High Yields for Organic Crops: Hualien‘s Hsing-jui Wentan Implements Smart Farming to Slash Water Use by 97% and Boost Yield by 20%.

Xingrui Pomelo Farm, located in Juisui, Hualien, is a family-owned orchard with a history of over 40 years, spanning three generations. The third-generation operator, Yu Chen-wei, decided to return to his hometown and take over the business after his father suffered permanent liver and kidney damage from an incident involving pesticide spraying. For the sake of health and sustainability, he resolutely transitioned the orchard into organic farming and obtained the Tse-Xin Organic Certification in 2018. However, this path of transformation was far from easy; during the initial phase, production plummeted drastically from 360,000 catties to just 50,000 catties. It took seven years of hard work to steadily rebuild the yield to the current 160,000 catties.

In addition to his steadfast refusal to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, Yu Chen-wei also began exploring how to improve irrigation efficiency through technology. At the time, although an automated irrigation system had already been installed in the orchard, it could only supply water on a fixed schedule and volume—for instance, irrigating for a fixed one hour every day at dawn. However, during actual management, he discovered that the soil conditions and water retention capacities varied significantly across different zones of the orchard. This rigid method of irrigation inadvertently caused waterlogging and root rot in certain areas, while leaving other zones underwatered, directly impacting fruit quality and the overall health of the trees.

Want to learn more interesting stories about organic pomelo cultivation? 👉 Taste the refreshing pomelo fragrance of the Mid-Autumn Festival: Organic Pomelos from Xingrui Farm
Or visit the 👉 Xingrui Pomelo Facebook page to learn more!



・・・

1. Complex Pest and Disease Control: The pesticide-free cultivation conditions make pest and disease control significantly more challenging. Farmers must rely on physical control methods and environmental management, which increases the complexity of farm operations.
2. Inefficient and Uneven Irrigation: Due to uneven water distribution and the tedious nature of manual irrigation, traditional fixed-schedule and fixed-volume irrigation methods frequently lead to localized waterlogging or drought, causing issues such as root rot.
3. High Variation in Soil Water Retention: The orchard covers a large area with distinct differences in water retention capacity. It is impossible to manage all zones with a single irrigation standard, requiring years of experience and continuous field verification to determine the optimal moisture content for each area.
4. Severe Climate Extremes: Weather changes are drastic, especially during the fruit-set stage. If the orchard encounters drought or high temperatures, it easily leads to fruit drop or severely impacts fruit development. For instance, the high temperatures and drought in 2024 caused abnormal growth in Hualien's pomelos. Ma Chen-ping, Chief of the Tourism and Agriculture Section of Juisui Township, stated that over 50% of the crops were affected.
5. Frequent Typhoons and Heavy Rain: Wind disasters and torrential rain occur frequently. In 2014, Moderate Typhoon Matmo caused massive pomelo drops in Juisui, Hualien. Chen Wen-te, then Vice Chairman of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, traveled south to inspect the disaster area and pointed out that local agricultural losses reached as high as NT$219.48 million.

Therefore, Yu Chen-wei proactively proposed a requirement: "Can we design a system that can automatically determine whether irrigation is needed based on the condition of each field?" This idea led to a collaboration with AgriWeather to jointly build a precision agriculture solution capable of automated irrigation based on sensor data.



・・・

1. Soil Sensor 3-in-1
   • This tool detects soil temperature, moisture content, and electrical conductivity (EC) for sowing decisions and nutrient management. To accommodate different terrains and water retention capacities, the sensors are deployed to monitor temperature and moisture content, establishing an environmental map.
2. Remote Irrigation Control System
   • By connecting the sensors, the system automatically triggers the irrigation equipment as soon as the moisture content falls below the preset threshold, effectively preventing root rot and water waste.
3. Establishing Exclusive Moisture Curves and Irrigation SOPs
   • Based on academic literature combined with experimental design and data analysis, AgriWeather identified the most suitable soil moisture range for this pomelo orchard. This helps analyze the optimal growth range for the pomelos, establishing recommended moisture conditions and response models for each stage to serve as the basis for daily management.



・・・

1. Irrigation water reduced by 97.5%, achieving water conservation and environmental protection
   • Since irrigation management shifted to data control, the daily watering time transitioned from a fixed one hour to watering only the specific zones that actually need it. This has dramatically saved both water resources and electricity costs.
2. Yield increased by 20%
   • Xingrui Pomelo Farm's farmland of nearly 4 chia (approx. 3.9 hectares) was divided into ten distinct zones. AgriWeather assisted in analyzing the most optimal irrigation timing for each different area, stabilizing root moisture to make the pomelo trees healthier, which has led to a steady increase in yield year after year.
3. Proportion of standard-grade produce increased by 30%, significantly boosting revenue
   • Proper moisture control has made fruit size and appearance more uniform, leading to a noticeable increase in the proportion of standard-grade produce, thereby boosting revenue and brand value. In the past, non-standard-grade produce was often forced to be sold at low prices, processed into juice, or even turned directly into compost, resulting in a huge waste of cultivation costs and labor. Now, through stable management, waste and losses have been significantly reduced.

The transformation of the pomelo orchard is not a period, but a comma. Moving forward, Yu Chen-wei plans to apply this irrigation model to other fruit tree cultivation, steering more farmlands toward a cycle of environmental friendliness, high quality, and high returns. We will also continue to optimize the system, ensuring that more orchards like Xingrui can still stand firm and stable through every season amidst climate change.



・・・

Q1: I don’t know much about technology. Will I be able to understand the system?
A1: Yes, absolutely. The system interface is simple and clear, featuring straightforward icons and recommended values. Fruit farmers only need to check it using a smartphone or tablet, and AgriWeather will also assist with the initial setup.

Q2: Can non-organic farms also use this system?
A2: Of course. Smart irrigation is suitable for any crop. As long as you want to save water, save labor, and improve quality, this is an excellent tool.

Q3: Is the installation of these devices complicated?
A3: Not at all. AgriWeather will assist with on-site wiring, setting up locations, and backend integration, allowing everyday farmers to get the hang of using it very quickly.

Q4: In addition to pomelos, is this system suitable for other fruit trees?
A4: Absolutely. This system has already been applied to crops such as coffee, pears, and tea trees. As long as a crop has specific requirements for moisture management, it can benefit from smart irrigation.



・・・

If you are a farmer, agricultural school, cooperative, or corporate farm interested in learning more about smart agriculture applications and subsidy options, please feel free to contact us!