Ageon’s IoT lands in Val Venosta to digitalize strawberries for the MEG Cooperative
At Ageon, we work with a clear objective: to transform technology into a simple, concrete, and accessible tool for those who work the fields every day. For this reason, we are particularly proud to share a project that combines digital innovation (Agriculture 4.0) and regional enhancement: the adoption of our G.IoT.To system at the MEG Cooperative in Val Venosta, a rapidly developing rural entity that has always been oriented toward excellence.
The Challenge of Soilless Cultivation and Ageon’s Tailored Response
The MEG Cooperative produces top-quality strawberries, grown partly in-soil and partly soilless. It was specifically to support growers using the latter technique—hydroponics on inert substrate—that the cooperative turned to us.
As we know, soilless cultivation offers massive advantages (isolation from soil-borne diseases, nutritional control, higher planting density), but it strips the plant of the ground’s natural “buffer” effect. In the grow bag, margins for error are extremely narrow: irrigation cycles and nutrition must be surgically precise.
To meet the specific needs of MEG and its fragmented member base, we didn’t offer a standard solution. We configured a custom-built G.IoT.To kit for each individual grower, creating a bespoke control system tailored to the key parameters for irrigation management and plant steering.
Invisible Technology, Minute-by-Minute Precision
The hardware architecture we developed for MEG is designed to be powerful yet non-invasive for the farmer. Between the rows, we positioned a network of battery-powered sensors that detect microclimatic data (temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation) and substrate conditions every 60 seconds.
The sensors communicate via radio with a local control unit installed on the farm, which instantly packages the data and sends it to the cloud on our MyAgeon platform.
The Heart of Plant Steering: The Drainage Percentage of EACH INDIVIDUAL Irrigation Cycle
In soilless cultivation, drainage is the compass of irrigation. Monitoring the volume of percolating water, along with its EC (electrical conductivity, i.e., nutrient concentration) and pH (which determines the plant’s ability to assimilate those very elements), is the only way to steer the plant toward generative or vegetative production, optimizing nutrition while avoiding salt or water stress.
With G.IoT.To, we wanted to give MEG growers a true “superpower”: the ability to monitor the drainage percentage of each individual irrigation cycle.
We are not talking about an average figure calculated at the end of the day, but a real-time, cycle-by-cycle analysis. If the control unit delivers an irrigation cycle at 11:00 AM, the grower can immediately check on their smartphone how much of that water was retained and how much drained away. This allows for pinpoint accuracy and responsiveness when adjusting subsequent cycles based on sun exposure and plant transpiration. The result? A sweeter strawberry (higher Brix level), firmer texture, uniform sizing, and significantly superior post-harvest shelf life—all while reducing water and fertilizer waste to zero.
Shared Intelligence: The Value of the MyAgeon Platform for Cooperative Technicians
The success of this project doesn’t stop with the work of the individual farmer. The strength of the MyAgeon platform lies in its ability to network.
While each grower can monitor their own data and historical trends in real-time to manage their crops effectively, the MEG Cooperative technicians have access to a centralized dashboard. From there, they can simultaneously monitor data from all members, compare results, generate reports, and send targeted advice.
This transforms the cooperative’s agronomic support: technicians no longer step in only when the problem is already visible on the plant (a reactive approach). Instead, by analyzing graphs in the cloud, they can anticipate critical issues and advise members on shifting their irrigation strategy (a predictive approach). This presents a massive advantage that raises and standardizes the quality level of all MEG-branded produce.
Sustainability and the Future: Innovation Driving Local Growth
The adoption of the G.IoT.To system at the MEG Cooperative is the perfect example of how precision agriculture can integrate into a rapidly developing rural context. At Ageon, we are proud to support MEG on this futuristic journey, proving that IoT technology and data analysis are the best allies for quality, grower profitability, and environmental sustainability.
Our thanks go to the MEG Cooperative and all its members for their trust and for choosing to cultivate the future together with us!