This model has enabled the project to move forward with the involvement of five partners. John Deere, as a provider of technological solutions for the agricultural sector and owner of the John Deere Parla Innovation Center, has provided the resources for research and the collaborative model. Spherag, an IoT solutions provider, supplies the smart control technology and its cloud platform. Azud, a company specializing in efficient irrigation, and Metos, a specialist in precision agriculture, are acting as mentors on the project, guiding the development of the solution. Finally, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, through Professor of Viticulture Pilar Baeza, has proposed the experimental projects in vineyards planted within the innovation center.
“We are confident that our technology will optimize the process and achieve more precise irrigation, resulting in more efficient water use and significant cost savings,” says Jesús Ibáñez, CEO and founder of Spherag. For his part, Juan Jose Loperfido, Country Manager of Metos Iberia, states that “this management approach is the path the sector must follow to address rising production costs and the need to migrate towards sustainable systems.”
Likewise, Javier Juárez, Agribusiness Director at Azud, affirms that “the collaboration and integration of different stakeholderswith extensive and specific know-how will allow us to provide a unique solution that optimizes resources to the fullest, improving crop sustainability.”
Accessibility, profitability, and sustainability: This is a precision agriculture project using IoT devices and sensors to gather accurate information about environmental conditions and crop water requirements. This data is processed and analyzed on a cloud platform, facilitating informed decision-making regarding irrigation quantity and frequency. Farmers can thus optimize water use, reduce waste, and improve productivity, achieving efficient and cost-effective irrigation management. According to data from a successful case study in a vineyard in Torrent (Valencia), irrigation water consumption could be significantly reduced thanks to Spherag technology, including IoT devices and the online platform. This is possible because the implementation of this innovative technology allows for greater irrigation control. While specific savings for this project at the Parla Innovation Center have not yet been determined and may vary, it is reasonable to expect similar savings. Furthermore, one of the project's key differentiators is its accessibility for farmers, as it would be a technological solution with a short learning curve and would allow for a rapid return on investment through reduced consumption, benefiting not only environmental sustainability but also economic sustainability. The project is being developed in an experimental vineyard specifically prepared at the Parla Innovation Center, divided into three sections, each employing a different pruning technique: traditional pruning, minimal pruning, and no pruning. The objective is to evaluate the long-term impact of each pruning method and determine the most effective one for grape cultivation.
The project began in late 2022 and is expected to run until 2028, although the first results report will arrive in 2025 after the harvest from the first irrigation plan and the pruning carried out this summer of 2023. The estimated investment is around €15,000 for the acquisition of IoT devices and soil sensors, flow meters, and pressure sensors. Parla Innovation Center: Innovative Solutions for an Uncertain Future. Rising global temperatures are creating an uncertain future: according to the European Environment Agency, 20% of European territory and 30% of the population are already affected by water access problems. In Spain, the Spanish Office for Climate Change has warned of a reduction in water availability of between 10% and 20%, and the Ministry for Ecological Transition estimates that 74% of Spanish territory could become desertified in the coming years due to the climate crisis.
“John Deere’s Parla Innovation Center was created to address essential challenges like this one, which we can only solve with the help of technology and innovation, and by involving leading experts in each field, whether from large corporations, startups, public administrations, or educational institutions,” explains Bernardino Privado, director of the John Deere Parla Innovation Center. The John Deere innovation center in Parla aims to become a leading innovation hub in Europe, specializing in high-value crops, given their business potential and the strategic importance of these farms for the Iberian Peninsula. With an investment equivalent to €10 million, the innovation center is located alongside the John Deere Ibérica headquarters and occupies the entire ground floor of the complex, more than 50% of the built area, which is approximately 3,500 m², and more than four hectares of arable land as a testing ground. The center’s research revolves around five key areas: automation, electrification, connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, and integrated farming systems.
