AgroPages-Saturas to develop a precision irrigation sensor-Agricultural news

Israeli startup Saturas has secured $1 million to develop its precision irrigation sensor technology for permanent crops. This sensing system comprises miniature implanted sensors and wireless transponders that can measure Stem Water Potential (SWP), a metric that’s widely-recognized as one of the most accurate for determining the water status of plants.

Current methods of obtaining an SWP measurement are labor intensive and expensive, according to Saturas. This sensor is the only one that is embedded in tree trunks, providing direct contact with tree/plant water tissues. It enables an accurate measurement of the water status of the plant and eliminates any inaccuracies associated with placing sensors in the soil, or on leaves and branches.

After developing the prototype and achieving proof of concept for the innovative technology, this funding will enable us to make significant progress in the next stages of development and plan on launching our first product to the market in 2018,” said Anat Halgoa Solomon, Saturas’ CEO.

With this accurate information, farmers can irrigate more precisely to help boosting the yield and quality of fruit crops. Saturas estimates this technology can increase revenues by up to 20 percent while reducing water use by 10 percent to 20 percent.

Main targeted crops are irrigated orchards, vineyards, and cotton.