Drought is an emergency that we all now have to deal with, as well as the consequences it produces. Starting from agriculture, which absorbs 70% of global water consumption. But, according to the FAO, 60% of the water used by the sector is wasted due to inefficient irrigation systems. Starting from these considerations, Plantvoice, a startup based in Bolzano, has patented an innovative sensor, which allows you to know in real time the health status of crops and, therefore, also how much water they actually need. The device, which is inserted directly into the stem of the plantswithout damaging it, monitors the internal physiological data of the plant, which is analyzed using artificial intelligence.
The system is thus able to reveal any lack of water a day in advance, but also to indicate any necessary phytosanitary treatments and whether the crop has been attacked by fungi and bacteria. The result is savings in consumption for agricultural companies, including water consumption, fertilizer consumption and working hours, as well as improving production yield by approximately 10%.
The founders
The probe for agriculture 4.0 was invented by Matteo Beccatelli, chemist, together with his brother, Tommaso Beccatelli, electronics technician and agricultural entrepreneur. The company has put down roots in the Bolzano Science Park, which is proving to be an incubator of excellence, having launched companies such as Hbi and Connexx. To develop the technology for plants, collaborations with Eurac Research, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and the Universities of Milan, Parma and Verona, which followed the field experiments and dealt with the scientific validation of the patent.
“Water is now a precious commodity, pesticides have impacts on the environment and human health, fertilizers have effects in terms of soil impoverishment – explains Matteo Beccatelli, CEO of Plantvoice -. We have created a device, the size and shape of a toothpick, which, thanks to the intelligent processing of previously inaccessible data, makes it possible to reduce the use of water and chemicals.” After the experimentation, some important agricultural companies have already chosen to use the technology.
Like Sant’Orsola, the Trentino small fruit giant, or Salvi Vivai, which installed the sensor on Pink Lady apples to correlate water stress with the colour, shape and appearance of the ripe fruit. As done by the Trentino Fruit Innovation Consortium, which uses it to monitor the production of Renetta apples. The quantity of probes to be installed in the field depends on the type of cultivation, but the cost, according to the startup’s calculations, is amply repaid by the savings and increased production.
The next steps
Agriculture 4.0 is a promising market. According to Polimi’s Smart Agrifood Observatory, in 2021 the turnover of companies, which offer tech solutions, was 1.6 billion, up 23% compared to the previous year. Plantvoice’s research will now focus on identifying industrial and technical partners to support development and commercialization. Then we will think about a round of financing to grow with internationalization.