Smart irrigation is gaining more and more attention

Water is becoming scarcer, climate conditions more unpredictable, and the pressure to produce sustainably is increasing. Farmers are therefore actively looking for solutions that help them irrigate more efficiently. The question often arises: which technology offers the most reliable guidance?

Some farmers start with soil moisture sensors. Others turn to satellite imagery. More and more are discovering that the real power lies in combining both, supported by AI.

Sensors: certainty in the root zone

Soil moisture sensors provide direct measurements in the root zone, where water and nutrients are actually taken up by the plant. They continuously measure soil moisture, EC and temperature, delivering reliable insights 24/7.

At the same time, farmers ask logical questions: How many sensors do I need per field? Where should I place them? A sensor measures locally, and farmers want to be sure that one measurement is representative of the entire field.

Satellites: overview and scale

That is why many companies also use satellites. NDVI and other indices provide an instant picture of crop development and where variation is emerging. The big advantage is that huge areas can be monitored at once, often with affordable or even free data.

The limitation is that satellites look from above. They provide an approximation of soil moisture status and crop development but never measure directly in the root zone. Resolution is around 10×10 meters per pixel, and they are dependent on clear skies.

Field reality

Farmers often know their own fields well. On homogeneous land, a single sensor can already be representative. But many farmers also work with leased fields or land with natural variation in soil type and moisture. In these cases, extra guidance is welcome.

With the rise of drip irrigation, the need for variable irrigation is also growing. Placing a sensor in every irrigation block can quickly become too costly. Farmers are therefore looking for ways to combine technologies in a way that is both reliable and affordable.

Practical example from the Netherlands

After rolling out our combined offering of sensors and satellite-based field mapping, one of our customers in the Netherlands, a grower who already knew his field well, confirmed something he had long suspected. A specific section of his parcel consistently lagged in yield. With Agurotech’s solution, he saw that this area also showed systematically lower soil moisture levels, even after heavy rainfall. This insight made it clear that moisture stress was the driver behind the reduced yield, giving him a concrete handle to take action.

The power of combining

The solution is not to choose between sensors or satellites, but to combine their strengths and connect them through AI.

• Sensors provide the ground truth with accurate, continuous measurements in the root zone.
• Satellites provide the context with a broad view of variation within and across fields.
• AI brings the data together by linking sensor measurements with satellite imagery and weather forecasts to create models that are both precise and scalable.

The result is practical advice that farmers can act on immediately, from 10-day irrigation planning to fine-tuning drip irrigation.

Why this accelerates adoption

By complementing each other, sensors and satellites make the step toward smart irrigation easier and more attractive. Farmers no longer have to choose between detail or overview—they get both.

This approach lowers the entry barrier, since farmers can start small with a few sensors and complement them with satellite data. It also builds confidence, because sensor readings validate what satellites show and vice versa. And it is scalable, since the investment can grow with the need, from one field to an entire farm.

Conclusion

Agriculture is entering a new phase. Farmers are showing growing interest in data-driven irrigation, and the questions they ask are logical and valuable. They help the technology mature and become more widely applicable.

The future does not lie in choosing between sensors or satellites, but in combining them. Sensors provide certainty, satellites provide overview, and AI translates this into action. This creates an irrigation strategy that is both reliable and scalable—exactly what farmers need to invest confidently in the future.

Want to see how the combination of sensors, satellites and AI could work on your farm? Explore Agurotech’s solutions or get in touch to learn more.