Timeline & News

Pilot Implementation of the Living Lab in Portugal

Our Project partner INEGI, has successfully implemented a pilot Living Lab in Tarouquela (Cinfães), Portugal. This demo site showcases the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems within agricultural land, combining renewable energy production with sustainable farming practices. 

Implementation

  • The PV structure was anchored securely using six deep holds to withstand external conditions like strong winds.

  • The system includes an inverter and a bidirectional meter for grid connection and real-time monitoring of voltage and current.

 

 

Raising Awareness Among Young Farmers in the Tafoughalt Commune, Berkane Province, on Optimizing Water Irrigation Through Quinoa Cultivation

Quinoa, a pseudo-cereal with low water requirements compared to traditional cereals, offers a promising solution for efficient water use in agriculture. When properly managed, quinoa requires only 200 to 300 mm of water, distributed strategically across its growth cycle. This makes it an ideal crop for regions facing water scarcity, such as the Tafoughalt commune in Berkane Province.

By adopting quinoa cultivation, young rural farmers in the area can optimize water irrigation practices, reduce water consumption, and enhance agricultural sustainability. Raising awareness about quinoa's benefits and its water-efficient cultivation techniques is essential to empower farmers and promote resilient farming practices in the region.

Optimizing Water Use for Quinoa Farming in Northeast Morocco

With freshwater becoming increasingly scarce, efficient water management is more important than ever!  In Berkane, our team, led by Sebastian Heintze in collaboration with ORMVAM, is conducting trials to optimize water use efficiency for quinoa cultivation.

We’re comparing three irrigation strategies:

  •  Traditional farmer-based irrigation 
  •  FAO’s CROPWAT model-based irrigation 
  •  Soil moisture sensor-based irrigation 

This research will help farmers use water more efficiently while maintaining high yields. Stay tuned for more updates! 

 

 

Visit to the Slimania research station in Berkane province
Visit to Agropole Berkane
Visit to the École nationale d'agriculture (ENA) de Meknès
Visit to the ICARDA research station in Marchouch

Unsere Partnerin Ana Palmero präsentiert unser Projekt bei ISEP mit dem Titel "eine Lösung zu entwerfen und einen Prototyp zu bauen, um die Durchführbarkeit des PureCircles-Konzepts zu testen, das die Stromerzeugung durch Solarenergie, die Regenwassernutzung und den Pflanzenanbau auf demselben Gelände integriert".

Vom 27. bis 29. November 2023 besuchte ein Teil des Teams die netzunabhängige PV-Anlage von KarmSolar in der Nähe von Abu Minqar in der Oase Farafra, um die Möglichkeiten der Installation von Agrovoltaik zwischen PV-Reihen zu prüfen.

In Ägypten haben wir mit unseren Partnern von der British University in Egypt - Faculty of Engineering (BUE) und KarmSolar ein System für den wassersparenden Quinoa-Anbau entwickelt, das von SolarCloth (Frankreich) über einen Wasserregenerationszyklus aus dem Grundwasser gespeist wird.

für den transdisziplinären Workshop “Sustainable Use and Conservation of Natural Resources”, 4-7 Dez. 2023 in Bonn

Bewerbungs-Deadline ist der 9.11.

Großartiges Feedback zu unserer Projektpräsentation

2023/07/10-12: Kick-off meeting at AlgoSur in Seville (Spain)

2023/07/08: Projektvorstellung beim Tag der offenen Tür der Universität Hohenheim