Optimum irrigation in agriculture with iQ HydrON
Cloud-based solution for optimizing agricultural irrigation
The optimization of irrigation in agriculture with iQ HydrON - a contribution to the use of the valuable resource drinking water - using the example of an irrigation association.
Date: 04.10.2023 | Reading time: 12. Min.
Drinking water: our most precious commodity
Most of the earth is covered by water. However, only three percent of it is drinking water. Drinking water is a precious commodity that is becoming increasingly scarce worldwide. Annual drinking water consumption can be roughly divided into three groups: Private households, industry and agriculture.
Private households account for the smallest share, industry has continuously reduced its water requirements and is now only in second place, while agriculture is the undisputed leader with 70% of global water consumption. In Germany and many European countries, water consumption for agriculture is less than 25% (measured against total consumption). In other countries such as Mexico and China, however, the proportion is 90% or more. In Morocco, for example, up to 2,700 liters of water are needed to grow one kilo of grain. In comparison, the same amount can be produced in Germany with only 520 liters of water.
In German agriculture, 97% of the water used is rainwater. In southern countries, people tend to use irrigation and well water. The total water withdrawal for agricultural irrigation in Germany amounted to around 0.4 billion m³. This corresponds to 0.2 % of the total water supply in Germany of 176 billion m³ or 2.2 % of the total withdrawals of 20 billion m³. This means that water withdrawals by agriculture in Germany are already at a low level, especially in an international comparison. However, while water withdrawals for industry have fallen continuously, water withdrawals for irrigation have increased steadily in this country in recent years. This is by no means due to wasteful behavior or negligence, but rather to climatic conditions, increased demand and a greater need for goods and food.
In line with the national water strategy, ways must be found to secure the future of water in Germany and at the same time offer the necessary technologies to countries with higher water consumption. In order to tackle the problem globally, it is worth taking a digital look at agricultural irrigation, because here, too, water extraction in agriculture in Germany is not clearly regulated and hardly monitored at all.
Here, digitalization can help to make water withdrawal transparent and to coordinate water demand and irrigation supply based on weather data and soil moisture meters, among other things. The aim is to provide efficient irrigation support for farmers and to document and analyze consumption patterns so that adjustments can be made if necessary.
iQ HydrON a cloud-based solution for optimizing agricultural irrigation
BEULCO GmbH & Co. KG created iQ HydrON, a cloud-based solution for optimizing agricultural irrigation, in 2021 and successfully implemented it in a pilot project at an irrigation association.
At the heart of iQ HydrON was the digitalization of the standpipes used for irrigation, the measurement of important consumption data and the optimization of water consumption in the irrigation association's entire supply area.
The irrigation area of over 15,000 hectares with over 600 km of distribution network and 15 of its own booster pumping stations was to be digitized. The aim was to digitally record the more than 8,000 hydrants and the assigned standpipes as well as to enable the localization and digital recording of meter readings and other important parameters. An ambitious and large project with many challenges, for which none of the previously approached partners were able to offer a suitable solution.
A specific platform solution for the irrigation association based on the iQ Cloud
After further coordination with the association, the iQ HydrON development project was launched in November 2020. The first version of the platform and the corresponding hardware should be ready in March 2021 so that a larger field test can be started.
The iQ Cloud formed the basis of the development work. The developer's own cloud is the brain of all iQ solutions. It forms the backbone of all digitalization projects in the field of water networks. Data from existing iQ solutions as well as external sensors and software systems is collected and processed in the iQ Cloud and made available to end customers on corresponding platforms or in existing systems via interfaces. Data protection and data security, in some cases for sensitive customer data, were already of the utmost importance in previous projects and were implemented to the highest standard thanks to the collaboration with the IT specialists at PHYSEC GmbH. The IT company from Bochum was also brought on board for the highly specific project of the irrigation association.
Thanks to the cooperation with the specialized IT service provider, it was possible to maximize the security of all communication, customer and consumption data.
Sensitive data deserves security - Strong duo for the digitalization of the water network
Advanced safety and connectivity concept
Through the unique combination of applied encryption and communication technology, PHYSEC offers innovative security solutions for applications in the Internet of Things. The advanced security and connectivity concept - IoTree and its software solution Connect and Protect enables the implementation of digital business models with maximum IT security and ease of use. This contributes to the digital self-determination of users.
Both companies are working together to maximize the data security of all existing systems. All data traffic and data processing in the iQ Cloud is transmitted and processed in compliance with the highest security standards.
The smart meters and IoT applications from iQ water solutions, BEULCO's digital division, enable the digitalization of the network infrastructure. But digital communication also harbors risks. For example, communicating and controlling components in supply networks, especially in the area of critical infrastructure, are attractive gateways for attackers. PHYSEC offers protection against such dangers with an exclusive solution. The company secures the data connection in accordance with the specifications of the German Federal Office for Security and Information Technology (BSI) for established technologies and thus enables the digitalization of critical infrastructures based on innovative communication via LoRa-WAN and NB-IoT.
The unique and patented encryption complies with the technical guideline for cryptographic specifications to realize projects of the Federal Government (BSI-TR-03116-3) for worldwide networks. This allows metering systems to be installed based on the IT security catalog of the Federal Network Agency in accordance with Section 11 (1a) EnWG. The solution covers the entire data connection from the meter to the ERP system, the grid control room or the specific IoT platform of the irrigation association.
Successful completion of the field test in October 2021
In the field test, the large-volume standpipe (with meter for large flow rates of up to 100 m³/h) was developed and manufactured by the companies Schott (standpipe) and Pipersberg (meter) so that the field test could finally begin in July 2021. A sensor unit developed by iQ water solutions was mounted on the standpipe, which automatically communicates with both the meter on the standpipe and the iQ Cloud.
The area of the irrigation association selected for the field test and all 8,000 associated underground hydrants have now been digitally recorded and can be managed and localized on the platform. Assigned standpipes can be tracked, assigned according to status and read out automatically.
If desired, individual hydrants and standpipes can be viewed and analyzed in more detail. Manual management of individual junctions is also possible at any time.
Expansion and extension of iQ HydrON
Weather stations, ground sensors, user management and app as well as environmental alarms
After the field test was successfully completed in October 2021 and the association's own solution for irrigation optimization was convincing across the board, the scope of the iQ HydrON platform was greatly expanded in 2022. The
various new functions were integrated to meet the requirements of the irrigation association.
User management
In order to be able to conveniently manage the now broad portfolio of different functions and assign individual functions and rights to users, the platform was initially expanded to include a clearly structured user management system adapted to everyday irrigation. Administration and irrigation tasks can now be managed and assigned at various administration and user levels. New users are added with just a few clicks and have immediate access to exactly the information they need to become active or create new users themselves.
Weather stations
At the customer's request, over 150 different weather stations in the areas of rain, wind and temperature were connected to iQ HydrON. Depending on the set transmission interval, the irrigation association now receives meteorological information around the clock, such as wind speed, amount of precipitation or (wet) temperature over the entire irrigation area. If required, individual users can add important weather stations to a favorites list and thus identify specific areas at a glance.
More in-depth information on various parameters with a temporal reference is provided by the on-demand statistics, which also allow the stations to be compared with each other and clearly displayed.
Soil moisture sensors
Another feature is the soil moisture sensors adapted to the system. The sensors can be installed at different depths in the soil and calibrated to the respective soil type at the click of a mouse. Once installed, they provide information about the existing soil moisture and the calculated field capacity. By inserting the sensors at different depths and adjusting the transmission intervals, conclusions can be drawn about the optimum irrigation time and duration in combination with the existing sensor system.
Alarms
In a further step, various warning functions were created using the data from weather and soil moisture sensors. For example, frost alarms, precipitation warnings or wind alarms can be set to automatically inform users as soon as self-set limit values are exceeded in the defined areas. Users can not only define the limits for all alarms individually, but also specify the type of notification. Users can decide for themselves whether they want to be informed about the alarm via push message on the app, email, text message or even a phone call.
The mobile app
In order to improve the operation of iQ HydrON in the field and to broaden the notification options, a mobile application was created specifically for this purpose. All important information can be called up on the app with just a few clicks, even when on the move, and alarms can be forwarded quickly and easily via the push function.
Preview
In 2023, the further development of iQ HydrON will of course continue. In the coming weeks, user-specific management functions such as damage management and repair reports will be integrated to support comprehensive management. In addition, weather data from abroad and Germany will be integrated into the platform via a data interface in order to further refine the collection of information and classification of the irrigation situation and requirements.