A centralised irrigation control system can be described as an IT system that allows for the scheduling and management of an irrigation installation from a single location. These systems are especially designed to allow for the management of an irrigation system from one or several sites via a computer.

Centralised irrigation offers real control and automatically adapts the irrigation time in response to environmental variations (climate change, broken pipes), taking into consideration the data input by the user. This allows for the most recent technological developments to be used to save water.

A centralised control system consists of irrigation management software installed on the PC, a means of communication, sensors and, of course, an automatic irrigation system. This system allows for the programmers to be controlled from a computer, thus guaranteeing a saving on water and money and removing the need to make trips to the site. The programme changes made to several controllers installed at the different sites could be carried out in only a few minutes. The irrigation time could be automatically adjusted through the installation of a weather station. The transfer of information is made via a telephone line, the Web, GSM or radio.

Telephone connection. In this case, the computer, which transmits the information, and the programmers located in the field are both equipped with a modem and connected to a traditional telephone line. The transfer of information is, therefore, carried out via a switched telephone network. Cable connection. In this case, there is a physical cable connection between the two components of the central control system.

GSM link: the means of communication is achieved in this case via a GSM network. The components of the centralised management system must be fitted with a modem. This is very useful in situations where there is no telephone connection.