1. Innovating Irrigation: Affordable Smart Solutions for Water Sustainability

Agriculture accounts for 70–80% of global freshwater use, a level increasingly unsustainable under climate change. This study reports the development and field validation of a low-cost smart irrigation system for tomato and melon in Tuscany (2021–2023). The system integrates evapotranspiration-based models, wireless sensor networks, and adaptive control algorithms. In 2023 it achieved up to 50% water savings compared to traditional practices, without yield reduction, at a total cost... A. Matese