Verdi: Granular Crop Irrigation Control for Farmers

Verdi's Smart Irrigation System: Precision Farming with "Swarms"

Verdi, unveiled today at TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield, employs what it calls “swarms” to describe its intelligent valve clusters. This terminology highlights the company’s intention to implement its technology at a high density across agricultural lands throughout North America.

The system is designed for compatibility with pre-existing irrigation infrastructure, aiming to provide farmers with enhanced control over water distribution to their crops.

Data-Driven Water Management

The system leverages data obtained from satellites – with plans to incorporate drone data in the future – to pinpoint areas within a crop field that are experiencing water deficiencies.

Crops are divided into smaller, manageable zones, and machine learning algorithms are utilized to ensure the appropriate amount of water reaches the areas where it’s needed most.

Addressing Variability in Crop Needs

“Significant variations in plant growth occur due to differences in soil composition and climate, even within relatively small areas of a field,” explains Arthur Chen, co-founder and CEO, in an interview with TechCrunch.

“Current irrigation methods often apply a uniform treatment to all plants, disregarding their individual requirements. Our goal is to empower farmers to tailor water – and potentially fertilizer – application to specific plant groupings, or even individual plants.”

Origins and Initial Rollout

Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the University of British Columbia, Verdi initially focused its deployments within British Columbia.

This localized approach was partly influenced by travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expanding Geographic Reach

Currently, professional installation is required, prompting Verdi to concentrate its initial trials within its home province since its rollout began in January.

However, pilot programs are also underway in California and Washington State.

Significant Cost Savings and Precision

According to the company’s data, the system can reduce irrigation expenses by as much as 80% and deliver up to ten times greater precision compared to conventional irrigation techniques.

While accurate irrigation is the primary benefit presented to farmers, Verdi could strengthen its appeal to investors by emphasizing the potential for substantial water conservation, particularly given the growing demand for environmentally responsible investments.

Drought-stricken regions like California stand to benefit considerably from innovative water-saving solutions.