Technology as a Service (TaaS) for Precision Irrigation
Integrated Water Management with Hi-Tech Solutions in Switzerland’s Valais
Observing the Results 2023
15 January 2024Presentation of Results and Analysis of Tables on Irrigation and Soil Moisture. Introducing Various Tools for Plant Water Stress Analysis.
Unveiling the 2023 Harvest: Presentation of Results and Yield”
15 January 2024Above is the presentation of the results from the second year of the IrriSalgesch project. We successfully increased water savings by 25%, showcasing compelling data and measurements obtained through moisture probes. Despite a 25% reduction in irrigation compared to the control group, we achieved superior crop yields.
Read moreUn village viticole valaisan expérimente des solutions innovantes contre le manque d’eau
15 August 2023L’article met en lumière les défis auxquels fait face le village de Salquenen, renommé pour ses vignobles au pied des Alpes valaisannes, en raison de la rareté croissante de l’eau en été. Pour surmonter ce problème, les autorités locales envisagent un projet “révolutionnaire” appelé “Lienne-Raspille”, visant à stocker l’eau de fonte des neiges dans le lac de Tseuzier, situé à 1780 mètres d’altitude, pour l’utiliser ultérieurement dans l’irrigation des vignobles. Le coût du projet, estimé à environ 60 millions de francs, suscite toutefois des préoccupations et des débats, notamment avec l’opposition du WWF. En parallèle, le village explore des technologies innovantes telles que le système d’irrigation automatisé au goutte-à-goutte et la technologie AQUA4D, capable de modifier les propriétés physiques de l’eau pour une meilleure absorption par les plantes. Si ces solutions se révèlent efficaces, elles pourraient permettre d’économiser plus de 40 % d’eau dans les vignobles de la région.
Read moreResults 2022
11 April 2023The results of this landmark project are now out, and point to up to 40% water savings achieved by the combination of drip irrigation, AQUA4D®, and monitoring technologies. Here project leader Walter Thut explains the results in detail.
Read moreRécoltes 2022
1 December 2022❝ What we want to look at with AQUA4D is: how much of that precious water can we save? ❞ – Jeff Nunes
29 August 2022Growers in Switzerland’s Valais and California’s Central Valley rely on similarly dwindling water supplies for their production. Here Jeff Nunes describes the impact he’s seeing in AQUA4D®-treated vineyards – on fruits, plants, and water. 🇨🇭🇺🇸🍇
Monitoring with AQUA4D Technicians
12 July 2022Integrated Water Management with Hi-Tech Solutions in Switzerland’s Valais
16 May 2022Switzerland may be Europe’s “Chateau de l’eau” but even here the effects of a warming and unpredictable climate are biting. In the municipality of Salgesch (Valais) there is already an acute risk of water shortages, existentially threatening local agricultural production in the coming years. Now, the first-in-kind “Lienne-Raspille” project seeks to solve this problem of local seasonal water shortages, and serve as a blueprint for similar regions in Switzerland and globally. Reduced snow and glacier melt Just like California, Southern Europe and many other places, the municipality of Salgesch and its farmers rely on snow melt for irrigation in the summer, but this now runs out as soon as June. This triggers an acute shortage of water precisely when it is most urgently needed for irrigation. This poses a massive economic threat as the municipality’s income is significantly based on agriculture, viticulture and the associated tourism. To make matters worse, if the dry vineyard areas in Valais are no longer used and irrigated, this would set off negative feedback loops. Evaporation and evapotranspiration – crucial influences on a regional climate remaining moderate – would disappear completely, thus precipitating a downward spiral. Prize-winning technological solutions In 2021, an ambitious project to remediate these…
Read moreIntroduction to the Project by Walter Thut
2 May 2022AQUA4D Collaboration Receives #prixalpiq 1st Prize
21 October 2021Martigny, Valais – 6 October 2021 – A landmark project involving AQUA4D® has won this year’s inaugural #prixalpiq (Alpiq Prize). The winning project aims to reduce the water requirements of agriculture in a Swiss municipality by up to 40%. The ambitious project has been developed in conjunction with Cordonier & Rey SA and the municipality of Salgesch. The first stage will replace obsolete systems with innovative drip irrigation and AQUA4D® water treatment, tracked by real-time measurement of soil moisture. “This irrigation project will have a lasting impact on water management in the municipality of Salgesch,” write Alpiq. “It will encourage other municipalities to collaborate in order to implement together solutions to face climate change.” Multi-level collaboration This project has been a long time coming and enjoys wide support at the highest level. There is now unanimous recognition that something must be done to address growing water scarcity in this Swiss region. “It’s weird to hear it, as we’re in the middle of the alps, but there is a lack of water supply, especially for irrigation,” says Stephane Revey, Vice-Mayor of Salgesch. “In summer, when agriculture really needs water, there is not enough anymore, so we are looking at innovative technologies.” The all-encompassing nature of this…
Read moreFinal Report 2022

Press & Media
Rhone FM : Yves Rey à propos du #prixalpiq
Rhone FM: Gilles Florey Président de Salquenen