Reinke Irrigation and CropX debut first-of-its-kind pivot-mounted sensor to monitor field-specific crop water use

Date:02-07-2024

CropX Technologies, a global leader in digital agriculture solutions, announced the launch of a new product in partnership with Reinke Irrigation to refine water management for farmers through field-specific Evapotranspiration (ET) measurements of crop water use. Reinke Direct ET™ by CropX is an innovation that provides affordable Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa) measurements with a sensor mounted on a Reinke center pivot irrigation system, available exclusively through Reinke.

With the demands on irrigation water rising, the need for precision in irrigation is only becoming more pressing. ET values indicate the total water used by plants and evaporated from the soil. Reinke Direct ET™ by CropX offers measured, not modeled, field-specific values without need for any additional calculations. This offers farmers using Reinke center pivots a practical solution to manage water resources with greater precision. By measuring the amount of water that their crops use, Reinke Direct ET gives farmers daily insights into their field's water needs, enabling informed irrigation decisions on when and how much to irrigate their crops. This innovation aims to promote water-efficient practices and support sustainable farming using a device that is easy to install and maintain and does not require removal at the end of the season.

Reinke is a leading center pivot manufacturer based in Deshler, Nebraska, who continues to empower growers throughout the world.  Working together with CropX, they are ensuring growers use water and other resources in the most efficient way.  By combining farm data, real-time conditions, and agronomic knowledge, Reinke and CropX provide the grower with powerful insights and advice for their agronomic operations. 

"Reinke is renowned for its innovative and practical precision irrigation solutions. Reinke will continue to lead the industry by partnering with CropX to offer actual evapotranspiration data from a farmer's specific field.  With this enhanced insight, farmers can make better decisions at the field level, where it counts the most," said Chris Roth, President of Reinke.

In addition to Reinke Direct ET™ by CropX available on the Reinke center pivots, CropX is also releasing its Actual ET sensor, a device that can be installed in any field to measure Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa). When used in combination with a CropX soil sensor as part of the CropX agronomic farm management system, growers will have access to the most accurate overview of water-plant usage and soil water availability to bring the highest accuracy to irrigation decisions. The underlying ET measurement technology was developed by Tule Technologies, which was acquired by CropX in January 2023.

"CropX Technologies is committed to gathering the best data from the field and delivering it to growers to enhance their agronomic management decisions. Precision agriculture is crucial for modern farming. Our collaboration with Reinke Irrigation allows us to deliver practical solutions that help pivot farmers optimize their water usage, while our new Actual ET devices can ensure non-pivot growers can access the same level of detail," said Tomer Tzach, CEO of CropX.