Ornamental plant producers located in Maresme (Barcelona), with many years of experience in the gardening sector, were using an outdated fertigation system with obsolete dosing pumps. These producers required a modern, efficient, automated system with remote control capability to facilitate the work of the plantation managers.
In the same facilities, strawberries are also grown in greenhouses, vegetables are cultivated outdoors, and there is an equine facility with a sprinkler system to cool the horses, which also needs some form of automated or remote control system.
The old equipment was replaced with new state-of-the-art WC3000 controllers, consisting of a controller and two irrigation modules to manage the 27 irrigation sectors that are part of the 3-hectare facilities, which are continuously expanding.
Through a complex system of pipes and solenoid valves that open and close the different sectors controlled by the ITC irrigation programmer, information is received from the flow, pH, EC, and pressure sensors. This allows the correct dosing of solutions to the Dostec AC and Dositec pumps, ensuring the proper proportional supply of nutrients to each plant according to its needs and at the precise moment.
The pH of the irrigation water is also corrected. The water, sourced from the estate’s supply, is pre-treated by osmosis and stored in three reservoirs located at different points on the estate, which supply the entire irrigation system.
These are complex facilities with many irrigation sectors and different species of ornamental plants spread over 3 hectares with 27 irrigation sectors, including indoor greenhouse areas, outdoor ornamental plant cultivation areas, vegetable crops for personal consumption, and a sprinkler system to cool the horses.
The ITC fertigation system allows for remote control through the Cloud Manager, facilitating and reducing the response time for the managers. This system enables the management and control of the irrigation status at any time and place, as well as the ability to modify, manage, or correct the necessary parameters for the proper application of fertilisers to the plants.
