Name of Organization: BlueCrops
Region: Latin America
Country: Columbia
Project Category: Sustainable Agriculture
Funding Size: USD 900.00
This project aims to develop an integrated agricultural technology system to improve crop productivity and sustainability for small-scale flower growers. The initiative focuses on three core components:
Project Description:
- Subsurface Irrigation Prototype: A low-cost system using buried perforated pipes to deliver water directly to plant roots, reducing water waste compared to traditional irrigation methods.
- Modular Greenhouse Design: A scalable and adaptable structure optimized for flower cultivation, featuring climate control mechanisms to maintain ideal growing conditions.
- Smart Sensor Network: An Arduino-based prototype to monitor critical variables like soil moisture, temperature, and relative humidity, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions and optimize resource use.
Timeline
/ General Scope of Project
The project was successfully
executed over a three-month period (November 2024 – January 2025) and
encompassed three critical phases:
Phase 1: Subsurface Irrigation System Design & Baseline Testing
(November – December 2024) Initial design and planning of a subsurface
irrigation system tailored for sunflower crops. Implementation of a controlled
comparative experiment: traditional watering (manual sprinkler) vs. subsurface
irrigation to quantify water efficiency.
Phase 2: Modular Greenhouse Development (December 2024 – January 2025)
Design and construction of a modular greenhouse prototype.
Phase 3: Sensor Prototype Integration (January 2025) Development of an Arduino-based sensor prototype for real-time soil moisture monitoring. MATLAB programming for data visualization and performance analysis, enabling actionable insights for crop management.
Motivation for taking on the project:
Our team, rooted in agriculture, is committed to addressing the challenges small-scale farmers face in resource optimization and productivity. We developed this project to bridge the gap by creating affordable, practical solutions that empower farmers and promote sustainability. Focusing on a modular greenhouse, subsurface irrigation, and crop sensor prototype, we aim to improve water efficiency, climate control, and data-driven decision-making. This pilot demonstrates the viability of these innovations, inspiring broader adoption for a more sustainable and productive agricultural sector.
