Regional Mountain Conference

Digital sensor-based irrigation technologies have been successfully developed and tested in fruit and viticulture systems. Building on these experiences, ongoing experimental work within the project “Wasser-Pilot – Optimisation of irrigation in grassland farming, arable farming, fruit growing and viticulture” aims to adapt and evaluate these technologies for grassland and arable farming under practical field conditions, taking into account agronomic, economic, and operational aspects.

However, experiences from the South Tyrolean fruit and viticulture sector show that, despite the availability of technical solutions and robust scientific evidence, the large-scale implementation of digitally supported, demand-oriented irrigation remains limited. This suggests the presence of significant barriers to broader adoption, including concerns related to data security, the need to adjust established irrigation practices, economic uncertainties, and limited access to information and advisory services.

To better understand these challenges and address them in a structured way, a stakeholder workshop is being conducted to complement the experimental field work within the project, applying a PESTLE analysis approach. Representatives from agriculture, advisory services, research, administration, and technology providers jointly identify key external factors influencing the adoption of digital irrigation systems and explore potential solution pathways.