Precision irrigation is moving from “hardware-only” to a combined system of automation + fertigation + data-driven decisions. In this Q&A, Mike Hemman (President, North America, Netafim) explains what is changing globally—water constraints, regulation, and the rise of closed-loop irrigation by 2030.

Interview Q&A · Submitted by Mike Hemman, President of North America, Netafim (Orbia Business)

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1. Biggest structural shifts in global agriculture

Automation adoption is accelerating as labor availability and cost pressures increase. Growers are adopting automated irrigation, remote monitoring, and decision-support tools to scale operations without increasing labor or complexity.

Irrigation is also evolving into integrated water and nutrient management. Drip irrigation enables continuous fertigation, replacing inefficient large fertilizer applications with precise, timed nutrient delivery aligned to crop demand.

Regulation is further accelerating adoption. Water scarcity, nutrient runoff limits, and carbon goals are now immediate constraints, making precision irrigation a necessity rather than an option.

2. Crops and regions adopting modern irrigation fastest

• Orchards, vineyards, and tree nuts
• Vegetables and berries
• Greenhouse and protected horticulture

Adoption is strongest in water-stressed regions such as the Mediterranean, the U.S. West, and increasingly India through subsidy-driven programs.

3. Recent surprises in farmer decision-making

Growers did not abandon automation during margin pressure. Instead, investments were reframed as risk-management tools, prioritizing immediate payback and operational stability.

4. Measurable efficiency gains

• 20–40% reduction in applied water
• 15–30% reduction in nutrient application
• 30–50% reduction in irrigation-related labor
• Improved compliance and sustainability reporting

5. Technology layers seeing commercial adoption

• Automated irrigation and fertigation controllers
• Sensor-driven decision inputs
• Cloud-based irrigation platforms
• Decision-support and prescription engines
• Remote monitoring and alerts
• Compliance and sustainability data capture

6. Bottlenecks slowing irrigation upgrades

Capital confidence, training gaps, dealer capability, service quality, and perceived system complexity remain the primary constraints to faster adoption.

7. Effective partnership models

Public–private partnerships and incentive stacking models have proven most effective, reducing capital barriers and accelerating adoption.

8. Serving small and mid-sized farmers

Blended finance, microfinance, supplier credit, and partnerships with governments and NGOs are enabling scale in developing regions.

9. Policy lessons from global experience

Cost-sharing investments in efficient irrigation deliver far greater long-term value than fallowing programs by permanently reducing water demand while preserving productivity.

10. Irrigation technologies shaping 2030

• Closed-loop irrigation and fertigation automation
• Dynamic, crop-responsive fertigation
• Predictive automation using crop and weather models
• Exception-based farm management
• Verified data for sustainability and value chains

11. Transformation stories

Subsurface drip irrigation in alfalfa and continuous fertigation in almonds demonstrate step-change improvements in water efficiency, yield consistency, and sustainability.

12. Final message to growers

The future of irrigation lies in data-driven precision — delivering water and nutrients at the right time through integrated, automated systems that growers can trust.