In response to client feedback and continuous innovation, we are pleased to announce the launch of two new features in the web portal of our Sensing+ solution:
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), and
Electrical Conductivity (EC)
We have also made enhancements to our Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature charts to include more detail. This will help to reflect more subtle variations in soil moisture and temperature.
These new features and enhancements will help you to gain further oversight when making irrigation and spray decisions, and will be particularly important to those customers who experience differing weather conditions and soil profiles across their site.
Powering proactive decision-making and planning, this feature is particularly relevant to on-farm managers including Site, Irrigation and Spray Managers, Horticulturists and Viticulturists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What details will I be able to see and how can I access the new features?
- PAR applies to all customers and can be viewed via the web portal.
- EC only applies to those customers with Decagon soil moisture probes and can be viewed via the web portal.
- Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature applies to all customers with Enviropro and Decagon soil moisture probes and can be viewed via both the web portal and the mobile app. The enhancements have been made to the web portal display.
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
What is Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)?
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) is the amount of light available for photosynthesis, which is light in the 400 to 700 nanometer wavelength range. PAR changes seasonally and varies depending on the latitude and time of day. Levels are usually greatest during the summer at midday.
Factors that reduce the amount of PAR available to plants include anything that reduces sunlight, such as cloud cover, shading by trees, and buildings. Air pollution also affects PAR by filtering out the amount of sunlight that can reach plants.
Why is PAR important?
PAR is needed for photosynthesis and plant growth. Higher PAR promotes plant growth, and monitoring PAR is important to ensure plants are receiving adequate light for this process.
Visibility of PAR captured on your site will enable you to better understand whether bushfire smoke and/or tunnel age may have affected yield; and when measured in the canopy, can help to better understand the impact of pruning decisions.
How does Sensing+ measure and summarise PAR?
Sensing+ measures PAR every 1 minute and provides a minimum, average and maximum value at each 15 minute period, every hour, day, week and month.
Electrical Conductivity (EC)
What is Electrical Conductivity?
Electrical conductivity (EC) is the ability of a solution to conduct an electrical current. Most elements (essential to plants or other) that are soluble in water will contribute to the conductivity of water or a nutrient solution. As a result, the EC of a nutrient solution will increase as the fertiliser concentration in solution is increased. By knowing the EC of a fertiliser solution, you can predict the parts per million (ppm) of nutrients that your plants are receiving, or that remain in your run off water.
How do I use EC?
By measuring EC at different soil depths, you can gauge whether your fertiliser is reaching the desired depths or is going beyond them.
How does Sensing+ measure and summarise EC values?
Sensing+ measures EC every 1 minute and provides an average value at each 15 minute period, every hour, day, week and month.
Does Sensing+ predict EC?
No Sensing+ does not predict EC as it is mostly dependent on your irrigation and fertigation programs.
Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature
How have the Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature displays changed?
The soil moisture and soil temperature displays have changed so that the bottom of the y-axis starts at the minimum value of the data measured, rather than at zero.
This means that you will see greater peaks and troughs on the chart so it is easier to see any changes in soil moisture and so responsiveness to rain and/or irrigation events.
What does this mean for users?
Greater ability to see responsiveness to irrigation and rain events in soil moisture and soil temperature in the web portal.
Update your app NOW to access
To access this new feature on the mobile app please download the latest version of Sensing+. Instructions of how to do this can be found here for Apple or Android.
Cover image by Francesco Gallarotti - @gallarotti
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