Solution
AI irrigation: a decision every day, for every line
AI irrigation builds the schedule from the site, not from the calendar. ESTRON decides again every day for every irrigation line: full duration, shorter, postpone or skip. If watering is not needed, the line stays off that day. Every decision is logged with its reason.
- What is it?
- Which data?
- How does it decide?
- Calculated decisions
- Your rules
- Compared with a timer
- Compared with farm systems
- How it reaches the field
- What you gain
- Who it is for
- How to get started
What is AI irrigation?
A classic automatic irrigation system is a timer. It opens the valve at a set time and closes it when the duration ends. Rain does not change the schedule.
AI irrigation, irrigation decided by artificial intelligence, asks the same question again every morning: how much water does this line need today? The answer comes from the site. Weather, soil, plants and yesterday's watering are read together.
In ESTRON this decision is made separately for every irrigation line. A lawn and a tree belt can get different decisions on the same day. The result is a duration: 21 minutes instead of 30, or nothing at all today. The whole system is described on the smart irrigation system page.
Which data does the AI look at?
AI-powered irrigation does not rely on a single sensor. Seven sources come into one picture:
- Weather forecast. Hourly temperature, wind, rain probability and amount.
- Recent rainfall. Rain that fell in the last 24 hours.
- Water demand. The plant's daily water demand (ETc) is calculated with the FAO-56 method.
- Satellite. Plant health (NDVI) and soil moisture from Sentinel-2 and MODIS. See tracking green areas from space.
- Field sensors. Rain sensor, soil moisture sensor and flow. The rain sensor confirms the forecast. Sensors are optional; the system works without them.
- Irrigation history. How much was given yesterday, how much is subtracted today. Water left in the soil is taken into account.
- Your rules. Site-specific limits and days.
How weather data is used is explained in the weather-based irrigation article.
How does the AI make the irrigation decision?
1. Calculation
Daily water demand is calculated. Recent rain and the previous watering are subtracted. What remains is compared with the line's reference duration. The result is a percentage: 69% of normal, for example.
2. Interpretation
The AI reads this picture. It applies the safety limits: wind limit, frost risk, rain probability. If the satellite shows stress but the soil is moist enough, the duration is not increased. Light rain does not cut the water; the missing part is topped up.
3. Decision and reason
One of four decisions comes out:
- Full duration. Normal demand, nothing in the way.
- Shorter duration. Cool weather or low demand.
- Postpone. Rain is expected or wind is above the limit.
- Skip. The soil is already moist.
A one-sentence reason and the deciding factor are written next to the decision. The card appears in the panel and in the mobile app.
The decision is made in the morning. You set the watering window per line; the AI works inside it. Watering before dawn cuts the loss to evaporation and wind.
Calculated decisions
The decisions below come from a calculation: Istanbul's 2025–2026 weather data, run day by day through the system's real decision logic. Assumed site: lawn, sprinklers. Reference: fixed schedule, 30 minutes a day.
| Day | Decision | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 4 March | Postponed | A low of 1.3 °C expected overnight. Water could freeze on the grass. |
| 16 April | Water at 27% · 8 min | Cool weather, the grass uses less water. Cold-weather adjustment. |
| 16 June | Water at 70% · 21 min | Water demand is 69% of normal. No rain or wind in the way. |
| 4 July | Postponed | An 80% chance of 13.6 mm of rain tomorrow. Wind is also above the limit. |
| 27 July | Water at 100% · 30 min | The season's highest water demand. No rain, calm enough wind. |
| 29 July | Postponed | Wind 6.8 m/s. Sprinkler water would drift. |
On three of the six days there is no watering. On two the duration is cut. One day runs the full duration. In the same calculation, over 228 days a fixed schedule comes to 6,840 minutes and the AI to 2,694. All cards are on the home page.
Write the rule in your own words
The AI is not unlimited. You write the rules for the site, in your own words: "Postpone if wind exceeds 6 m/s." "No watering at weekends." The AI follows these rules.
There are three modes: fixed schedule, AI and monthly percentage. The mode is chosen per line. One park can run in AI mode while a newly planted median runs on a fixed schedule.
You have the final say. At any moment you can open a valve by hand or skip a day. When you are done, the system returns to its own mode. See flexible irrigation automation.
How is it different from a timer?
| Situation | Timer | AI irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Rain expected | Waters anyway | Postpones |
| Cool day | Same duration | Shortens the duration |
| Heat wave | Same duration | Extends as needed |
| Strong wind | Water drifts | Waits |
| Change of season | Schedule changed by hand | Adapts on its own |
| Why was it watered? | No record | Reason logged |
Compared with a fixed schedule, up to 40% less water is used. Less water also means less pump electricity. Plants are neither left dry nor overwatered. See how water is saved.
How is it different from a farm system?
The AI irrigation systems in the news are mostly built for agriculture. The logic is simple: water when soil moisture drops below a threshold, stop when it rises above. One crop, one field, a few sensors.
Parks and landscapes are different. There are hundreds of small lines; lawn, shrubs and trees sit side by side. Most valves have no electricity. Putting a sensor on every line is costly and hard to maintain.
That is why ESTRON rests the decision on a picture, not on a sensor: the weather forecast, satellite data, the daily water-demand calculation and your rules. The decision is made per line; a lawn and a tree belt get different durations on the same day. Sensors are optional; if fitted, they confirm the decision from the field. The duration is adjusted as a percentage, not switched on and off by a threshold.
How does the decision reach the field?
The decision is made in the cloud. It travels over LoRaWAN to the battery-powered valve controller. The controller opens the existing solenoid valve for the set duration. No cables are laid.
If the internet goes down, irrigation does not stop. The controller runs the last program in its memory. See irrigation keeps running even without internet.
Hundreds of valves are managed from the same panel. Scattered parks become one central irrigation control system.
What you gain
- Less water. No watering on rainy, cool or moist days. Water bills and pump electricity go down.
- Less work. No manual schedule changes at the change of season. Hundreds of lines make their own decision every day.
- Healthier green. Longer on hot days, shorter on cool days. Plants are neither left dry nor drowned.
- The answer is ready. "Why was there no watering yesterday?" is answered in the panel. Every decision is kept with date, duration and reason. See detailed reporting.
- Records ready for the regulation. The metering and records required by the xeriscape decree are ready in the panel. See what the xeriscape decree changes in park irrigation.
Who it is for
Municipalities. No schedules written one by one for hundreds of parks and medians. Each line makes its own decision; the record is ready for audits. See park irrigation system for municipalities.
Landscape maintenance companies. No separate setup for every client property. Concrete data at contract renewal. See landscape irrigation automation.
Housing estates and public gardens. Common-area irrigation runs on its own. Site rules are written in plain sentences. Examples on the references page.
How to get started with AI irrigation
- Hardware. AI decisions need the ESTRON BLE-LoRa version and a LoRaWAN gateway. Existing pipes, sprinklers and valves stay in place.
- Panel setup. Areas and lines are entered in the web panel. A reference duration is set for each line.
- Rules. Wind limit, no-watering days, time window.
- Pilot area. AI mode is switched on for one area. Decisions are followed together in the first week.
- Roll-out. Once the results are in, the other lines and sites are added.
ESTRON is made in Türkiye; hardware and software are developed locally. What determines the price is on the smart irrigation system cost page. Get a quote for your project.
Frequently asked
What if the AI makes a wrong decision?
Safety limits always apply. Every decision is visible with its reason. You can change a decision by hand and add a rule. Other questions are on the FAQ page.
Does it work without sensors?
Yes. Weather forecast, satellite data and irrigation history are enough. Rain and soil moisture sensors confirm the decision from the field; recommended, not required.
Is it worth it for a small single-line area?
The decision is made per line; a single line is fine. Remote decisions need the BLE-LoRa version.
Which savings percentage is right?
Figures between 40% and 80% circulate in the news. All of them are single-site, single-season pilot results. ESTRON's general claim is cautious: up to 40% less water than a fixed schedule. Our example is a calculation: Istanbul's 2025–2026 weather data, the system's decision logic, 228 days; a fixed schedule comes to 6,840 minutes, the AI to 2,694. That is a comparison of watering time; water savings vary with the site, the flow rate and the plants. The decisions are on the decision cards on the home page.
Get a quote for your project.
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