Releasing the tension of water stress
Hortau monitors soil tension to understand when crops need to be watered – and when they don’t
Soil moisture measurements show the amount of water in the soil. Soil (water) tension, on the other hand, measures the amount of water available to the plant. The higher the tension, the drier the soil. If soil tension levels are too high, a plant cannot find enough water. By measuring soil tension, a farmer can anticipate and prevent plant stress before it results in lasting damage. Hortau, a company based in the USA and Canada, combines real-time soil tension sensor data with a mobile platform, allowing growers to anticipate the water needs of their crops and schedule irrigation accordingly. According to Hortau, managing irrigation schedules based on soil tension data ensures that a plant has an ideal amount of available water and that photosynthesis and transpiration happen at maximum levels. Hortau’s technology can help farmers to become more water efficient and use less freshwater resources.