Micro Weather

Importance of Effective Micro-Weather Management to Growers

One of the most important environmental factors monitored by growers is temperature. Whether it’s a climatic perspective, a timeliness of operations question, or when considering proactive decisions based on temperature data, the role of temperature is of utmost importance. Until now growers have relied on the Internet, local TV station, or a weather station located kilometers away for their temperature information.

These sources of weather data have limited regional variation, but the data is usually accurate only where the measurements took place. There are many micro factors that can affect weather conditions on a farm, including local terrain, soil, buildings, bodies of water, and other variables. These micro factors can dramatically influence air temperature, humidity, and wind patterns across a farm. Relying on these more general weather sources is often a poor representation of conditions in your locality, and more specifically, on your farm.

Experts recognize the more localized and time-specific temperature data can be, the more grower will be informed in their decision-making. Further, when a farmer has a strong data pool accumulated for a specific site or farm, the farmer can make better long-term decisions relative to rotation, variety selection, and other cultural practices. The value of daily growing degree day readings enables you to monitor insect and disease development and can be invaluable as an integrated pest management tool, as well as evaluating crop development.

Multiple Temperature Readings at the Same Location

When it comes to Frost protection and Temperature Inversion in the field, our multi-sensor technology allows two simultaneous readings at the recommended 50cm and 150cm heights from the soil surface. The heights you choose can be easily adjusted. This allows you to see changes at each height and evaluate inversion, radiational-cooling, canopy temperature, and other factors. This data can be critical to risk aversion when using turbine, overhead or spinner irrigation, blowers, candles, or other means of protecting the crop.

For an investment of less than $3k for one Agriculture Station and sensors, you can receive alerts for critical conditions, respond faster and protect your crops from frost damage for this season and future growing seasons!

Inversion
Measurement Solution

Advanced Temperature Measurement

The Inversion Measurement Solution with dual high-precision temperature sensor technology allows growers to measure air temperature at two different heights (fruiting zone/ top of canopy) to address frost protection and temperature inversion in the field.  This allows you to see changes at each height and evaluate inversion, radiation-cooling, canopy temperature and other factors. This data can be critical to risk aversion when using wind machines or other means of protecting the crops.

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