throughout the entire year.
Nikol Agro is one of the first farms in Bulgaria which automate and precise their irrigation processes with ONDO. This ONDO greenhouse automation has been working smoothly for more than a year now, and according to its owner Nikolay Donchev, the investment he made has already been fully returned.
