Water AI Based Support Tool (WAIST)

The WAIST project aims to address the challenge of water consumption in agriculture, where the sector uses up to 70% of global freshwater. As water becomes scarcer, improving water management is key to sustainable food production.

WAIST will focus on precision irrigation by measuring evapotranspiration and crop coefficient to provide accurate data for optimising irrigation. Initially focused on sugar beet, the project will expand its application to other crops like sugarcane, corn, and soybeans, improving water efficiency across agriculture.

Integrated into the AI platform LAYERS®, WAIST will enhance yield predictions and climate-risk assessments for farmers. The project, led by HEMAV in collaboration with Azucarera and UNIBO, will work on developing and testing the tool's capabilities to ensure both technological innovation and practical use in farming.