IRRISTAUD 2.0
IRRISTAUD is a combination of ‘irrigation’ and ‘Stauden’, the German word for ‘perennials’. This project is about optimising both the water supply as well as the amount of nutrients and fertilisers used in the cultivation of perennials.
Water is a precious and scarce resource. Climate change forces us to be even more careful with our water. IRRISTAUD focuses on the optimisation of water supply for plants in pots, containers, and line planting.
The project has 3 interrelated lines:
- Measuring the plant's water needs using sensors that measure plant stress based on leaf positions and photosynthesis. This is combined with conventional soil measurements. The measurements are carried out respectively using flying and moving sensor positioning systems and sensors in pots.
- The measured data will be transformed on a newly developed platform using Artificial Intelligence into algorithms and control data for targeted and dosed irrigation. The platform will also be suitable for other crops.
- The targeted and optimally dosed watering of the plants. The intended effects are:
- Cultivated plants grow better with the same input of resources and raw materials because they receive neither too little nor too much water or at the wrong time.
- Optimisation of the use of nutrients and fertilisers
- Less water consumption
- Preventing the leaching of fertilisers and nutrients into soil or groundwater.
Irristaud is a cross-border collaboration between groups of plant growers, research companies and research institutions. Together they have a unique combination of scientific knowledge, applied knowledge and grower skills.
For each development line, a co-creation group of growers is formed. This way, growers are involved in the development process and the solutions can align with daily practice, thus ensuring direct applicability. A reference group will be established with Gelderland tree growers and WUR to quickly transform the methodology into tree cultivation in pots upon success.
