Evaluate

and mitigate water stress in an olive grove, ensuring optimal use of water resources despite the challenges posed by climate change.

Seek

to identify areas prone to water stress and subsequently recommend tailored irrigation strategies.

Identify

critical areas within the olive grove, improving the general health of the plants and productivity.

Implement

a precision irrigation system in targeted areas, contributing to sustainable olive cultivation practices.

OLI-SCAN by Tenute Librandi

OLI-SCAN project aims to improve the management of water resources in olive cultivation using drone technology with thermal cameras. Tenute Librandi farm is located in the north-east of the Calabria region, South Italy. Olive groves and citrus groves are cultivated between 50 and 500 metres above sea level. The olives are pressed in the property’s own oil mill, to obtain the highest quality olive oil. Citrus fruits are sold fresh and also transformed into organic marmalades.

DJI MAVIC 3T

High-resolution thermal and imaging cameras

Image processing software: PIX4D MAPPER
Soil moisture sensors: DEEPFIELD CONNECT BASIC SOIL
Olive grow 3D Model (.las) and orthomosaics (.tiff), Graphs (.xls), Thermal and Vigor Maps (.tiff), for each sector

Outcomes

Water use reduction 22%
Improved olive oil quality: more fruity, more spicy

Challenges Faced

The identified area may have less production than previous years, the phenomenon was caused by high temperatures during flowering which reduced the fruit load; despite this trend, two plots were chosen whose production could still bring positive data to the ongoing experimentation.
We encountered a delay in the sensor supplier company sending the other two additional sensors requested; the smaller number of sensors has been compensated with evapotranspiration analysis via local weather stations and national research projects.