Netafim Unveils AI-Powered Fertigation to Supercharge Crop Yields

TEL AVIV, Israel – February 17, 2026 – Precision agriculture leader Orbia Netafim today launched its Dosing 5G product line, a new suite of fertigation systems that leverages self-learning artificial intelligence to automate nutrient delivery for farms. The move signals a significant step forward in the AgriTech sector, aiming to equip growers with autonomous tools to combat resource scarcity, rising operational costs, and the growing pressures of climate change.

The new range, which includes the FertiKit™ 5G, FertiOne™ 5G, NetaJet™ 5G, and NetaFlex™ 5G, is designed to deliver water and fertilizer directly to the root zone with unprecedented accuracy. By moving beyond simple automation to genuine AI-driven decision-making, Netafim aims to transform a critical aspect of farming into a highly efficient, data-powered operation.

The Rise of the AI Agronomist

The launch of Dosing 5G arrives as the agriculture industry stands at a technological crossroads. The global market for AI in agriculture is booming, with some projections estimating it will surpass $30 billion by 2035 as farmers increasingly turn to technology for solutions. Netafim's new system places it at the forefront of this trend, offering what it calls "self-learning AI" that can automatically adjust nutrient recipes and delivery schedules in real-time.

Unlike earlier systems that relied on pre-programmed schedules or manual adjustments, the Dosing 5G platform continuously analyzes data to provide crops with the optimal level of nutrients. For instance, the NetaJet™ 5G is engineered for ultra-responsive EC/pH stabilization in sensitive, high-value crops, with adaptive dosing control that eliminates the need for manual calibration. This represents a shift from data-assisted farming to truly autonomous crop management, where the system acts as a digital agronomist, making micro-adjustments 24/7.

This level of automation is becoming a key differentiator in a competitive landscape. Industry giants like Valmont Industries, through its acquisition of AI firm Prospera Technologies, and Lindsay Corporation with its FieldNET platform, are also heavily investing in AI-driven irrigation and crop monitoring. However, Netafim is betting that its deep integration and focus on autonomous, calibration-free dosing will set a new standard for precision and ease of use.

"Now more than ever, the future of farming depends on precise fertigation to balance high yield, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility," said Abed Masarwa, VP Products at Orbia Precision Agriculture (Netafim), in the announcement. "Dosing 5G's product line uses maximum accuracy with minimal intervention to introduce a new standard in precision fertigation."

Cultivating Sustainability from the Ground Up

Beyond boosting efficiency, the core promise of Netafim's Dosing 5G is its potential to advance sustainable agriculture. By delivering the exact amount of nutrients required at the exact right time, the system is designed to drastically reduce the overuse of fertilizers—a major source of both operational cost and environmental pollution.

This addresses one of modern agriculture's most pressing challenges: nutrient runoff. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilized fields can leach into groundwater or wash into rivers and lakes, causing harmful algal blooms and contaminating drinking water sources. Precision fertigation directly tackles this issue. Independent research validates that such technologies significantly improve Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE), in some cases by as much as 40–60% compared to traditional broadcast methods.

Studies focused on Variable Rate Technology (VRT), a foundational principle of systems like Dosing 5G, have demonstrated the potential to cut nitrate leaching by up to 40% and phosphorus runoff by 50%. By preventing over-application, the technology not only conserves resources but also helps farmers comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This aligns with Orbia's broader corporate mission to "advance life around the world" by ensuring food and water security while promoting decarbonization.

Early results from Dosing 5G deployments have reportedly validated these benefits, showing reduced nutrient runoff and minimized environmental impact. For farmers, this translates into a dual victory: protecting their land and local ecosystems while also saving significant money on costly fertilizer inputs.

From Soil to Software: Empowering the Modern Farmer

For any advanced technology to succeed in agriculture, it must be both powerful and practical. Netafim has addressed this by integrating the entire Dosing 5G line with its GrowSphere™ operating system, an all-in-one digital platform designed to simplify farm management. This allows growers to remotely monitor, control, and analyze their irrigation and fertigation activities from a tablet or smartphone.

This integration is key to overcoming one of the biggest hurdles to AgriTech adoption: complexity. By providing an intuitive interface for a highly sophisticated system, Netafim aims to make the benefits of AI accessible to a wider range of farming operations, from large-scale open-field agriculture to specialized greenhouse producers. The product line itself is modular, with solutions like the simple, plug-and-play FertiOne™ 5G for bulk fertigation and the highly customizable FertiKit™ 5G for more complex field or orchard setups.

The return on investment is a powerful driver. While the initial capital outlay for advanced systems can be a barrier, the long-term savings are substantial. Research indicates AI-driven irrigation can reduce water usage by up to 30%, and some analyses project a 25% reduction in overall input costs for adopters by 2025. Coupled with documented increases in crop yield and quality, the economic case for adoption becomes compelling.

Although challenges such as limited rural internet connectivity and the need for digital literacy remain, the trend is clear. With over 60% of large farms expected to adopt AI-powered precision agriculture by 2025, technologies like Dosing 5G are moving from the niche to the necessary. By empowering growers to overcome resource constraints and climate uncertainty, these smart systems are becoming indispensable tools for securing the global food supply in a sustainable and efficient way.