Golf in Chile Makes Sustainable Progress with Precision Irrigation

As water stress around the world increases with a changing climate, all industries are looking at ways to improve water management. This is leading to precision irrigation such as AQUA4D® being applied beyond its traditional realm of agriculture, and branching out to urban greening, landscapes, and sports fields.

Given the size of green landscapes, water conservation here can have huge impacts on general water efficiency efforts. This is the case with golf course irrigation, where in Chile an increasing number of clubs are looking to employ the latest technology to optimize their water use.

A water-efficient club

Following successful water-smart irrigation of municipal areas in Lo Barnechea, the nearby La Dehesa Golf Club installed an AQUA4D® system to increase the efficiency of their irrigation. Their goal was not only to improve sustainability at a club level but to play a wider part in the sustainable future of a region facing unprecedented water stress:

An AQUA4D agronomist checking soil moisture

“With water scarcity at a national level, we are taking concrete actions to be an efficient club in the use of water and to play a positive role in society and in our community,” says Marco Castro, general manager of Club de Golf La Dehesa.

They turned to Santiago’s IST Group, who in recent years have made a name for successfully increasing water efficiency for various companies including leading avocado producers, as well as reforestation initiatives and urban greening in Santiago province.

Encouraging results

The first results with AQUA4D® technology on the golf course are encouraging, showing irrigation water savings of 20-30%. This is also down to the comprehensive monitoring and measurement implemented. Part of AQUA4D’s “Hardware as a Service” concept, this involves close coordination between IST Group’s agronomists and the golf club’s irrigation specialists. By keeping a close eye on soil moisture, the agronomists can track the effect of AQUA4D irrigation in real-time. Thanks to better interaction of the water with the soil, and penetration into the micro-pores, the soil stays moist for much longer, thus negating the need for frequent irrigation – even as Chile approaches the summer months.

“We plan to advance the implementation of AQUA4D in the field in order to globally optimize the use of irrigation water,” adds Marco Castro. “And with the advice of IST Group we are also looking at possible certifications such as ISO 14.046 and the new Certificado Azul, led by Fundación Chile, with the Sustainability Agency and the Swiss Government.”

Find out more about AQUA4D for sports irrigation: “Sustainable Football Irrigation for a Changing Climate”

Learn about the Certificado Azul: https://www.certificadoazul.cl/certificado-azul

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Animation: How AQUA4D saves irrigation water: