OpenAgri Irrigation Service: Smarter Water Use for Sustainable Farming
Making every drop count
Water is one of farming’s most precious resources, and managing it efficiently is becoming increasingly urgent. Across Europe, climate change is driving longer droughts, unpredictable rainfall and rising competition for water. For farmers, this means that irrigation decisions, how much, when and where to water, are now strategic choices that directly affect productivity and sustainability.
The OpenAgri Irrigation Service was developed to help farmers navigate these challenges by turning data into clear, actionable guidance. It provides the analytical backbone for smarter irrigation, supporting farmers and advisors in using water more efficiently while maintaining healthy crops and resilient soils.
From observation to insight
At its core, the OpenAgri Irrigation Service acts as a digital toolkit that analyses environmental and soil data to support irrigation management. It combines two main functions: an Evapotranspiration (ETo) Calculator and a Soil Moisture Analysis Engine.
The ETo Calculator uses the Penman–Monteith equation, a globally recognised method developed by the FAO, to estimate how much water is transferred from soil and plants to the atmosphere. By factoring in local weather data—such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation—it helps determine the crop’s actual water requirements.
Meanwhile, the Soil Moisture Analysis Engine processes real data from sensors installed in the field. It examines trends over time to detect irrigation events, identify rainfall impacts and assess whether water application was adequate or excessive. The system can distinguish between irrigation and natural precipitation patterns, helping farmers fine-tune their watering schedules and avoid overuse.
Turning complexity into clarity
While the underlying algorithms are sophisticated, the service is designed to make irrigation management easier, not harder. It delivers its results through clear, easy-to-read analytics reports that translate data into practical insights. These reports include key parameters such as the time period analysed, detected irrigation and precipitation events, high-dose irrigation warnings, and indicators of field capacity or water stress.
This transparency allows farmers to see at a glance whether their irrigation practices are aligned with optimal soil moisture levels. It also helps advisors provide more precise recommendations, and supports policymakers and cooperatives in promoting sustainable water management across regions.
Built for integration and interoperability
Like all OpenAgri components, the Irrigation Service is fully interoperable and built on the OpenAgri Common Semantic Model (OCSM). It communicates through a REST API and shares results in linked-data format (JSON-LD), ensuring compatibility with other OpenAgri services such as the Weather Data and Reporting services.
This means, for example, that real-time weather forecasts from the Weather Data Service can automatically feed into the irrigation model, or that irrigation reports can be directly included in compliance documentation generated by the Reporting Service. Farmers and developers can also integrate the service into their existing digital tools or farm management systems, reinforcing the “open by design” philosophy that defines OpenAgri.
A step toward sustainable water use
The OpenAgri Irrigation Service supports both environmental sustainability and economic efficiency. By helping farmers understand precisely how much water their crops need, it reduces waste, energy consumption, and nutrient runoff. This approach aligns with the European Green Deal and the Common Agricultural Policy’s focus on resource efficiency, resilience and sustainable land use.
Equally important, the service was built with accessibility in mind. It can operate in cloud or edge environments, meaning it works even in areas with limited connectivity. This ensures that small and remote farms, often the most vulnerable to water scarcity, can benefit from digital decision-support tools.
Looking forward
As the service evolves, new features will continue to expand its capabilities. Future updates will refine soil and crop-specific models, incorporate additional data layers such as soil type and plant growth stage, and improve visualisation tools for farmers. The goal is not to replace expertise, but to empower it, giving farmers a reliable, data-driven foundation for every irrigation decision they make.
By making advanced water analytics accessible to all, the OpenAgri Irrigation Service turns sustainability into a practical reality. Every litre of water saved strengthens not only the farm’s resilience but also the collective effort to build a more sustainable agricultural future