ONDO Brings Automated Subsurface Drip Irrigation to 150+Hectares of Bulgarian Orchards

ONDO, the irrigation automation company, has completed one of its most extensive projects to date: a fully automated subsurface drip irrigation system covering more than 150 hectares of almond and plum orchards across three farms in Bulgaria, all belonging to the same producer. The three sites are a 100-hectare almond orchard in Drachevo, Burgas Province; a 25-hectare plum orchard in Voden, Yambol Province; and a 25-hectare almond orchard in Kamen, Sliven Province.

A turnkey system, built from the ground up

The project was delivered end to end by ONDO's team, from hydraulic design and infrastructure construction to automation and commissioning. Four ONDO Pro controllers now manage five separate irrigation infrastructures, while valve control across all three farms runs through more than 50 wireless ONDO AIR Point modules. Together, these allow the producer to operate irrigation and precision fertigation fully remotely at every site.

Because none of the three farms has access to the public electricity grid, the main irrigation pumps run on diesel generators, while the ONDO Pro controllers draw continuous power from small solar systems designed and installed by ONDO. The controllers also manage the diesel generators and pumps directly, using variable-frequency control to keep the system efficient and self-sufficient off-grid.

Each site is equipped with three-channel FertiON nutrient dosing units for automated precision fertigation, along with automatic self-cleaning sand and screen filters for primary and secondary filtration.

Engineering around difficult terrain

Rugged terrain, sharp elevation changes and rocky soils made this a demanding hydraulic design job. At Kamen, the elevation difference across the orchard exceeds 110 metres, requiring precise hydraulic sizing to keep pressure and flow consistent across the site. At Drachevo, the challenge was scale: 100 hectares of hard-to-access terrain had to be covered by the wireless automation network, alongside kilometres of newly built water distribution pipelines, all within a tight installation window. Despite the terrain, the wireless system held stable coverage and reliable automated control across the orchard.

The project in numbers

• 20+ km of underground pipelines, ranging in diameter from 40 to 160 mm

• 220+ km of subsurface drip irrigation lines

• 50+ wireless valve control modules

• 4 ONDO Pro controllers

• 5 main irrigation pumps

• 55 solenoid valves

• 20 soil moisture sensors

Why this matters for Bulgarian growers

For Agriventures' network of producers, this project is a useful reference point rather than just an industry headline. A large share of Bulgarian orchards and vineyards sit on exactly this kind of terrain: hilly, rocky, and often without a reliable grid connection nearby. The diesel-generator-plus-solar setup used here shows a practical way to run fully automated, remotely controlled irrigation even off-grid, without sacrificing the precision that subsurface drip and fertigation depend on.

The scale of the automation is also notable. Managing 55 valves and 20 soil moisture sensors across three separate farms through four controllers, with irrigation scheduled either on a fixed plan or driven by real soil-moisture readings, points to where orchard and vineyard management in Bulgaria is heading: less manual valve-turning, more remote, data-driven water management. For growers weighing whether automation is worth the investment on difficult ground, this project is evidence that it can be done at scale, and done reliably.

Agriventures will continue to track projects like this one as part of our work supporting the modernisation and competitiveness of Bulgarian agriculture.

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