
When you hear aboutFully automatic intelligent remote control for water and fertilizer integration, many immediately think about expensive greenhouses or Europe. But the main buyer is often countries with hot climates, where water is worth its weight in gold. This is where the real difficulties begin.
We at Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co., Ltd. first thought that the main thing was to assemble a reliable system. But no - it turned out that the client needed not just automation, but a solution that would understand his local water. For example, in Uzbekistan the water is hard, and if filtration is not taken into account, all the valves will become overgrown with salts within a season.
One project almost failed because of a small detail: soil moisture sensors were installed without taking into account the local soil. In sandy soil, the readings “floated”, and the system poured water in vain. We had to redo the calibration algorithm for a specific type of land - now this is a mandatory item in our technical specifications.
By the way, aboutremote control. Previously, they installed ready-made cellular communication modules, but in some villages the signal disappeared during peak hours. We switched to hybrid solutions - cellular communications + backup radio channels. Not ideal, but at least it doesn't stop watering.
Many customers ask for “full automation”, but do not take into account that fertilizers can precipitate in the pipes. There was a case in Kazakhstan - a farmer bought cheap fertilizers, and a month later the entire drip irrigation system clogged. I had to explain that automation is not magic, and the chemistry of the water must be analyzed before installation.
Now we in Shandong Lingyao always take water samples at the site. Even if the customer is in a hurry, we don’t start without it. Otherwise, we will then repair it at our own expense, and this is no longer a business, but a charity.
Another point:integration of water and fertilizersrequires precise dispensers. At first they installed imported ones, but in dusty conditions their servos jammed. We switched to our own developments with simple mechanics - the service life is shorter, but at least they can be repaired on site.
Most often, requests come from Central Asia and the Middle East. But it has its own specifics: in the UAE, for example, the water is often salty, and in Uzbekistan it has a high iron content. Filters and pipe materials have to be adapted for each country.
There was a curiosity in Saudi Arabia: the customer wanted the system to work only at night - electricity is expensive during the day. We had to rewrite the controller logic so that it would take into account not only soil moisture, but also tariff zones.
By the way, aboutbuyer's main country. They used to think that the main thing was the price. It turned out no - in Egypt, for example, maintainability is more important. Parts must be available locally, otherwise the system is down for weeks.
When we designed a system for a cotton field in Turkmenistan, we installed standard sensors. But they didn’t take into account that local agronomists water by eye? and do not trust technology. We had to add a simplified interface with large buttons and duplicate control via SMS.
Now in new projects, for example for smart agricultural parks, we immediately introduce adaptive scenarios. If the sensors show an anomaly for several days, the system switches to the basic mode and sends a notification. It’s a small thing, but it saves you from crop losses.
We posted a case on cotton on the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru - it shows how the control logic changed after the first seasons of operation. Not an advertisement, but rather a reminder to yourself.
Full automation is a myth. You always need someone to intervene when, for example, the sensor is flooded with rain or the fertilizer has run out. It is better to tell the client the truth: the system reduces labor costs, but does not replace the agronomist.
The most reliable components in our systems are simple remote controlled valves and mechanical filters. All electronics break down sooner or later, but these things last for years.
To summarize:Fully automatic intelligent remote control for water and fertilizer integration- this is not a product, but a process. Configured, checked, adjusted. And so every season. Anyone who says otherwise simply hasn’t worked in the field.