Bingöl University in Turkey has begun implementing a project to transform rocky, unused land within its campus into experimental fruit orchards, using a smart irrigation system powered by solar energy. The project aims to test technologies whose results can later be transferred to farmers and owners of unused land who wish to bring it into production.
The project is being implemented at the Education, Research and Application Center affiliated with the university’s Faculty of Agriculture. Of an area of approximately 700 decares, the first phase covered 30 decares planted with seedlings belonging to 20 different fruit species, including olives, kiwis, cornelian cherries or wild cherries, figs, pomegranates, loquats, pistachios, aronia, hazelnuts and blueberries. The university says that 10 of these species are being tested in the city for the first time.
How Does the Irrigation System Work?
The experimental orchard relies on sensors placed beneath the soil surface to measure moisture levels. Based on the data collected by the sensors, irrigation begins automatically when the trees need water, without direct manual intervention. Irrigation operations can also be monitored and controlled remotely, including determining the amount of water the trees have received, according to the project team.
The solar-powered system consists of eight stations connected to control valves designated for the irrigation network. The operating concept is to match the amount of water to the trees’ needs rather than irrigating in an unregulated manner, while reducing reliance on field visits and limiting flood irrigation.
An Experimental Project Whose Results Are Still Being Tested
The project began the previous year, and its budget is approximately 3 million and 4 thousand Turkish liras. Adaptation and evaluation work will continue for nearly three years, with the aim of studying how compatible the seedlings are with the region’s climate and soil characteristics. Therefore, the current phase does not provide conclusive evidence of the success of all species or the actual amount of water saved; it remains a model orchard for testing technical and agricultural suitability.
The university president, Professor Dr. Erdal Çelik, described the project as part of the university’s drive to establish an agricultural and livestock-raising ecosystem, after it was selected in 2016 as a leading university within the Regional Development-Oriented Mission Differentiation and Specialization Program, in the field of agriculture and basin-based development. He also said that the project falls within the vision of the “new university” and the goal of building a “Silicon Valley for agriculture and livestock raising.”
Why Does This News Matter?
The project’s practical value is not limited to transforming a piece of university land; it also provides an applied site for students of the Faculty of Agriculture and tests a model that local farmers can study before adopting it. If measurements during the adaptation period demonstrate that the selected species can grow, and if the network shows measurable improvement in water management, the experiment could become the basis for expanding smart orchards on rocky or unused land. The open challenge, however, is to await the results of the three-year period and determine the cost of operating and maintaining the system and the extent to which it can be applied outside the university environment.