Ploovium: a decision support system for increasing

water use efficiency of irrigated crops

1st Andrea Martelli 2nd Filiberto Altobelli 3rd Anna Dalla Marta
Soonapse s.r.l. (SME) Research Centre for Agricultural Department of Agriculture, Food,
Rome, Italy Policies and Bioeconomy Environment and Forestry
martelli.andr@gmail.com CREA University of Florence
Rome, Italy Florence, Italy
4th Marco Ciarletti filiberto.altobelli@crea.gov.it https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4606-7521
Soonapse s.r.l. (SME)
Rome, Italy
marco.ciarletti@soonapse.com

Abstract— Irrigation advisory services (IAS), as well as
decision supports systems (DSS) designed for irrigation support,
are powerful management instruments used to improve
efficiency in irrigation water use. In this context, a preliminary
research was conducted in an open field asparagus crop in order
to: evaluate Ploovium, a DSS based on IoT, artificial
intelligence and machine learning, for a predictive optimization
of irrigation. This study was carried out in collaboration with
LAORE (Agricultural Development Regional Agency of
Sardinia Region), and AGRIS Research Centre, on an
asparagus in a farm in Villasor (CA). Experimental activities
were carried out from August 01 2018 to July 24 2019. Ploovium
is an innovative cloud-based solution, able to produce
provisional data on the soil’s water behaviour by the following
equipment: i) a weather station for measuring rain, air
temperature and humidity; ii) a datalogger with soil water
sensors at two different depths (30 cm and 80 cm). Ploovium
allowed to optimize water consumption and, consequently, to
manage the crop in a more efficient way, and to prevent any
possible risk with a degree of reliability normally higher than
99%. Ploovium has proved to be a low cost and know-how
solution to support the users to save water and irrigation-related
costs and to provides precise hints about the texture of the soil.
Keywords— asparagus officinalis L.; crop water requirement,
artificial intelligence, IoT
I. INTRODUCTION
The efficient use of water in agriculture is one of the most
important agricultural challenges that modern technologies
are helping to resolve [1]. Nowadays, the evolution of
agriculture steps into agriculture 4.0, thanks to the
employment of current technologies like internet of things
(IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing,
remote sensing, etc. Irrigation advisory services (IAS), as well
as decision supports systems (DSS) designed for irrigation
support, are powerful management instruments to achieve the
best efficiency in irrigation water use. The DSS for irrigation
can help the farmer during the decision process, increasing
incomes through optimisation of water use and guaranteeing
the best-expected crop production in a specific growing
season [2]. In particular, such tools can help to increase the
sustainability and the efficiency of irrigated agriculture in
areas characterized by water scarcity or where, due to climate
change, drought spells are becoming more frequent.
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is a typical perennial
crop of the Mediterranean area, which growing season occurs
when the climate water deficit is the highest. Asparagus is
considered a drought tolerant plant, however it responds to
irrigation with increases in spear number and improved yields
[3], [4]. The aim of this preliminary research was to evaluate
Ploovium, a DSS based on IoT, artificial intelligence and
machine learning, for a predictive optimization of irrigation in
an in-situ experimentation on asparagus in Villasor (CA)
Sardinia (Italy).
II. MATERIAL AND METHODS
This study was carried out in collaboration with LAORE
(Agricultural Development Regional Agency of Sardinia
Region), and AGRIS Research Centre, on asparagus in a farm
in Villasor (CA) (fig.1 – fig. 2). Experimental activities were
carried out from August 01 2018 to July 24 2019. Ploovium is
an innovative cloud-based solution with components of the
Internet of Things (IoT) and supplied by a Decision Support
System that uses artificial intelligence technologies such as
neural networks, deep learning and machine learning tools.
Ploovium is able to interface both with sensors and actuators
(to read data transmitted by soil and environmental sensors,
and to send commands for remote activation of pumps) and
with web services related to weather forecasts. A
schematization of the forecasting process is reported below
(fig. 3). Ploovium’s approach is composed by two levels:
modelling of water balance of the soil and data analysis for the
production of irrigation advice. First level: model creation,
through data learning, in order to predict the soil water
potential, at different depth for the next 5 days, using a time
step by three hours. Based on machine learning tools, it learns
water behaviour of any soil from IoT sensors data placed in
the experimental site.
Fig. 1 Map of the experimental site: in-situ experimentation on asparagus in
Villasor (CA) Sardinia (Italy).

978-1-7281-8783-9/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE

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Fig. 3 Asparagus experimental site
Fig. 3 Schematization of forecasting process
The inputs of the system are: i) Soil water potential (SWP);
ii) Crop evapotranspiration (ETc); iii) Rainfall and possible
irrigation; iv) Forecasts and meteorological data. The number
of predicted values for each prediction are calculated
according to equation (1):
ଶସ୦୭୳୰ୱ
40 × (n sensors) = 5days × × (n sensors)
ଷ୦୭୳୰ୱ
Applying random forests methods ensures a good
accuracy with reduced dataset, an automatic selection of input
variables and an overfitting resistance. Second level: model
inferences and data analysis for the management and
production of irrigation advice. The irrigation timing and
irrigation water supply advice are determined through
agronomic calculations and artificial intelligence tools. These
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tools are based on the genetics algorithms, a family of
interactive optimization algorithms based on heuristics and
randomness rules.
In order to make Ploovium able to produce provisional data
on the soil’s water behaviour, it was necessary to provide the
following equipment: i) a weather station for measuring rain,
air temperature and humidity; ii) a datalogger with soil water
sensors at two different depths (30 cm and 80 cm). At the time
of installation, on August 10, 2018, the crop was at the
beginning of its third vegetative year. The datalogger with the
Watermark probes for measuring soil water potentials (SWP)
has been positioned in the central area of the field. During the
whole period of the experimentation data were recorded on a
daily basis (within 24h every ½ h), either the behaviour of the
sensors and the transmission of data packages received by the
Ploovium system.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The SWP values recorded by the Watermark sensors shown a
non-homogeneous behaviour at the two depths (Fig. 4). In
particular, it is worth notice that SWP measured at 30 cm
reacts in a very short time and with considerable intensity to
changes in weather conditions. Quickly heading towards the
maximum measurement threshold of 200 kPa in the absence
of rain and high temperatures, and then returning just as
quickly towards zero (field saturation index) in case of heavy
rains. On the other hand, the SWP measured at 80 cm shows
much less reactivity, with a persistence of low values
(between 60 kPa and zero). However, the slope of the curve is
significantly smaller than the one of the surface sensor (Fig.
4). This trend is particularly evident in the period September
01 2018 – October 10 2018 (Fig. 5) when, due to high
temperatures and the absence of significant rains, the surface
sensor values quickly reached 200 kPa, while those detected
by the deeper sensor reached around 60 kPa. In that soil, at a
depth of about one meter, there is probably a supply of water
(1)
from a water table, so even when the surface sensor shows
values well beyond the water stress threshold, at a greater
depth, the crop maintains a level of RAW (Readily Available
Water), which also provides the necessary nutrients. Based on
the data analysis, the timing of reaction of the two sensors to
a change in meteorological conditions (rain or high
temperature) provides precise hints about the texture of the
soil, in this case a compact clayey type (Fig. 6).
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Fig. 4 Overall monitoring process data: WP1 (blue), WP2 (red), air
temperature (yellow), pluviometer (teal), water stress threshold (green).

Fig. 5 Monitoring of period August 30, 2018- October 15, 2018: WP1 (blue),
WP2 (red), air temperature (yellow), pluviometer (teal), water stress
threshold (green).

Fig. 6 Monitoring of the period August 18 – 20, 2018: WP1 (blue), WP2
(red), air temperature (yellow), pluviometer (teal), water stress threshold
(green).
In the afternoon of 18 August a rather strong rain event (about
20 mm of rain), which started at 4.15 p.m. brought the SWP
values of the surface sensor to zero (field saturation) in about
50 minutes, while the SWP measured by the deeper sensor
reached saturation only at 01.39 a.m. on 19 August. Therefore,
the rainwater took about eight and a half hours to pass from
the saturation of the soil at 30 cm to the one at depth of 80 cm.
In addition, in this case, the clayey texture of the soil is
confirmed. Ploovium has always provided the predictions on
the soil water behaviour, 5 days in advance, with a reliability
and precision certified of 99% (fig. 7). The predictions for
January 16, 2019, where the level of accuracy of the predicted
data, compared to the real data measured by the sensors, was
99.49% for the first day, and 99.31% for the next 4 days, in
the first months of experimentation Ploovium never
recommended to irrigate. In March 2019, 3 irrigation
interventions were carried out, due to reasons not managed by
Ploovium. In particular, in March 2019 the asparagus spears
began to blossom, and since the weather remained sunny,
there was the risk that the slight superficial crust of soil,
hardened by the sun, could prevent or slow down their rising.

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Therefore, the farm decided to irrigate for softening the soil.
Ploovium recorded these events, an alert was initially sent (it
could have been a failure of the irrigation system) and then,
based on the measured SWP, the quantity of water supplied
was determined “a posteriori” (fig. 8). However, in the period
June-July 2019, the crop went through the phenological phase
of growth and flowering to the one of berries ripening.
Therefore, it was decided to regulate the irrigation advice
based on the values of the surface sensor to provide more
nutrients to the crop. The three irrigation shifts recommended
by Ploovium can be seen (highlighted by vertical lines for the
days of June 13, July 5 and July 17, in Fig. 4) in
correspondence with the approaching of predicted SWP
values, coming from the surface sensor, to the water stress
threshold.
Fig. 7 Predictions for January 16, 2019
Fig. 8 Monitoring of the period March 5 – 28, 2019: WP1 (blue), WP2 (red),
air temperature (yellow), pluviometer (teal), water stress threshold (green).
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IV. CONCLUSIONS
Ploovium allowed to optimize water consumption and,
consequently, to manage the crop in a more efficient way, and
to prevent any possible risk. This was possible due the
monitoring and predictions produced by Ploovium and
characterized by a degree of reliability normally higher than
99%. The feedbacks from LAORE, in addition to confirming
the general monitoring and forecasting framework offered by
Ploovium, also highlighted some added values. Based on the
elaboration of the data has emerged that the timing of reaction
of the two sensors to a change in meteorological conditions
(rain or high temperature) provides precise hints about the
texture of the soil. Ploovium is a low cost and know-how
solution to support the users to save water and irrigation-
related costs. Surely, the proactive presence of the users and REFERENCES
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