The only company to provide actual evapotranspiration rates for crops has teamed up with another California startup to assist growers. Tule Technologies and HotSpot Ag offer growers the hardware and software tools they can use to simplify irrigation schedules and meet crop demands with reduced irrigation supplies.
The goals, according to Tule Technologies, is to offer a turnkey solution to improve irrigation efficiencies by helping to save energy and water while working to improve crop yields.
Tule CEO Tom Shapland developed the technology that, instead of using crop coefficients and mathematical equations that estimate ET rates from fixed weather reporting stations, provides actual ET rates, which can differ among the same crop across different microclimates and soil types.
"Actual ET is the amount of water a crop field uses," Shapland continues. "When growers know how much water their fields use, they know exactly how much water they need to replace to that field."
Tule Technologies provides the sensors that give growers their actual ET rates. HotSpot Ag allows growers to easily execute irrigation schedules on those insights. HotSpot users can schedule a recommended irrigation and monitor pump health, water flow, and pressures in real-time via their computer, smart phone, or tablet.
Source: farmprogress.com