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Crop Monitoring
ēKo for Crop Monitoring
Now there is an effective and affordable way to achieve higher quality crops in
greater quantity through actively managed irrigation. Monitor in real-time a range
of key growing conditions down to root level across your entire farm.
With ēKo, You Can Now
- Gain real-time insight into growing conditions
- Monitor variability among microclimates
- Optimize watering for deficit irrigation
Gain Real-Time Insight into Growing Conditions
View key crop condition information in real-time, 24x7 and drill down into
specific blocks.
Keep track of crop conditions such as soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature,
humidity, and other data so that you can give your crops the water they need precisely
when they need it. ēKo supports a wide range of common sensors, such as soil moisture
and ambient temperature sensors. Learn more about all the different sensors supported.
Adjust watering, canopy management, harvest sampling much more quickly based on
daily climate analysis. Make immediate corrective actions to reduce the risk of
crop loss by being alerted of frost conditions and irrigation system breakdown.
Monitor Variability Among Microclimates
Monitor crop condition in real-time across different microclimates within
your farm.
Apply sensors to detect water uptake over time at various depths in the soil across
different microclimates and soil conditions. Adjust your irrigation schedule immediately
to meet the different needs to maximize efficiency, obtain consistency in quality,
and achieve ripeness uniformity.
Optimize Watering for Deficit Irrigation
Optimize watering to support deficit irrigation for improved crop quality.
Avoid the extremes of under-and over-watering. Under irrigation means less grapes
to harvest and thus can impact overall yield. Over irrigation wastes water and can
promote fungus and other diseases. Achieve better quality crops in greater quantity
through balanced watering.
Use the pre-built ēKoView web application to monitor soil moisture content at the
root zone and drill down into different time and date intervals. View readily available
charts to compare different blocks across different time periods.
Track End-to-End Water Use
Get visibility into all aspects of your irrigation system operation, from
water source to water use.
Monitor the actual soil moisture delivered to the root zone to see if your crops
are getting the right amount of water at the right time. Lower overall water costs
by quickly identifying irrigation faults.
Using ēKo for Crop Monitoring
- Track different micro-climates within the farm driven by extreme environmental
variability, rugged terrain, and variable elevation
- Capture data on specific ambient and soil conditions, such as how well
plants are absorbing water and how the temperature is changing
- Get live feedback in order to apply right amount of water at the right
time in the right block to improve yield through deficit irrigation
- Achieve better quality crop without sacrificing yield through feedback-driven
irrigation decisions
- Protect against the threat of frost in the winter and/or increased
disease pressure due to over-or under-irrigation
- Lower the cost to pump and/or purchase water due to water scarcity
and allocation
- Share real-time crop condition information among vineyard managers,
winemaking team, consultants, and others to improve irrigation decision-making
Featured Application – Wine Grape Monitoring
It's the water scarce appellation of Mt. Veeder soil moisture monitoring
has been invaluable in improving my grape quality and yields. In 2007, my second
year of monitoring, I achieved 3.9 tons/acre growing Cabernet Sauvignon with only
34 gallons/vine total irrigation from June to harvest. It was a dry year and required
trucking water at the end of the season. With precision knowledge of the soil moisture status at 10 locations and two depths I was able to minimize my water purchases
while optimizing yield and quality. I wouldn't grow grapes without ēKo Pro now. At
a cost less than many weather stations it is easy to justify adding the visibility
it gives you into where your water is in the soil. I highly recommend ēKo Pro from
Crossbow Technology.
Learn more
Featured Application – Tree Nursery Monitoring
A leading forest products company is applying ēKo to monitor 400 acres of tree nursery.
Ambient temperature, humidity, and soil moisture are monitored closely during growing
season to detect frost and frozen soil during winter time. The temperature data
is used to derive a key parameter for determining harvest and shipping of seedlings
– chill hours, which is the number of hours during the growing season that are less
than 42 degrees F.
Learn more
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