Growers using Agrovista’s weather station services can now access a suite of new and updated on-screen features to help optimise crop management following an extensive overhaul of the company’s data platform.

Several hundred weather stations provided by Agrovista are in use across the UK. These measure a range of parameters including rainfall, air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, relative humidity, leaf wetness, solar radiation and wind speed, depending on which option growers choose.

Each station provides location-specific data that is transmitted to a central server for processing, providing a range of high-quality weather-based information that individual growers can access via their own online dashboard on a range of devices.

This information includes live weather data, weather forecasts, crop disease predictions and irrigation management (in combination with soil moisture sensors).

The most obvious change is the new dashboard design, which presents a wide range of data in a cleaner, more accessible format via an app that works across different devices, says James Martin from Agrovista Weather.

“The modernised dashboard display will be especially useful for smartphone users, helping them to easily access all the information they need,” he explains.

Weather and disease forecasting for all crops including arable, potatoes, vegetables and fruit, as well as a forecast for spraying conditions, are now included on the same platform. “Before they were on a separate system – now we’ve embedded them, improving access,” says James.

Up-to the minute weather data helps growers to make immediate decisions, while detailed short- and medium-term weather forecasts aid planning.

These forecasts, along with additional measurements such as leaf wetness, are also used to model accurate disease forecasts for precise integrated pest management planning.

In addition, access to rainfall measurements in the local area for the past 24 hours and previous seven days provides a valuable overview for growers who irrigate.

“This is particularly useful for crops further away that are covered by a weather station,” says James. “Growers with moisture probes can also find out which areas require irrigation, and how much.”

The update also includes an irrigation probe dashboard with a soil forecast, indicating where moisture might be after seven days without rain. The dashboard also shows rain amounts, soil moisture levels and temperature measurements, as well as EC measurements for soft fruit growers.

“We are also working on water monitoring for irrigation pumps, so growers can record water usage and pressures within the dashboard,” says James. “We also provide a similar feature for polytunnel systems.”

New crop development indicators have also been introduced; growing degree days for all types of crops, growing degree hours for soft fruit crops and cooling degree hours for crops like blackcurrants that need a certain amount of chill over the winter. “Using these, growers can obtain thresholds for key management decisions and inputs,” says James.

The overall result is a more comprehensive tool that enables growers to connect swiftly and easily to their data, says James.

“It pools relevant data from different sources and delivers a lot more value for money, putting real-time weather insights into growers’ hands.”

Weather station package options

Starter – rainfall, temperature, relative humidity

Advanced – as above, plus wind speed and direction

Professional ­– as above, plus solar radiation

• All the above are expandable with additional sensors such as in-field soil moisture and temperature probes.
• For a free consultation or demonstration please email your contact details to james.martin@agrovista.co.uk