SPRITZ

SPRITZ (an acronym for Sensorized Platform for the Reconfiguration of IrrigaTion based on Zone measurements) is a research and development project focused on sustainable agriculture, with particular attention to farms of typical size and capacity in the region. It focuses mainly on Sardinian agritourisms, which, while having agricultural production mainly for domestic use, sometimes extend over acres of land, representing a model of experimentation for the project. Technological innovation plays a crucial role in the path to sustainability, with particular emphasis on smart agriculture or agriculture 4.0, which applies innovations from Industry 4.0 to the agricultural sector.

SPRITZ’s goal is to provide a system to control and measure the water and energy footprint by providing for the design and implementation of a smart irrigation control unit that responds to emerging issues about the cost of energy and the need to reduce waste of the water resource.

The proposed Irrigation Control Unit has innovative features, including modularity to extend irrigation channels, open connectivity via Open API to interact with other existing applications and sensors, the ability to preload variability maps or create models based on satellite observation, and connection with next-generation energy meters to monitor energy consumption. The project also includes the development of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models to assess the environmental impact of agricultural products and the definition of monitoring protocols for environmental/farm variables.

The SPRITZ project develops an innovative technology platform that provides for the monitoring of irrigation and energy consumption thus enabling energy, water and CO2 emission reduction.