News
– The Operational Group will develop an open and interoperable digital tool that will integrate data from field sensors, satellite imagery, weather stations, and agronomic records. Through artificial intelligence, it will transform this data into clear irrigation and management recommendations for olive, almond, and pistachio groves
The irrigated woody crop sector faces a twofold challenge: adapting to water scarcity and climate change whilst making the leap to digitalisation. The expansion of olive, almond, and pistachio farming has increased pressure on increasingly limited water resources, and a significant proportion of farms currently work with scattered data—sensors, satellite, meteorology, field records—that is rarely integrated or translated into practical decisions.
To address this need, GO Arko has been launched, an Open Digital Solution for the Sustainable, Resilient, and Efficient Management of Woody Crop Plots. The project proposes an open, interoperable, and accessible digital platform, independent of specific brands or hardware, which gathers plot information in a single location and, using artificial intelligence and conversational assistants, converts it into useful irrigation and management recommendations.
The objective is to empower farmers and technicians to make better decisions: optimise water use, reduce uncertainty, simplify farm management, and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of woody crops, without requiring advanced technical knowledge. The solution also incorporates water footprint monitoring and explores the generation of Positive Water Credits, an innovative and emerging approach to valuing efficient water use in agriculture.
Arko is structured around five key deliverables: an interoperable digital architecture capable of integrating data from sensors, meteorology, satellites, and agronomic records; a configuration assistant to tailor the tool to each user; an expert conversational assistant to consult and interpret information in natural language; an irrigation recommendation service based on agronomic and sustainability criteria; and a dissemination, training, and transfer plan to bring the tool to farmers, technicians, cooperatives, and businesses within the sector.
Furthermore, beyond combining data from sensors, satellite imagery, and weather stations, the assistant’s responses will always comply with the legal regulations applicable to each pilot and the relevant government guidelines within the project’s context.
David León, Project Manager and Researcher at Cetaqua, and project coordinator, states: “Arko is not just technology: it is a way for digitalisation to truly reach the field, including small and medium-sized farms, converting complex data into simple decisions for better irrigation and water care.”
The Operational Group brings together entities spanning knowledge, technology, water, and agricultural production. Cetaqua acts as the applicant entity, representative, and technical coordinator. Veolia provides expertise in irrigation solutions, fertigation, and water efficiency; Casa Agrícola del Mediterráneo (CAM) contributes nut production expertise and the pilot plots; and ASAJA oversees communication, dissemination, and transfer, ensuring strong connections with local farmers, cooperatives, and territorial organisations.
Find out more information at the project’s website: https://www.go-arko.es
This project is co-financed by the European Union at 80% with EAFRD funds and by MAPA at 20% with AGE funds, with a total grant amount of €452,111.89.
The Arko Operational Group acts as the Responsible Body for the content, and the Directorate-General for Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-food Training (DGDRIFA) acts as the managing authority responsible for administering the EAFRD aid.
