ONDO automates the irrigation and precise fertigation in Man Agro walnut orchard using solar power
The automation of the processes in farms with no access to electricity from the grid is getting more and more common. One of the recent ONDO customers, which required solar energy-powered automation – is Man Agro near the town of Boboshevo, Bulgaria.
Man Agro farm grows 3+ ha of young walnut trees. The production of nuts with good taste and characteristics, per the requirements of the market, requires precise irrigation and fertigation of the young trees and so Man Agro got in touch with ONDO for the implementation of the irrigation and precise fertigation.. and much more!
In this farm, in addition to the automation, the ONDO team was also entrusted with the complete implementation of the drip irrigation system, i.e. turnkey project implementation. Projects of this type are handled by ONDO only for strategic clients and cover all activities – from the design of the irrigation system, to the implementation of each element of it and the complete automation of the irrigation and precise fertigation processes.
As part of the project, ONDO ensured the automation was using power from an independent energy source – a solar park built for the needs of the farm. ONDO automation solutions allow integration with solar energy sources so this requirement was met with ease. A 100m3 silo water tank was also built, being filled by a drilling pump controlled by ONDO, in order to maintain a stable water level in the tank.
The automation in this project was implemented wirelessly, via the ONDO AIR Point modules which control up to 4 irrigation valves, as well as soil sensors. The wireless automation was adapted to the specifics of the terrain and the plants. The precise fertigation is accomplished using a 3-channel precision fertigation solution ONDO FertiON-3, as well as using the ONDO Air Bubble Jet fertilizer mixing system injecting air before and during the execution of of the precise fertigation.
Given the remote location of the farm, 24/7 remote control as well as process monitoring based on proactive alarm notifications from the system, are key to ensure workforce efficiency and timely response when the irrigation system needs to be inspected.
We thank Man Agro for their trust, and for being an example of a modern farm using the advantages of modern technologies in a challenging infrastructure environment!
