The strawberry sector needs to update in order to keep up with the times. This is also why the Zavoli cultivation company from Rimini, Italy, decided to go from tunnel cultivation to automated greenhouse cultivation using gutters with drainage water recuperation, as part of the Agribologna Consortium's 'Il cuore oltre l'ostacolo' (Heart over the Hurdle) project. Idroterm Serre is one of the partners in this transition.
The gutters that will soon contain the strawberry plants
Switching from traditional soil-based cultivation to substrate cultivation is a multi-step undertaking. The company opted for spacious and light-rich Polyair greenhouses with motorized openings in the ridge and sides. They are controlled by the IdroClima 4.0 climate computer.
This type of greenhouse, together with the cultivation method, makes it possible to control the sun intensity through the use of motorized shade shields. The gutters are located at a height that makes work less difficult, and irrigation is done with a drip irrigation system and nebulizers above and below the foliage.
Screenshot of the Idro-X 4.0
The irrigation water is recycled using systems that filter and store, and fertigation is done with the help of the Idro-X 4.0 fertilizer dispenser.
"With the control systems IdroClima and IdroX dialoguing in the specially created Idro Farm 4.0 environment, growers can also work remotely. At any time, they can retrieve and check the history of all internal and external parameters. The automation of all processes ensures savings on water, fertilizer, and manual labor, standardizing the product quality," according to an Idroterm Serre press release.
The primary objective of the project is to develop increasingly accurate and sustainable horticulture. Crops irrigated in line with real physiological needs, cultivation systems that reintegrate used water while minimizing waste and rationalizing the application of fertilizers.
The fertigation plant
All this is made possible by advanced tools such as probes, electrically operated valves, innovative irrigation and fertigation systems, and climate computers.
For more information:
Andrea Mariani 
Idroterm Serre
Via Europa, 45
Porto Mantovano (MN)
Tel.: +39 0376 397034
[email protected]
www.idrotermserre.com