Over the last few months, we have worked closely with a new client in South Africa. To successfully implement irrigation and fertigation expansion projects on three of their farms. The expansion was realised by Bosman Van Zaal South Africa. With these expansions and upgrades, our client will be able to increase the production of certified organic vegetables. In this way, both local supermarkets and well-established retailers can be supplied. We are proud to support farmers who provide organic, healthy food for the local community.
The expansion consists of:
- 30 Hectare greenfield open field micro irrigation project.
- 3000m² greenhouse irrigation fertigation and automation with our HortimaX-Go! climate computer.
- 8-hectare open field irrigation project.
Irrigation Automation can mean big returns for a small investment
One of the more specialist services we provide to local farmers is designing and implementing automated irrigation and climate-control systems. We do this for their small and medium-sized greenhouses. The challenge of manually providing consistently high-quality irrigation for a harvest is hard. It is made even harder due to the never-ending demand for the farmer's time and effort.
It is no surprise that various automation solutions are growing in popularity. We have decided to promote and support the HortiMaX-Go! Greenhouse Controller in all our Irrigation Automation projects. Inexpensive, modular and easy to use, the HortiMaX-Go! is the ideal plug-and-play controller for South African farmers wanting to upgrade their operation and start saving time, money and water.
The HortimaX-Go! offers entry-level automation
The HortiMaX-Go! entry-level model is ideal for:
- Growers switching from open fields to protected cultivation.
- Growers in protected cultivation looking for an entry-level automation system.
- Growers in protected cultivation who want to replace their conventional automation system.
- In existing poly greenhouses with existing wiring.
- In new poly greenhouse projects where new and cheaper methods of wiring can be used.
International standard
The cost of an automation system can sometimes be scary. But compared to the longer-term savings that accumulate over a few years, it quickly becomes clear that the positives outweigh the negatives by quite a bit! The ultimate goal of irrigation automation is to allow a grower to precisely water their crop with little to no human effort. Thereby increasing the time available to manage and maintain crop growth.
The technology is now widely available to local farmers at an affordable price point. It is already an international standard in Europe. South Africa's growing adoption of automation systems and increased crop yield and quality means it may become a requirement in the future for farmers if they wish to stay competitive in the market.
Benefits of irrigation automation
The benefits of irrigation automation are not to be taken lightly. Irrigation automation:
- Conserves water and time: Accurate crop irrigation automation allows you to focus on more important tasks while being more effective with your water consumption.
- Has a higher yield: Correct irrigation means healthier plants, which naturally increases your yield - and profit!
- Prevents disease and weeds: Directing water to the root prevents weed germination and leaf/blight diseases.
- Is flexible: Suitable for all climate and irrigation configurations, the smartphone app gives you complete control from anywhere in the world to conveniently manage your crop with peace of mind and ease.