Water management in irrigation needs technology, but it also needs dialogue. It was in this spirit that Agroop was present at the Open Innovation Forum, held in Beja and dedicated to digital solutions for more efficient use of water in agriculture.
A meeting between problems and solutions
Promoted by COTR – Centro Operativo e de Tecnologia de Irrigation, the forum brought together technological companies, farmers and technicians to bring what is developed closer to what is really needed on the ground. The initiative was integrated into the European Smart Green Water project, financed by the Interreg Sudoe program.
The presence of different entities made visible the diversity of approaches that are already being applied to agricultural digitalization: monitoring, water management, field data, automation and decision support. No solution alone solves such a cross-cutting challenge, but the link between knowledge and concrete needs can accelerate adoption.
Agroop’s perspective
Agroop was represented by Romina Fernandes and André Oliveira. In his speech, André highlighted challenges that are affecting the sector: water scarcity, efficiency in the use of resources and the need to make more informed decisions on the ground.
For us, digitalization has value when it transforms data into action. The farmer needs to understand what is happening, why it deserves attention and what the next step is. A platform, a sensor or a model only fulfills its role when it helps to better manage a real operation.
The future of irrigation is built together
The meeting was also an opportunity to exchange knowledge with different entities and monitor solutions that are being developed for the future of irrigation in Portugal. The sustainability and resilience of the sector depend on this capacity for collaboration between those who produce, those who research and those who create technology.
The full report of the meeting was published by Revista Voz do Campo. The Open Innovation Forum video, promoted by COTR, complements this reflection and shows the importance of continuing to bring innovation and agricultural reality closer together.
Water is a common challenge. The better we are able to share knowledge and transform information into decisions, the greater the ability to produce efficiently and prepare the field for what comes next.
