Woody crops

Olive, almond, vine, pistachio. Permanent crops where each season is built on the previous one.

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Woody crops have unique characteristics: they are not replanted every year, the root system is established, and irrigation decisions have consequences that accumulate season after season. Since 2017, Plantae has been working with intensive and super‑intensive olive groves, almond orchards, vineyards, pistachio orchards and other nut trees, on farms of all sizes throughout Spain.
Why woody crops need data

Irrigation management in woody crops is strategic, not reactive.

In olive, almond or vine, irrigation not only affects the current cycle — it affects the accumulation of reserves for the following season, the development of the root system and the general condition of the tree. Water stress during flowering or fruit set can have consequences that cannot be corrected during the rest of the season.

On the other hand, many woody crop farms cover large areas with different soil types, different irrigation sectors and different exposure. Without data by sector, managing irrigation in a differentiated way is practically impossible. With sensors at representative points in each area, the technician can adapt the protocol to each sector using objective criteria.

What we monitor in woody crops

Moisture, flow rate and conductivity for large areas.

Soil moisture at multiple depths

In woody crops with deep root systems, measuring moisture at two or three different depths — usually 20, 40 and 60 cm — makes it possible to see how the soil water profile evolves and whether irrigation water is reaching the entire root zone or only the upper horizons.

Sector control with flow meter

On farms with several irrigation sectors, the flow meter installed at the beginning of each sector allows you to compare the theoretical flow with the actual one and detect deviations that may indicate clogged drippers, leaks or differences in pressure. In super‑intensive almond orchards, for example, this information has made it possible to identify sectors that were not receiving water correctly and to redesign the irrigation system.

Conductivity and fertigation management

In plantations with fertigation, the conductivity sensor makes it possible to see the effect of each fertigation event on the level of salts in the soil and adjust doses to avoid accumulations that harm root absorption. This is especially relevant in areas with high‑conductivity water.

Phenological monitoring

Combined with meteorological data, the ambient temperature sensor makes it possible to calculate thermal time and accumulated chill hours, which helps anticipate the phenological stages of the crop — budbreak, flowering, fruit set, veraison — and plan interventions at the right time.

Use case

Documented results in olive and almond.

Intensive olive grove — 35% reduction in irrigation duration
A client with an intensive olive grove reduced the duration of their irrigation events by adjusting the frequency according to moisture data at different depths. Monitoring over two full seasons also made it possible to adapt irrigation to the crop’s phenological changes, avoiding soil saturation and root asphyxia.
Configuration: 1 Hub + 3 probes at 20, 40, 60 cm + flow meter
Investment: €1,720 in year 1 (installation and analysis included).
Super‑intensive almond orchard — detection of irrigation system failure
A client with a super‑intensive almond orchard saw how one of their sectors repeatedly declined. With sensors at 20 and 40 cm in both sectors and flow meters in each one, it was identified that water was not reaching the left sector with the same flow rate in the month of September. This information was used to redesign the irrigation system.
Configuration: 1 Hub + 4 probes at 20 and 40 cm + 2 flow meters (one per sector)
Investment: €1,699 (installation included). The investment was recovered by improving the performance of the problematic sectors.

Woody crops we work with

From vine to pistachio. Adapted to each planting system.

Olive grove
Traditional, intensive and super‑intensive olive groves throughout Spain and Portugal. Both irrigated and dryland with supplemental irrigation. Configuration adapted to different planting layouts and soil types.
Almond and other nuts
Almond in traditional, intensive and super‑intensive layouts. Also pistachio, walnut, hazelnut and other nut trees. Especially useful on farms with heterogeneous soils between sectors.
Vineyard
Vine trained on trellis and bush vines, in dryland and irrigated. The sensor allows independent monitoring of different sectors and the application of controlled deficit irrigation strategies during the phases of greatest oenological interest.
Other woody crops
Citrus, avocado, cherimoya, mango, persimmon and other subtropical fruit trees. Also apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach and other temperate‑climate fruit trees.

Related products and solutions

The most commonly used in woody crops.

Humidity Sensor

Monitoring of the soil water status at different depths.

Flow meter

Control of water applied per sector. Detection of failures in the irrigation system.

Conductivity Sensor

Monitoring salinity and adjusting fertigation.

RH and Ambient Temperature Sensor

Thermal time and chill hours for phenological monitoring.

Satellite Image

Identification of heterogeneous areas and optimal placement of sensors.

FAQs

What we get asked about woody crops.

It depends on soil heterogeneity and the number of irrigation sectors. As a guideline, an initial installation on 50 ha with several sectors is usually covered with 4–6 measurement points at two depths. The Plantae team analyses each case with satellite imagery and soil information before proposing a configuration.
Yes. In olive and almond groves with supplemental irrigation, the sensor is especially useful to know when the soil really needs that extra input and how much to apply. It avoids unnecessary supplemental irrigations and detects when the crop is under real stress.
Yes. All the farm’s sensors send their data to the same Plantae Manager. You can see the evolution of moisture by sector, compare areas and manage differentiated alerts for each area.
A typical installation for an olive grove with one irrigation sector starts from €1,099, including hub, two probes and soil analysis. For several zones or sectors, the price varies depending on the configuration.