"Irrigation automation has allowed us to gain uniformity, traceability and production safety"
Source: HD.com
Andalusian nursery: 25 years trusting in Conic irrigation carts and seeders from Smart Sowing Systems "Irrigation automation has allowed us to gain uniformity, traceability and production safety" The quality of a horticultural plant is determined long before it reaches the grower's operation, it begins in the nursery, where any variation in seeding, irrigation, nutrition, or crop protection can later translate into non-uniformity, delayed development, and greater difficulty establishing the crop. "With the automatic irrigation trolleys and the Smart Rain control system, water is distributed evenly and an entire greenhouse can be irrigated in approximately one hour." "Semillero Andaluz has 23 irrigation trolleys from Smart Sowing distributed across its 4 greenhouses, allowing them to manage different vegetable programs with complete independence." © Semillero Andaluz Control and traceability from intake to dispatch Automation also covers fertigation, with fertilizers introduced through the water via independent valves and motors, helping to maintain more consistent application and simplifying transitions between crops, sectors, or batches.
© Semillero Andaluz Smart Rain connects greenhouse management with nursery administration Smart Sowing's solution for centralizing this type of operation is built around SRC Smart Rain Control, a system developed to manage irrigation trolleys from an application available on Android phones and tablets, with time-based and sector-based programs. That is why we place such high value on the reliability that both the Conic irrigation trolleys and the Conic seeding machines from Smart Sowing give us when planning nursery production, we have virtually no downtime from stoppages or repairs." © Semillero Andaluz Still running perfectly: the Smart Sowing Conic seeder, in operation for 25 years.
Utrera-los Palacios, KM, 7.4 41720 Los Palacios y Villafranca, Seville, Spain https://semilleroandaluz.es Publication date: Fri 24 Jul 2026 © HortiDaily.com / Marta del Moral Arroyo Related Articles → See More "Irrigation automation has allowed us to gain uniformity, traceability and production safety" How consistent irrigation choices drive crop uniformity Water efficiency in the age of extreme heat "The technology offers a sustainable way to ensure water stays free of any pathogens" Better water, better cultivation: "I would say just give it a try once" Comparing misting systems for greenhouse operations HortNZ marks end of Growing Change freshwater program Nutrient management of the future: Elements instead of EC Hey, we know that ultrafiltration system from somewhere... Cover system for water silos further developed for larger silos and new requirements Related Articles "Irrigation automation has allowed us to gain uniformity, traceability and production safety" How consistent irrigation choices drive crop uniformity Water efficiency in the age of extreme heat "The technology offers a sustainable way to ensure water stays free of any pathogens" Better water, better cultivation: "I would say just give it a try once" Related Articles Comparing misting systems for greenhouse operations HortNZ marks end of Growing Change freshwater program Nutrient management of the future: Elements instead of EC Hey, we know that ultrafiltration system from somewhere...
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
