Irrigation App for Olive Orchards Cuts Water Use by 11 Percent

A new irrigation app for olive orchards reduced water consumption by 11 percent while maintaining both fruit and oil yields, a new study has found.

The result suggests an unusual agricultural improvement: a straightforward weekly choice can preserve limited water supplies without requiring small growers to risk their harvest.

Irrigation app tested in an olive orchard

The findings came from a commercial olive orchard in eastern Spain over the 2023 growing season, when the new app directed irrigation for an entire harvest cycle.

In collaboration with the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA), Luis Bonet Perez de Leon converted soil measurements into advice delivered by phone, demonstrating that the reduced schedule kept trees within a safe moisture range.

During the season, the orchard was supplied with 99 millimetres (3.9 inches) of irrigation, around 12.7 millimetres (0.5 inches) less than the technician-managed comparison treatment, with no loss of production.

The saving was noteworthy not simply because less water was used, but because the system achieved it through guidance simple enough to warrant closer attention.

How the irrigation tool simplified the calculations

Every recommendation was based on the prior week’s irrigation dose, rather than beginning from scratch or relying on a complex crop timetable.

The application then modified that volume using evapotranspiration data – water lost through soil and leaves – together with soil-moisture measurements.

Higher temperatures and drier air increased the weekly amount, whereas wetter soil or reduced atmospheric demand lowered it.

As the guidance was provided as a percentage adjustment, farmers did not have to work through additional calculations or interpret raw sensor tables.

Identifying the safe moisture band

Before the team could rely on the software, it needed to establish the point at which olive trees remained comfortable and the point at which water stress began.

The researchers applied brief drought cycles and monitored relative water status, a soil-moisture measure scaled against available water.

Maintaining soil moisture within a tight range enabled the trees to receive sufficient water without providing more than necessary.

In practical terms, these thresholds gave the irrigation app a clear limit, allowing it to reduce water use without gradually drying the roots.

Olive trees adapted to reduced water use

Measurements from leaves and stems supported the soil data during periods of heat, fruit development and intentionally dry conditions.

Once moisture fell beneath the lower threshold, stomata – small pores in leaves that control water loss – started to close in order to retain water.

Even at the driest stages, recorded stress remained below the levels normally associated with moderate damage or persistent injury.

Importantly, this combination indicated that the model was reacting to tree biology rather than merely following orderly sensor patterns.

From sensors to phone screens

Behind the phone interface, the irrigation app automatically gathered soil and weather information, screened it for errors and issued weekly guidance.

Cloud-based processes identified absent values, impossible measurements and suspiciously flat data lines before they could affect a recommendation.

When a brief outage occurred, the software used the most recent valid measurements rather than creating an assumed new pattern.

If a gap continued for too long, the app ceased giving guidance, following a cautious policy that prioritised reliability over misplaced confidence.

Harvest maintained without a penalty

At harvest time, trees irrigated in line with the app produced approximately 23 kilograms (51 pounds) of olives per tree. This was marginally higher than the technician-guided blocks.

Nearby control trees produced an average of about 22 kilograms (49 pounds), while oil yield remained effectively unchanged under the two irrigation approaches.

Since the lighter schedule used less water to produce almost the same crop, the orchard achieved a greater harvest per gallon.

For growers, the result addressed the key concern: conserving water has little value if it reduces the harvest.

Irrigation tool designed for smallholders

For smaller olive orchards, the principal development was the simplified way in which the system fitted into routines farmers already understood.

Through HANDYWATER, the IVIA-led project responsible for the app, recommendations were delivered as straightforward percentage changes from the previous week.

This approach avoided requiring growers to repeatedly enter lengthy lists of crop settings, soil categories or irrigation depths.

By reducing the skills required, the software was more likely to move beyond the research orchard and into operational farms.

Limitations of the irrigation app

Testing was still limited to one commercial orchard across a single complete season, meaning the evidence was compelling but not universally applicable.

Establishing field capacity – the water retained by soil after drainage – and the crop’s safe moisture range also needed specialist configuration.

Short-term data interruptions from sensors or connections could halt advice, although conservative safeguards prevented faulty information from being carried forward.

Further trials will require multi-year assessment and simpler regional configuration before new orchards can adopt the system rapidly.

Significance of the research

Across dry orchard-growing regions, irrigation guidance commonly relies on specialists or complicated dashboards that many small farms are unable to maintain.

In this case, the team demonstrated that two local inputs – weather demand and moisture in the root zone – could guide weekly reductions.

In areas vulnerable to drought, the water savings were achieved without the usual compromise between caution and crop performance.

Savings of this kind could alter how limited water is allocated among orchards, cooperatives and advisory services.

The field findings combine biology, sensor information and farmer-friendly design in an uncommon result: simpler irrigation was more efficient.

As drought places increasing pressure on orchard farming, the next question is whether the same method can be applied across different soils, seasons and crops.