Eco Factor: Water-saving device allows farmers to water only when trees are thirsty.
Israeli scientists have developed a new device that could enable a tree to text, email and even turn on the irrigation tap to water itself. The unnamed device is installed into the stem of a tree and when water levels are low, it can perform a specified operation automatically. The technology has been developed by a team of researchers at the Volcani Institute of Agriculture, headed by Eran Raveh and Arieh Nadler.
Speaking on the device, Raveh stated that it could reduce water usage, since farmers will only irrigate their trees when the need arises. He estimates that the use of the device will save farmers up to 40% in water use. Shaped like a small hammer, the device could be tweaked to perform a specific operation, which could either be texting, emailing or opening the tap itself, which all depends on the type of software it is carrying.
While the device is still four years away from commercialization, the researchers expect that it would cost just $250 per orchard, as only one probe will be needed to reflect the water content in about every 500 trees.
The Dark Side:
The device seems great for farmers whose plantations are in areas where water is a major problem. However, with no details on the connectivity features of the device, we’re skeptical about the $250 price tag that the researchers cite.
