Last week, the AFaktive team installed monitoring sensors at the farms of Diessens Broek and Hofkamer in the Netherlands.
The installation of soil moisture sensors and a weather station was based on the maps and transects planned by AFaktive partner FITT and was carried out with the devices and experience of partner Royal Eikelkamp.
The local project partners FSG and Waterschap de Dommel, who are accompanying the two agroforestry farms, were trained how to take the sensors out of the fields in case of soil works (such as harvest), re-install them (after soil works) and how to find them in the online ROAK app. The ROAK portal is provided by Royal Eijkelkamp and delivers the telemetry data from the sensors, which enable the AFaktive research team to better understand the relationship between agroforestry systems and water balance. The data will also flow into the further development of Hydrotec rainfall simulation software. The software will facilitate the planning of agroforestry as a climate adaptation tool (water retention, erosion control, etc.)
The landowners will also receive access to the ROAK portal, and they are being instructed by project team on the sensors and on how they can use the data for their benefit.
