Technology Atlas

3D printing uses computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional objects through a layering process. This technology is applied in agriculture to manufacture a wide range of objects needed in agricultural processes.

Carbon nanotubes, composed of cylindrical carbon molecules with a diameter of a few nanometers (one millionth of a millimeter), possess electronic, mechanical and chemical properties that are highly applicable to new technologies for the treatment of contaminated water.

Drones offer an alternative to satellite-based global positioning systems, being less affected by adverse weather conditions and more flexible for collecting data on land and crops.

In aeroponics, the plants are placed on a structure that holds them, leaving the aerial part visible, so that it receives light, and on the other side are the roots, which remain hanging in a closed environment, leaving them free of soil, substrates or aqueous solutions.

Digital technologies can be part of the solution, as they enable more efficient, productive and sustainable agriculture by optimising its processes to produce more quality food in a more sustainable way.

Cloud systems are essential for agricultural information management, as they allow for remote storage and control of data, replacing the need for hardware and software. This saves resources and facilitates decision-making by analysing elements such as soil, plants and water in real time.

The AirDrop irrigation system is a revolutionary innovation in gardening and agriculture, specially designed for dry climates. Using a turbine powered by a small solar panel, it captures moisture from the air and condenses it in an underground reservoir to irrigate gardens and orchards.

The AquaSpy platform is an advanced agricultural technology solution designed to optimize irrigation and improve crop management. AquaSpy helps farmers improve irrigation efficiency, reduce water waste and increase crop productivity, thus contributing to more sustainable agriculture, showcasing solutions for soil moisture monitoring, data analysis and nutrient management.

Aquadetect is a Chilean company whose objective is to develop technological solutions for water management, mostly focused on agricultural lands. They are specialists in the exploration and use of underground water resources for crops.

Aquaponics is a food production system that combines the raising of aquatic animals (aquaculture) with the cultivation of plants in water (hydroponics), by continuously recirculating water through the two subsystems.

ArcGIS is a complete system for collecting, organizing, managing, analyzing, sharing, and distributing geographic information. In agriculture, ArcGIS can capture the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is crucial for estimating crop quantity, quality, and development.

Data-driven agriculture benefits from technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which enables prediction and agile response to unforeseen events. AI analyzes data from various sources, such as satellite images, to provide farmers with accurate, real-time information.

Constructed wetlands are water treatment systems that mimic the purification processes present in natural wetlands. These systems are part of the non-conventional, low-consumption wastewater treatment technologies. They are based on the interaction between phytoremediation (plant action) and microbiological processes.

The Ashkelon desalination plant is one of the largest and most advanced membrane-based desalination plants in the world. Its revolutionary design includes a unique center-of-pressure arrangement for the reverse osmosis phase, which increases efficiency and significantly reduces the cost of water. With enormous capacity and extremely high efficiency levels, it has achieved one of the lowest prices for desalinated water in history. In 2010, due to the plant's unparalleled success, it was expanded by almost 20%, providing drinking water for approximately 15% of Israel's daily consumption. This achievement positioned IDE as a leader in SWRO desalination megaprojects. The plant features a novel four-stage system for removing boron to required levels. This element, due to its low concentration in seawater and its small atomic weight, has a high permeability in reverse osmosis systems. In addition, the plant has an energy recovery system after high-pressure pumping and passage through the membrane.

Auravant is a precision agriculture app designed to help farmers manage their fields more efficiently and sustainably. The platform allows data to be unified and transformed into useful information for decision-making, optimizing the use of inputs such as water, fertilizers and seeds. Users can access satellite images, yield maps, weather forecasts and much more. It features GNDVI which helps determine how much water and nitrogen plants are absorbing1. This is crucial to optimize irrigation and ensure crops receive the right amount of water, avoiding both excess and shortage.

Biobeds are systems designed to degrade pesticides and other phytosanitary products that remain as residues after cleaning agricultural application equipment. These beds are composed of a mixture of straw, soil and compost, which encourages the growth of microorganisms capable of decomposing contaminants before they reach the soil or water. Pollution prevention: By degrading pesticides, biobeds prevent these chemicals from reaching surface and groundwater sources.

Biopesticides are developed from substances of botanical and microbiological origin. They provide natural protection for crops in the fight against pests and diseases, and allow food to be obtained without chemical residues.

Agricultural biotechnology contributes to the sustainable use of this resource through the development of drought-resistant transgenic crop varieties or with current crops whose characteristics – such as insect resistance and herbicide tolerance – preserve resources such as water and soil.

BoosterAGRO is an application designed for farmers that centralizes all the climatic, agronomic and productive information of their fields. Its main components include weather forecasts, crop monitoring, rainfall maps and climate reports essential for the optimization of crops, water and soil.

The Brazil Drought Monitor is a tool that continuously monitors the severity of droughts in the country. This monitoring is based on climate indicators and the impacts caused by the phenomenon in both the short and long term. The program publishes a monthly map showing the drought situation in the different federal units of the previous month. This map uses a color scale to indicate the degree of severity of the drought, which can be: severe, moderate, severe, extreme or exceptional.

Groynes, also called breakwaters or jetties, are transversal works that advance from the existing shore to the new shore line, to reduce the excessive width of the riverbed, causing sedimentation in the area limited by them and generating a displacement in the axis of the riverbed; they channel, correct or control the natural course of the water. These works have the purpose of directing the flow of the current, preventing the forces of the water from impacting on the margins.

The tree planting project in the Atacama Desert has found a way to reclaim these lands, by planting trees in a clever ‘Cocoon’. The circular biodegradable cardboard structure can hold up to 25 litres of water, which the young tree can live off of as its roots grow. Up to 90% of trees planted in one of these cardboard ‘donuts’ survive, even during droughts. Overall, the Cocoon method uses five times less water than irrigation.

The Apio app is a farm management platform that centralizes climate, agronomic and production information to help farmers make informed decisions and improve the efficiency of their operations. The app provides weather forecasts, monitors crops, manages resources used, including water, and provides alerts and notifications.

Center pivot irrigation, an automated sprinkling method in a circular pattern, not only irrigates but also applies fertilizers and chemicals.

It is an Agroclimatic Information System for decision-making in agriculture. It is based on stations that collect data from crops to obtain value-added information, such as the risk of infection or the need for irrigation. Cesens® agroclimatic stations are installed in the crop plots and send the data they collect to the cloud platform in real time.

This is a water harvesting concept that can collect water from both dew and rain. It is designed to be portable and affordable. It is inspired by nature in two of its key features. First, the shape and material of the rainwater-collecting membrane are inspired by the way bromeliads channel water into a central pond. Second, the structure supporting the membrane is inspired by a spider web, with its radial bamboo struts held in place by the tension of the membrane and by concentric radial cords, just as the radial cords of a spider web are separated by concentric radial threads.

Guard channels are ditches built near crops to efficiently direct water and prevent soil erosion, as well as avoiding the washing away of the fertile soil layer. These structures allow for better water management by directing it to specific areas of the farm, contributing to irrigation efficiency and preventing flooding.

Chinampas are plots of land that float on shallow water. They were constructed artificially and are intended to provide the vegetables needed for local consumption. They are built by piling up earth and gravel on the water to create a wet surface where crops will later be planted.

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that involves dispersing substances into clouds to stimulate precipitation. This technique is based on the idea that precipitation formation can be stimulated by altering the microphysical conditions of clouds, i.e. the amount and size of water or ice particles within the clouds.

Serpentine or zigzag irrigation are grooves made in the ground to provide controlled (directed) flow of water below the surface of the crop. The type of furrow will depend on the slope of the land: if it is low in slope, linear furrows are used, but if there are relatively steep slopes, an option to use are “S” shaped furrows or ditches, which are also used on low slopes, in order to have greater control over the conduction of irrigation water.

The technology consists of the installation of multi-family micro-reservoirs connected to collective parcel irrigation systems, which are managed by irrigation committees.

This practice consists of sowing grass species on the perimeter of the crop, or even other types of crops in a strip that is 3 to 5 m wide. Its use can also be complemented with other buffer practices within and between fields. Shrub, grass and grass species adapted to the area are established on the edges of the field. To do this, a good sowing or planting process must be carried out, which implies paying attention to the preparation of the land, the density of sowing, the depth, the management of dates, etc.

CropX is an advanced farm management platform that combines soil sensor technology with a comprehensive digital platform to optimize farming operations. This platform is designed to facilitate accurate decision making and improve agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner.

Trusty is an app designed for precision agriculture, helping farmers optimize their farming practices through the use of advanced technology. This app allows users to monitor and manage their crops efficiently, using real-time data to make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization and pest control.

Vetiver is a dense root system used in crops with steep slopes or hillsides, it helps prevent soil erosion, ensuring stability over time, acts as a natural barrier to retain sediments, protecting nearby bodies of water and improving water quality.

Albarradas are artificial wetlands with slow-moving waters, which have long been known in South America under various names such as jagüeyes, ciénagas, represas or lagunas.

This is a video platform aimed at the agricultural community and disseminated through local social networks to encourage farmers to adopt new practices to improve their livelihoods and share knowledge with other stakeholders in the sector.

Careo is a system of Muslim origin by which farmers guide water from snow-capped mountains to aquifer recharge zones. When the heat begins, they use a system of irrigation ditches to transport the water from the thaw so that it infiltrates the aquifers and appears in the rivers and springs after two or three months, in the middle of summer when it is most needed for irrigation.

Water and nutrients are delivered to the field through a system of pipes called “drip lines,” which contain small devices called “drippers.” Each dripper emits a controlled stream of droplets containing water and fertilizer, resulting in an even application of water and nutrients directly to the root zone of each plant throughout the entire field.

The EDANA platform is a soil moisture sensor system designed to optimize irrigation in agriculture. It uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to transmit real-time data on soil moisture, allowing farmers to receive accurate alerts on when to turn irrigation on or off. In short, EDANA helps manage water more sustainably and efficiently, which is crucial in a context of increasing water resource scarcity.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), in collaboration with government agencies in Jamaica, is implementing an incentive program for small farmers. The goal is to promote practices that improve soil and water retention on their farms, such as natural barriers and agroforestry systems.

Vigiñas are excavations in the ground with a diameter of approximately 10 to 20 meters and a depth of 1 to 2.5 meters. These technologies provide water for the dry season and help the regrowth and growth of forage species. Likewise, vigiñas or qotañas can be of different sizes and storage capacities, depending on the water requirement and availability of areas for their construction.

These hand pumps, made of PVC or polyethylene pipe, are easy to build and adjust by cylinder diameter to control the pressure and amount of water pumped. Known as EMAS or Flexi pumps, they are adaptable and originated at the Mobile School of Water and Sanitation (EMAS) in Bolivia.

Water storage in bag tanks is a flexible and portable solution made from a durable polyester canvas and coated with PVC for protection. Its versatility allows it to adapt to different surfaces such as cement, earth or sand.

This is a floating solar plant that uses high-density polyethylene floats instead of a standard steel structure. This installation also reduces evaporation and algae growth by decreasing exposure to the sun and limiting photosynthesis processes in the water.

Floating spheres are devices used to reduce evaporation and regulate water temperature in reservoirs. Made of high-density polyethylene, they contain water inside and are placed on the surface of the water.

Flood irrigation is applied to plots surrounded by ridges or mounds to retain water in rectangular areas with abundant water, adapting their shape to the slope of the land.

The fog catcher, also known as a fog collector, is a system used to capture the microscopic water droplets that are present in the fog and transform it into water that can be used. It is a creative way to collect water and thus avoid the droughts that plague parts of the planet where there is also fog. This system, technically, does not create water; on the contrary, the water is collected through the microdroplets that are present in the fog.

The Francis turbine is a type of reaction water turbine, that is, it uses the kinetic energy of moving water as pressure energy to turn a water wheel. This turbine was developed in 1848 by the Anglo-American engineer James B. Francis and is the most widely used type of water turbine.

Furrow irrigation directs water through V-shaped furrows toward crops, allowing for uniform infiltration and preventing erosion.

The Global Drought Information System (GDIS) is an international initiative that seeks to collect and compare drought information from different local and national sources. Its main objective is to provide a uniform platform for monitoring, predicting and managing droughts globally. GDIS offers tools and educational resources to help countries prepare for and respond to droughts, promoting collaboration and data sharing across different regions.

Gullies are ditches caused by soil erosion, with the presence of a slope, due to the concentration of water in the ground, generally due to rain. They can be ephemeral (less than 0.5 m deep) or permanent, if they exceed that depth and cannot be covered by conventional work.

The Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is designed to simulate the complete hydrologic processes in watershed systems. This software includes traditional hydrologic analysis procedures such as event infiltration, unit hydrographs, and hydrologic routing.

Hillside ditches are small channels built along a slope to manage rainwater and prevent soil erosion. These practices are essential for sustainable agriculture on sloping land, as they improve water management and soil conservation.

The Hippo Water Roller is a device designed to facilitate the transport of water in rural communities. This device consists of an ultra-resistant plastic container that can store up to 90 liters of water. Its design allows the container to be rolled rather than carried, which significantly reduces the physical effort required to transport large quantities of water. The Hippo Water Roller has a steel handle that makes it easy to handle, allowing one or two people to push or pull it with ease. The use of this device has improved the quality of life for many people by reducing the time and effort required to collect water, allowing them to spend more time on other important activities such as education and work.

Homemade solar watering with bottles is a simple and inexpensive technique to keep your plants hydrated using plastic bottles and solar energy. The solar energy heats the water in the small bottle, causing it to evaporate. The vapor condenses on the walls of the large bottle and drips to the ground, watering the plants constantly. This method is ideal for small orchards and gardens, as it is easy to implement and helps reuse materials.

This integrated system simulates water flow in basins using a hydrographic database for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Hydrogel, also called solid water, is a potassium polyacrylate compound, which can absorb up to 268 times its weight in water through hydrogen bonding.

The hydroscrew is a turbine operated by the weight of water, acting as a gravimetric machine. The water fills the compartments of the screw, which descend due to their own weight and the helical surface of the propeller, generating the rotation of the screw and converting potential energy into mechanical energy.

These are agricultural terraces or platforms built in gigantic natural depressions or holes. These terraces are superimposed concentrically, taking the form of a gigantic amphitheater. The largest hole has a depth of 150 m and the average height of the platforms is 1.80 m.

Filter galleries, also called underground tunnels, are ancient techniques for harnessing groundwater in regions with scarce surface sources. These structures transport water over distances and have been used for agricultural irrigation over time.

Infiltration trenches are excavations in the ground 2 to 3 meters long and 1 meter wide and deep, useful for reducing surface runoff and erosion. They are also used as part of rainwater treatment and harvesting systems, since the soil and porous materials in the trench can retain and filter pollutants from rainwater before they infiltrate into the soil.

The pulse irrigation system, also known as intermittent or discontinuous, consists of applying water to the furrows in short but frequent intervals during the same irrigation period.

Invigorating agents are compounds of natural or synthetic origin, which when applied to plants, affect plant metabolism through biochemical action mechanisms that allow for optimizing transpiration. These compounds have many advantages, since they function in part as a biostimulant and/or organic fertilizer, also providing protection against climatic stress.

Irrigation technology is a solution to problems arising from water management and seeks to optimize agricultural yields per unit of water used. Supplying the right amount and quality of water to the crop at the right time improves production and agroecological conditions.

The Kaplan turbine, invented in 1913 by Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, is based on the principle of a ship's propeller. The Kaplan turbine is an axial type turbine in which the flow of water causes the propeller blades to rotate in and out in an axial direction relative to the propeller's axis of rotation.

Living barriers are used by Central American producers to conserve soil and water, reducing erosion and maintaining soil moisture. They also improve fertility with organic matter, increase biodiversity, and sometimes reduce pest problems.

The technology consists of building small structures (5 m wide by 16 m long) in the form of tunnels that serve to protect crops, especially vegetables. In their manufacture, iron rods are used, which form an arch when embedded in the ground, supported by posts with round sticks and attached to galvanized wires to which a plastic cover is tied, for protection against ultraviolet rays.

They consist of natural material that is transplanted, or artificial material, for example in the form of gabions, which is placed directly on the ground of the bank, so that it cannot be eroded and carried away by the current. To do this, the bank is outlined with a slope that allows the easy and safe placement of the protective material.

Levees are structures that allow for the effective control and use of water resources. A dam is an artificial structure made of earth, rocks or other materials (mainly concrete) that is used to prevent flooding. It is usually built near or over rivers, streams, lakes or wetlands.

Minecraft Education can be a powerful tool to address current issues like climate change and agriculture in a number of ways:

Environmental Education: Minecraft Education allows students to explore and learn about environmental issues in an interactive environment. For example, they can participate in global challenges like “Peace with Nature,” where they design sustainable solutions for their communities. This helps students better understand environmental issues and think of creative solutions.
Ecosystem Simulation: Students can create and manage virtual ecosystems, learning about biodiversity, deforestation, and the impact of climate change on different species2. These simulations can help students visualize and understand the complexities of real ecosystems.
Sustainable Agriculture: Minecraft Education can also teach sustainable farming practices. Students can experiment with different farming techniques, learn about crop rotation and soil management, and see the effects of these practices in a controlled environment3.

Also known as minimum tillage, this practice consists of intervening as little as possible in the soil when cultivating it so as not to interfere with the natural processes that take place there. Minimum tillage is the smallest amount of tillage required to create the soil conditions suitable for seed germination and plant development. The soil is prepared in the strips/bands formed by the furrows where sowing will take place (Individual minimum tillage).

Misting irrigation is a technique used in greenhouses to provide water and humidity to crops in a uniform manner. It works by spraying water droplets at high pressure, creating a mist that disperses in the greenhouse environment, efficiently supplying the necessary amount of water to the plants.

Mountain microorganisms (MM) are a diverse mix of bacteria, fungi, yeasts and other tiny organisms that inhabit natural soils, especially in forest and mountain areas. These microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance and fertility of the soil. These microorganisms are essential for a greener and more sustainable agriculture, helping to revitalize degraded soils and reduce the use of chemicals. Regarding water, MM reduce pollutants reaching water sources, improve soil filtration and provide a stable soil structure by controlling erosion and sedimentation in water bodies.

Multi-gate irrigation uses portable pipes to distribute water through adjustable gates in ditches or furrows, minimizing infiltration losses and achieving high efficiency by directing water directly to crops.

The Nazca aqueducts carry water from the snow-capped mountains and from the seepage of the Aija, Tierra Blancas and Nazca rivers through underground sections (underpass galleries) and through open sections (ditch galleries).

It is a free-access app that captures and analyses climate data from the countries' production areas to reduce the vulnerability of small producers to climatic events and supports decision-making for efficient and resilient agronomic management, increasing productivity and reducing losses caused by delays in growth, flowering and fruit harvest.

This soil-isolated system supplies nutrient solutions through water, with the possibility of reusing the resource several times through feedback.

The PSA (Payment for Environmental Services) program grants financial recognition to owners and holders of forests and forest plantations for their contributions to environmental protection and improvement, especially for the conservation of water resources.

This type of pump uses hydraulic and vacuum suction principles, operated by pedals, to extract water at depth, even through hard rock, without the need for fuel or electrical power.

A Pelton turbine is a hydraulic impulse turbine used in hydroelectric power plants with a high vertical head. The turbine was introduced in 1879 by the American carpenter and inventor Lester Allan Pelton, hence its name.

Amunas, a word of Quechua origin from Peru that means “to retain,” are a pre-Hispanic system of artificially recharging aquifers through the planting and harvesting of water, which is still implemented by some Andean peasant communities in the aforementioned country, between the Puna and Quechua zones.

It is an irrigation system in which the water from the river or stream is redirected through a main irrigation ditch. Every certain distance, part of the flow is directed to a secondary irrigation ditch, which is then divided into two by using scaffolds, forming an inverted “Y” shape that resembles a bird’s foot. The water, at the end of its journey through the tertiary irrigation ditches, begins to move by gravity and covers the surface of the land by flooding, thus facilitating the development of crops.

Terraces are technologies that, through the action of man, modify the topography of sloping lands, with the purpose of making better use of resources, soil, water and climate, to carry out agricultural tasks. It is formed by a platform (terrace), which is filled with transported and selected material (gravel, soil and organic matter), and supported by walls, usually made of stones.

This device is a turbine constructed with interchangeable blades and a stainless metal frame. It is placed in a water flow, where the movement of the water activates the turbine to generate power. It is effective in shallow and low-velocity waters.

They consist of dams made of stone and clay, which were built by the ancient Peruvians (pre-Incas) with the purpose of storing water to regulate the streams and, at the same time, allow infiltration to recharge the aquifers and thus have water in the springs and wetlands.

ProRindes (Simulated Yield Forecast) is a tool designed to predict the yield of crops such as soybeans, corn, wheat and barley in several locations in the Argentine Pampas region. It uses computer models that simulate the growth and development of crops, based on climate, soil and agronomic management data. This tool was initially developed as a proof of concept and is now operated by the National Meteorological Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and the civil organization CREA. ProRindes provides updated forecasts every 7-10 days during the agricultural campaign, helping producers make informed decisions about the management of their crops. In addition, ProRindes has a direct relationship with water resources, since crop yield is strongly influenced by availability and the platform has information on rainfall and water balances.

QGIS is a free and open source Geographic Information System (GIS) software. It allows processing, analysis, modeling and decision making based on geographic and territorial data. In agriculture, QGIS can capture the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which measures crop health.

Qochas or rustic micro-dams are water reservoirs that take advantage of the natural depression of the ground to build a dam that allows rainwater to be captured and stored, thus increasing water infiltration for later use, mainly agricultural.

The hydraulic ram pump is a device that uses the energy of water located at a certain height (the level of a river, dam or other reservoir), which allows the water to be raised to a height greater than the initial height through the physical phenomenon known as "water hammer". The device pumps water continuously and operates without the need for electricity or fuel.

The water treatment devices are based on natural filtration of plants and natural materials: laterites (iron-rich soil) and esparto grass, which are easily found in arid and semi-arid regions. The wastewater treatment system does not present any risk and takes up a very small space. It has the advantage of removing two to three times more nitrogen and almost five times more phosphorus compared to conventional phytopurification systems. This highly efficient natural solution is suitable for the treatment and recycling of wastewater from cafes, restaurants, isolated houses, residences, municipal buildings and dairy manufacturing plants and fish farms.

The main idea behind the tool is to create a low-cost drone with a wooden structure and get it to fly and spread seeds. Its system is 10 times cheaper than manual reforestation methods, as well as being faster and less destructive to the environment than other methods. The reforestation drone will not only produce oxygen, but also function as future entities that capture and store usable water resources.

Regaber is a company specializing in professional irrigation systems, founded in 1980. It stands out mainly for its drip irrigation solutions, which are highly efficient and sustainable. Regaber offers a wide range of products and services, including: Drip irrigation systems: Ideal for maximizing water use and improving crop productivity. Filtration and control: Filtration equipment, control valves and regulation to optimize irrigation. Automation: Remote management and real-time control solutions to increase irrigation efficiency and sustainability.

Robotics is revolutionizing agriculture by improving productivity and working conditions. Autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are driving precision agriculture, enabling operations such as automated sowing, harvesting and irrigation. Agricultural robots guide themselves and perform complex tasks, such as weed detection, using advanced technology.

Rooftops of houses and buildings, with areas ranging from 20 to 200 m², can be transformed into urban gardens to grow family food, promoting self-sufficiency. In addition to improving air quality and contributing to thermal and acoustic insulation, this initiative provides a connection with nature in urban environments.

This system uses a rope with polyethylene pistons attached at intervals, a semi-submerged PVC pipe and a pulley with a crank.

Rainwater harvesting and use systems (SCALL) intercept, collect and store rainwater, and can be used in small-scale agriculture on the roofs of houses and wineries.

The Drought Information System for Southern South America (SISSA) uses data from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS) product to estimate precipitation. CHIRPS is produced by the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The term “atajados” comes from the word “atajar” or “to stop.” The atajados are small ponds dug into the ground to store rainwater and other sources. They have low construction costs and are appropriate for arid areas with rainfall concentrated in a few months of the year. Traditional technology is used, and due to its size it is suitable for family or multi-family units.

The aim is to dig small, semi-circular pits that retain water. Because of their shape, they are called “earth smiles.” Rainwater that would have previously washed away, eroded and further hardened the surface is retained, water balance is restored and vegetation grows back. Restoring vegetation restores the water cycle. When this is done over a large area, it helps generate clouds, increasing rainfall in the area. This rain benefits vegetation, which continues to improve water tables and desertified lands are transformed into lush, green areas.

This technology consists of a turbine with three blades, each one metre in diameter, connected to an electric generator. Driven by the flow of water, the design increases the speed of the water as it passes through the device, optimising production thanks to the curved shape of the blades.

This platform will promote the development and adoption of technological solutions based on precision agriculture to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of family fruit systems (FFS) in LAC. The platform develops a collaborative IT tool called “OpenFruit” as a precision agriculture technology for small producers and fruit advisors in participating countries.

The “sponge city” concept represents a good example of improving urban water supplies on a large scale, largely based on the application of green infrastructure approaches in urban landscapes, mainly to improve water availability.

Covers are an effective solution to counteract losses through evapotranspiration, as they conserve moisture and reduce the influence of solar radiation and wind on plants and soil. They also optimise irrigation efficiency.

Subsurface irrigation, an agricultural technique, supplies water and nutrients in a localized manner underground, improving crop growth.

They are a pre-Hispanic agricultural system developed by the Tiwanaku culture in the Andean region. This system consists of creating elevated cultivation platforms interspersed with water channels. The channels, known as suka uma (water furrow), surround the platforms and help drain excess water and moderate the temperature, protecting the crops from frost.

These are compounds that can be of natural or synthetic origin, and that when applied directly to plants, generate a protective layer that reduces direct solar radiation, maintaining optimal levels of transpiration and reducing thermal stress. Sun filters for plants can be found in various formats, either wettable powder or liquid, and generally contain similar formulations. They are applied foliarly, and their benefits are almost immediate, giving the crop a protective layer against UV and infrared rays, while allowing gas and water exchange at the stomatal level to remain uninterrupted, so the plant continues to grow and produce but with less stress from radiation and temperature.

They are compounds that, when added to irrigation water, allow certain properties of the water to be modified, such as the surface tension of the molecules. The final effect is to improve the wetting area of the water when it infiltrates the soil profile, allowing irrigation to be more efficient, since losses due to percolation and runoff of both water and nutrients are reduced. Most of these products are available in liquid form and are easily applied in irrigation cycles, following the manufacturer's instructions regarding the recommended doses for each crop. Their effects and benefits are noticeable in the short term, since their function is immediate when dissolved in the irrigation pond.

TaKaDu is a cloud-based Central Event Management (CEM) solution that enables utilities and private companies to detect, analyze, and manage network events and incidents such as leaks, explosions, faulty assets, operational failures, telemetry and data issues, and more.

Models developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are widely used to predict the responses of hydrologic systems to changes such as increases in precipitation or groundwater pumping rates, and to anticipate the movement and fate of solutes and contaminants in water, crucial aspects of agricultural production.

This is a technology for storing water underground that involves the generation of small, artisanally confined aquifers (volume of underground soil saturated with water).

A bioindicator is a living organism that can be anything from a microbe, an insect or a fish, to a plant or algae, that allows us to quantify and qualify the level and evolution of contamination present in an aquatic system by determining its differential sensitivity to various toxic substances. Sampling of macroinvertebrates is linked to sampling of the chemical quality of the water.

The technology works to detect water leaks from a long distance, it can quickly find hidden leaks underground that could take many months to discover, saving water and money. The technology works by using satellites orbiting the Earth at a distance of 650km. Using SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology, sensors on the satellite emit a pulse of energy and then detect what is reflected back. In this way, the sensors can “see” not only the surface of the Earth, but up to three metres below it. Leaks don’t need to be significant to be detected – just 0.5 litres per minute is enough for the sensors to detect them and locate them within a 100-metre radius. The technology can even tell whether it is detecting surface water, wastewater or drinking water. And these super sensors work day and night, regardless of the weather – luckily, clouds can’t confuse them.

Virtual reality overlays real-time digital information using devices, improving efficiency. In agriculture, it benefits productivity and water management, allowing for accurate measurements, crop analysis, water flows and irrigation optimization.

Electric power is essential in agriculture for tasks such as automated irrigation, machinery, heating, transportation and processing. One way to generate electricity is through the gravitational flow of water.

French physicist Alain Gachet was working on hydrocarbon exploration in Libya using the Watex technology he had created through his company RTI Exploration. That was his field of development: oil. While searching for this fuel, he accidentally found a deep water leak in an underground aqueduct in the middle of the desert.

FAO's Water Productivity through Open Access of Remotely sensed derived data, WaPOR, monitors and reports on water productivity in agriculture in Africa and the Near East. It provides open access to the water productivity database and its thousands of underlying map layers.

Warka Water Towers are passive structures made of bamboo that operate using natural phenomena such as evaporation, condensation or gravity. Warka Towers are structures made of triangular meshes 10 metres high and weighing around 60 kg. They are made up of 5 modules arranged to collect drinking water from the air by condensation. On average, these structures manage to distribute between 40 and 100 litres of water per day. The air is usually highly saturated with water vapour. This fact makes it possible to collect water from practically any place in the world.

The waru waru are an ancient practice of the ancestors of the Tiahuanaco culture, which was located in the highlands between Bolivia and Peru, above 4000 m above sea level.

The WaterLoc underground structure is a modular system designed to retain large volumes of stormwater. It is specifically designed for the construction of underground retention tanks that effectively manage stormwater.

These are physical spaces from which the services of the entire water cycle and the environmental health of the territory can be managed in real time, offering everything from data capture to visualization, analysis, monitoring and remote control. In this way, they help combat climate change and contribute to the development of smart cities. They allow for optimised decision-making in urban hydraulic infrastructures, adapting innovation and advanced technology to the needs of each territory to control all these problems and guarantee the correct provision of water supply, sanitation and reuse services.

The project will implement pilot plots with technologies such as satellite images, field sensors and specialized software to improve irrigation management. The aim is to modernize irrigation techniques and strengthen monitoring and analysis of information at the plot and watershed level.

Aqueduct Risk tools use open source, peer-reviewed data to map water risks such as floods, droughts, and water stress.

Automated weather stations, with electronic sensors, collect real-time weather data, vital for agricultural decisions.

This pump consists of a water wheel with blades and a spiral flexible pipe attached to the wheel.

The dowsing method is an ancient technique that aims to locate underground water wells and find out the flow or volume, depth and even its potability. The method is also known as "dowsing technique" and the dowser as "radiesthesist". It consists of stimulating the senses using simple elements in the form of a rod and pendulum, which amplify the radiation to detect water currents, magnetic flows, underground lakes, mineral veins, etc.

A Zamorano-type tank is a circular structure used primarily for water storage. It is built with overlapping metal sheets and a geomembrane or internal bag that contains the water. These tanks are common in rural and agricultural areas, where they are used to store large volumes of water for irrigation and other needs. This technology is an affordable and efficient solution to address water scarcity in agricultural activities, improving food security and positively impacting by maintaining and increasing economic income. In addition, it is a key tool within production to face the challenges of climate change.