São Paulo startup creates a system to anticipate water shortages in the field, covering areas of up to 3,000 hectares and preventing producers from activating pumps without knowing if the river has flow.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 13/06/2026 at 10:26

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São Paulo startup supported by Fapesp created PalmaFlex Total to anticipate water shortage risks in the field, combining sensors, long-range radio, and artificial intelligence to guide producers in the face of irregular rains and irrigation decisions.

The water shortage in the field can be predicted with the support of sensors, radio, and artificial intelligence on a platform created by the São Paulo startup Spectrum, supported by PIPE-FAPESP, to estimate the water availability of sources.

Technology seeks to reduce blind decisions in irrigation

The problem faced by producers begins even before irrigation. In many properties, it is necessary to travel long distances to the pump house without knowing if the river will have enough flow to sustain the operation.

This travel consumes time, energy, and resources, especially when the decision ends in frustration. The proposal of PalmaFlex Total is to replace part of this uncertainty with data collected in the field and transformed into practical information.

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Water shortage is monitored with sensors and artificial intelligence

PalmaFlex Total combines sensors installed in the soil, data communication via radio, and artificial intelligence models. The long-range transmission can cover areas of up to 3,000 hectares, which expands its use in remote properties.

The platform also monitors wind, solar radiation, and temperature. Another planned function is the detection of engine failures, an important resource to avoid operational losses during the use of pumping systems.

The development is led by Adilson Chinatto and Cynthia Junqueira, an electrical engineer with a master’s degree from ITA and a doctorate from Unicamp.

The technology was designed to have high connectivity, low maintenance cost, and application in remote agricultural areas.

Why the lack of water or water control directly affects food production in the field

Water is essential for crops to grow, to keep the soil moist, for irrigation to work, and to prevent losses during periods of drought or irregular rainfall.

When the producer does not know if the river, pond, or spring will have enough water, they may waste time, expend energy unnecessarily, and even jeopardize the plantation.

That’s why water control matters so much: it helps the producer decide when to irrigate, how much to irrigate, and if there is water available for it. In practice, this can prevent waste, reduce costs, and protect agricultural production.

In scenarios of irregular rainfall, such tools help the producer to better plan irrigation and reduce unnecessary travel. Do you believe that data intelligence could become indispensable to tackle the lack of water in the field? Comment on how this technology could help small and large properties.

Article made with information from agenciasp.

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São Paulo startup creates a system to anticipate water shortages in the field, covering areas of up to 3,000 hectares and preventing producers from activating pumps without knowing if the river has flow.

São Paulo startup supported by Fapesp created PalmaFlex Total to anticipate water shortage risks in the field, combining sensors, long-range radio, and artificial intelligence to guide producers in the face of irregular rains and irrigation decisions.

Technology seeks to reduce blind decisions in irrigation

Water shortage is monitored with sensors and artificial intelligence

Why the lack of water or water control directly affects food production in the field

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São Paulo startup creates a system to anticipate water shortages in the field, covering areas of up to 3,000 hectares and preventing producers from activating pumps without knowing if the river has flow.

São Paulo startup supported by Fapesp created PalmaFlex Total to anticipate water shortage risks in the field, combining sensors, long-range radio, and artificial intelligence to guide producers in the face of irregular rains and irrigation decisions.

Technology seeks to reduce blind decisions in irrigation

Water shortage is monitored with sensors and artificial intelligence

Why the lack of water or water control directly affects food production in the field

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

Consumers eat six times more chicken than in the 1960s, global meat supply quadruples in 60 years, and FAO report reveals the invisible cost on the plate: livestock could drive 80% of the increase in agricultural emissions over the next decade.

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