Southeastern Spain has a dry landscape. Sensor technology is bearing fruit.

LETTUCE LAB: Jos茅 Cos-Terrer, a researcher at the Murcian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research and Development, examines lettuce varieties grown in his laboratory in La Alberca, Spain.

Gianni Esposito

By Gianni Esposito, Contributor

January 22, 2026

Murcia, Spain

When I arrive at his office at the Murcian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research and Development, Jos茅 Cos-Terrer has already been working for hours. 鈥淓very morning, as I start the day, my first thought is how lucky I am,鈥� he says with a smile, almost like a confession.聽

Dr. Cos-Terrer and his team are dedicated to developing fruit tree and vegetable varieties that can withstand drought, poor soil, and blight. In southeastern Spain, which has a desert climate and severe water scarcity, the task of finding sustainable solutions is urgent. So far, the answer has been to combine public infrastructure, scientific innovation, and sophisticated sensor technology.

Alongside the Murcian Institute鈥檚 genetic advances, sensors play a key role in ensuring that crops receive exactly what they need, particularly under extreme environmental conditions. And I am surprised at how small these sensors are.聽

Why We Wrote This

In a region with an arid climate and severe water scarcity, finding sustainable solutions to grow crops is urgent. So far, the answer has been to combine public infrastructure, scientific innovation, and sophisticated sensor technology.

I had imagined towers of cables and bulky equipment, but when I visit the Widhoc agricultural tech company鈥檚 workshop 鈥� an area no bigger than my living room 鈥� I discover that a sensor fits into the palm of a hand. Hundreds of the devices are produced in the workshop each month, explains Juan Jim茅nez, a Widhoc manager, as he points to a table full of prototypes ready to go to the fields.

To understand how the sensors work, he shows me the company鈥檚 new software platform. The screen displays real-time data on soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels from various crop plots. With a click, irrigation charts pop up, along with data comparisons with previous seasons and high-resolution satellite images of crops.聽

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鈥淎 client can see their entire farm from here,鈥� Mr. Jim茅nez says proudly. 鈥淚n the end, there鈥檚 more science in a tomato than in an iPhone.鈥�

HARSH CLIMATE: The Abanilla Desert in southeastern Spain shows the region鈥檚 arid landscape, with cultivated fields visible in the background.

Gianni Esposito

SOIL MONITOR: A probe that uses artificial intelligence to manage and calculate soil-humidity parameters stands in a field near the Widhoc company鈥檚 workshop in Pozo Estrecho, Spain.

Gianni Esposito

DESALINATION STATION: Europe鈥檚 largest reverse-osmosis facility, the Torrevieja plant, supports agriculture in the region.

Gianni Esposito

LIGHT SHOW: Researchers in Dr. Cos-Terrer鈥檚 lab check on lettuce stored in a refrigerated chamber with ultraviolet light.

Gianni Esposito

PEAK PLUMS: Plums sit in a lightbox in a genetic improvement laboratory at the Murcian Institute, where researchers check their color and size to ensure they meet standards.

Gianni Esposito

For more visual storytelling that captures communities, traditions, and cultures around the globe, visit聽The World in Pictures.

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