AgriLogiq and NEC XON partner to deploy integrated AgriTech systems following Western Cape Nursery Case

The collaboration combines agricultural automation with digital infrastructure to address legacy inefficiencies, as demonstrated by a facility that reduced fertilizer consumption by 75% through centralized cloud controls.

Chris Duvenage, Business Unit Manager Digital at NEC XON.

Agricultural technology provider AgriLogiq has formed a partnership with digital infrastructure company NEC XON to deliver integrated farming systems across Africa. The collaboration merges AgriLogiq’s automation and analytics software with NEC XON’s enterprise-level power, connectivity, and data infrastructure. The joint initiative targets commercial growers operating in environments affected by power interruptions, water supply constraints, and input cost fluctuations by providing a single framework for agricultural management.

The foundation of this partnership relies on technological models previously deployed by AgriLogiq, such as a recent implementation at a 30-year-old retail nursery in the Western Cape. The facility, which supplies a major garden-center chain, previously relied on disparate, incrementally installed legacy systems. This infrastructure resulted in high energy consumption, inconsistent fertilizer application, and significant manual labor, requiring staff to clean water filters multiple times a day during peak seasons. Furthermore, the absence of centralized analytics prevented remote diagnostics and data-driven operational adjustments.

To resolve these operational bottlenecks, the nursery integrated a centralized, cloud-based platform supported by wireless field hardware and distributed environmental sensors. The core of the technology is a zone-based control system that manages multiple climate areas, over 20 irrigation zones, and more than 30 valves. Fertigation was directly integrated into the irrigation workflows. This setup provides real-time data on environmental conditions and equipment status, allowing operators to remotely monitor and control greenhouse structures, pumps, and fans through a single interface. The modernization project also included the standardization of supporting physical infrastructure, such as misting systems, motors, and plumbing components.

Following the deployment, the facility recorded a 75% reduction in fertilizer usage, achieved through precision delivery mechanisms guided by in-field sensor measurements. Energy consumption decreased as the site transitioned to lower-power alternatives, and manual filter maintenance was reduced to approximately once a month. The system integration also accelerated plant growth rates to the extent that production cycles had to be adjusted to match the facility's available physical space.

“Across nursery and propagation environments, systems like this have demonstrated 40%-70% productivity improvements, depending on crop type and growth stage, alongside lower operational risk and more predictable outcomes,” said Joel van der Schyff, Co-Founder and CGO of AgriLogiq.

Through the new partnership, NEC XON will provide the operational scale to expand this technological framework to other markets. Chris Duvenage, Business Unit Manager Digital at NEC XON, stated, “While this example reflects a single nursery, its relevance extends far beyond one site or geography. It demonstrates what becomes possible when modern agricultural technology is delivered as part of an integrated solution.”