If you're like most entrepreneurs, you're always looking for new ways to grow your business. And what better way to do that than by taking advantage of grant programs that can help fund your next big project?

It exists in Croatia grant program which specifically encourages investments by start-up small and medium-sized enterprises with projects whose technological maturity is beyond the proof-of-concept stage, but which are not yet ready for market launch. This could be the perfect opportunity for your company to get the funding it needs to take the next step.

So what are the eligibility criteria for this grant program? Primarily, eligible costs include costs related to the purchase of equipment and materials needed to implement the project, salaries of staff members working on the project, and fees for external services related to innovation (eg consulting, market research, laboratory testing).

To qualify for this grant program, your company must be based in Croatia and must have been established within the last three years. In addition, your project must have a clear commercialization plan with defined milestones and target markets.

If you think this grant program might be a good fit for your business, be sure to fill out the application form on the site and submit it before the deadline. With any luck, you'll get the funding you need to take your business to the next level!

 

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR USERS FOR OBTAINING THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE IRRIGATION PROJECT

Accordingly Uredbi (EU) BR. 1305/2013 Of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 1698/2005, an investment in irrigation is only eligible if it meets the conditions set out in Article 46 of that Regulation. The conditions that need to be met, in the case of investment in irrigation, have been transferred to the Rural Development Program of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2014-2020.

Fulfillment of specific conditions for investment in irrigation projects must pass a preliminary assessment of investment eligibility, ie check the condition of the water body affected by the planned project, in order to determine that the planned project is in accordance with specific eligibility conditions.

In this regard, the applicant is obliged to obtain a certificate of prior approval of the irrigation project, and in order for it to be adopted, it is necessary to provide basic information about the irrigation project.

https://www.voda.hr/hr/metodologije

The application for obtaining a certificate of prior project approval is submitted on the form that is an integral part of these instructions, and the documentation submitted with the application is as follows:

Obtaining a permit Croatian waters

 

The mission of FPS is to contribute to the full sustainable production of food and biosystems. The intersection of the FPS software and hardware solution allows fruit systems to maximize production by reducing costs and increasing yields. By applying this innovative technology, The FPS system efficiently collects system, weather and production data from various micro locations, and with the help of smart analytics improves production characteristics. Customer focus, continuous improvement and technical innovation of this system, position FPS as a unique market participant destined for rapid growth.

 

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 Qtech measuring station is part of the frost protection system and allows optimizing the system by measuring the input parameters to assess the occurrence of frost. Orchards often have their own microclimate and therefore the weather forecast is not always reliable. With the help of a measuring station, the input parameters necessary for the most accurate calculation of the assessment of the occurrence of frost are measured in real time.

  Qtech measuring station measures a total of 8 parameters:

• air temperature (at a height of 4 m from the ground surface)
• air humidity (at a height of 4 m from the ground surface)
• air temperature (at a height of 0.5 m from the ground surface)
• air humidity (at a height of 0.5 m from the ground surface)
• water pressure in the system
• battery voltage
• wind speed
• wind direction

 

Additional parameters for a more accurate assessment of frost hazards are the dew point (engl. dew point) i wet bulb index that we calculate from the values of temperature and humidity.

Temperature and humidity are measured at two altitude points (0.5m and 4m) due to the existence of two types of frost:

 o Advection frost - is caused by the penetration and descent of cold air (frost coming from above)

 o Radiation frost - occurs at night during very intense cooling of the soil and the ground layer of air (frost coming from below)

 

The measuring station comes with a free Android application.

 

 

      

           

With the help of the station it is possible to accurately assess the risk of frost, all measured data are recorded in a database for detailed analysis, historical data review, reports, presentations, predictions of future events based on historical data.

 

 

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The design of an antifrost irrigation or frost protection system begins with determining the characteristics of the water supply. The measurement is performed by determining the specific points u with the help of four calibrated nozzles p-Q diagram.

 

Figure 1. Nozzles for measuring supply characteristics

 

Each nozzle has a specific flow curve depending on the pressure. When one nozzle is connected, the pressure for a certain flow according to its characteristic is read.

 

By connecting the four points thus obtained, one for each nozzle, the curve to be found is obtained the most similar quadratic function. This quadratic function curve is a characteristic of the water supply. It is then used to determine the flows depending on the pressures obtained. Such a curve describes our supply as a pump with the same characteristics. In case the supply unit is a pump, the supply characteristic is obtained from p-Q pump diagram by the same procedure of searching for a quadratic function.

 Figure 3. Pressure-dependent flow curve

* The results of the described test match because the results were checked for each nozzle. Flow meter used he measured the flow for each nozzle. The flows were compared with the catalog values of each nozzle for a given pressure. Deviations occur due to high pressure, so there is a loss in the insufficiently sealed nozzle connection to the system.

 

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Irrigation by rain begins to develop with the invention of sprinklers and light steel pipes with quick couplings. As production and construction costs were high, the aim was to improve and reduce the cost of sprinklers, aluminum pipes and efficient pumping plants. By reducing costs, the range of application of rainwater irrigation has also increased. But despite all the innovations and improvements in rainwater irrigation techniques, over the past century many farmers and producers around the world have used surface irrigation techniques. The reason for this was the lack of information on advanced technologies and the cost of switching their outdated methods to a more efficient method of irrigation. Rainwater irrigation currently dominates worldwide use.

The basic components of any rainwater irrigation system are:

• water source such as a reservoir, well, canal or watercourse,
• a pressure pump driven by an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, but not required if the water in the source is pressurized,
• network of main pipes that supply water from the pump to the distribution pipes,
• distribution pipes or laterals that supply water from the main pipeline to the sprinkler,
• sprinklers that spray water on the ground and that are installed at the correct distances to evenly spray water and
• flow control valves

When the sprinklers are evenly distributed, the irrigation system provides a relatively uniform distribution of water over the irrigated area. Sprinkler systems are typically designed to deliver water to the soil at less than its infiltration, because then the amount of infiltrated water at any time depends on the amount of water delivered and the operating time of the sprinklers rather than the ability to absorb soil.

Rainwater irrigation has many advantages, but also disadvantages. If the irrigation system is optimally designed and well maintained, high efficiency and water savings can be achieved. As already mentioned, rainwater irrigation does not depend on the infiltration capacity of the soil, but adapts to it. No terrain preparation is required, which is a great advantage over other irrigation systems because it does not require major preparatory work. Depending on the growth stage of the plants, it is possible to adjust the intensity of irrigation. For example, in the germination phase, plants need little water, so low-intensity irrigation is carried out. The system can operate at low flow at the source and adapt to the amount of water available.

The disadvantages of rainwater irrigation are mainly of a financial nature. Initial costs are higher than for other irrigation systems, but very expensive leveling is not required. There are also significant costs for the energy required to supply pressurized water. In order to minimize these costs, it is necessary to choose the optimal supply unit. It must provide the pressure and flow required on the sprinklers, and at the same time it must not be oversized as this further increases the cost of the irrigation system. Another disadvantage of such a system is the removal of water by wind if irrigation takes place in windy conditions. Evaporation of water during dry weather may also occur.

Rainwater irrigation systems are divided into two groups depending on the position of the sprinkler: stable and mobile. In stable systems, the sprayer remains in a constant position, while in mobile systems, the sprayers are moved in a circular or rectilinear direction using laterals. Stable irrigation systems most often use stable systems, which require very little field work during the irrigation season and can be fully automated.

Today, rain irrigation dominates in landscape application all over the world. It is used in systems with small pop-up sprinklers typically used in backyards, all the way to systems with large pop-up sprinklers used to irrigate sports fields. In landscaping, the water used for irrigation can be 25 to 70% of total consumption, depending on the location of the system. The largest share of water used to maintain the landscape is lawn irrigation. Lawns require more water than most plants, but they are often over-watered, which is the reason for so much water consumption.

 

Choosing efficient irrigation systems can mean applying very advanced technologies and expensive equipment. But choosing expensive equipment is not the only factor in designing a quality and efficient system. Sometimes it can be just a simple adjustment of watering time during the winter months or during each season. The combination of advanced watering technologies and products with a well-designed system, installation and maintenance provides an efficient irrigation system that has been proven to reduce water use and ensure plant health.

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