The Farmer and the Olive Grove
Mr. Zacharioudakis manages a 2 hectare irrigated olive grove of Koroneiki olive trees for olive oil production in Pigaidakia, Municipality of Phaistos, Heraklion, Crete. The SynField smart irrigation solution is used across the farm to improve irrigation management and make more efficient use of available water resources.
The olive grove extends across three separate plots with different soil characteristics and is supplied by private water tanks that are replenished from an external water source. Managing both the availability of water in the tanks and irrigation across each individual plot makes the day-to-day operation of the farm particularly demanding.
The Challenge: Managing Irrigation Across Three Separate Plots
Before adopting SynField, crop management relied almost entirely on the farmer’s physical presence in the field. The lack of automation and remote monitoring made timely decision-making difficult, particularly in an environment where water availability in the private tanks was constantly changing.
The farm consists of three non-adjacent plots, each with different terrain and slopes, significantly increasing the complexity of irrigation management. The farmer needed to simultaneously monitor water levels in the tanks, soil moisture, prevailing weather conditions, and the correct operation of the irrigation network across each part of the farm.
Without a unified, real-time view of these data, management depended on frequent on-site inspections and experience-based estimates. This made it more difficult to identify problems early, limited the ability to optimize the use of available water resources, and created additional operating costs, ultimately affecting the overall efficiency of the farm.
The Solution: Smart Irrigation and Remote Management with SynField
To address these challenges, in 2019 Synelixis designed and implemented an integrated smart irrigation and remote management solution tailored to the specific requirements of the three plots.
A total of three SynField telemetry devices were installed, enabling continuous monitoring and remote control of the irrigation system. Through the unified SynField cloud platform and mobile applications for Android and iOS devices, the farmer now has access to real-time data and can manage irrigation securely and reliably from anywhere.
The installation includes a weather station for monitoring local climatic conditions, as well as pressure sensors and flow meters at the inlets and outlets of the water tanks, allowing continuous monitoring of water pressure, flow, and availability. Soil moisture sensors were also installed at selected locations across the plots, providing reliable information about the crops’ actual water requirements.
Finally, solenoid valves connected to the SynField devices enable irrigation to be remotely started and stopped, as well as scheduled based on actual field data.
The Results of Smart Irrigation
By adopting the SynField solution, Mr. Zacharioudakis achieved:
- Continuous remote monitoring of critical crop parameters.
- Comprehensive monitoring and control of the irrigation network and irrigation across all three plots.
- Fewer unnecessary trips to the fields.
- More efficient use of irrigation water.
- More efficient farm management and significant time savings.
Today, Mr. Zacharioudakis manages his entire farm through the SynField cloud platform and his mobile phone, with complete visibility into the operation of the irrigation network and the ability to make informed decisions based on real-time field data.
The Farmer’s Experience
“With SynField, I can see what is happening in each plot at any time, directly from my mobile phone or computer, and take immediate action whenever necessary. I have saved significant time, reduced unnecessary trips to the fields, and can now manage irrigation and available water resources much more efficiently.”
E. Zacharioudakis
SynField in the Field
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