Testimonial
Agrícola Don Pato
Héctor Parada
At Agrícola Don Pato, located in Obregón, Sonora, Héctor Parada has transformed his grain management through the adoption of precision technology. Traditionally dependent on flood irrigation, extreme water scarcity and the need to use well water with high salinity levels pushed them to migrate to drip irrigation for their wheat production. In 2024, Héctor decided to implement moisture probes and the DropControl platform to optimize water use and ensure crop health under adverse conditions. Thanks to real-time monitoring from his cell phone, he has moved from uncertainty to data-driven decision-making.
Wheat
12 Acres
Monitoring
Project Details:
- Crop: Wheat (Cirno Variety).
- Location: Obregón, Sonora, Mexico.
- Surface: 12 acres.
- Irrigation System: Automated drip irrigation.
Project Goals:
- Monitoring: Constant tracking of the soil profile using probes.
- Water efficiency: Reducing water consumption per hectare.
- Cost optimization: Reducing fertilizer use through applications based on leaf analysis and moisture levels.
Being able to measure moisture from 10 cm to 90 cm deep is a superior benefit; having clear parameters makes decision-making easy, avoiding acting at random.
- Previously, irrigation decisions were made empirically or "at random". With the implementation of probes and DropControl, the team now uses actual parameters to decide exactly when and how much to irrigate. As seen in the water balance graph, every irrigation event is supported by the current moisture status in the root profile, ensuring the plant receives water only when it truly needs it
Results:
- Significant reduction in consumption per hectare compared to flood irrigation (from 7.5 to approximately 4 units per hectare).
- Savings of $1,470 MXN per hectare by reducing phosphonitrate mixtures based on platform data.
- Stable production of 8 to 8.5 tons per hectare, despite low water quality.
- Quick adaptation to the mobile application for checking moisture and weather data at any time.
- Expansion plans: Due to the success, there are plans to expand the use of this technology to potato and corn crops.
