Irrigation scheduling system – SupPlant
SupPlant’s technology informs irrigation schedules based on your plant requirements, to maximise crop potential.
Benefits
The system helps farmers maintain a correct irrigation regime all year round, which focuses on crop growth and the changing environmental conditions.
SupPlant has the tools to reduce plant stress and fruit loss. This approach produces healthier crops, while using significantly less water, fertiliser and energy.
Regular support is provided through direct communication with the Supplant agronomy team, including customisable alerts and reports.
How it works
The SupPlant system monitors the soil and environment, the size of the fruit, and the circumference of the tree trunk. These inputs are provided by dendrometers located on the tree, attached to the fruit, or secured around the trunk.
Data is collected at 10-minute intervals and combined with measurements from environmental sensors. Additional remote data includes weather from local and virtual stations, and satellite imagery. This is analysed by SupPlant’s cloud-based service to determine:
- the optimal hydration requirements of the tree
- irrigation recommendations in near real-time.
SupPlant tile-based plot view, with 3 selectable tiers of data visualisation
Installation and power
Professionally installed and solar powered.
Connectivity requirements
3G or 4G connection on at least one location on-farm.
Pricing model
Annual subscription to platform. Supplant covers initial hardware cost, installation and repairs.
Producer case study
Producer case study
Bill Avery is the manager of Talia Farms in Lyrup, South Australia, where they grow 14 proprietary varieties of table grapes across 200 hectares. Bill has been using the SupPlant system since December 2020.
The high demand for water on the property drove Bill to seek out ways of improving water efficiency. He had seen similar tech used on vineyards before, but he was convinced to try SupPlant by its abilities to:
- monitor the growth of the plant in real-time
- intelligently make predictions of future requirements
- act accordingly to maximise growth and resource efficiency.
Ten dendrometers were deployed across the farm to measure changes in the size of vines. They are highly effective for scheduling irrigation according to the needs of the plant. They also keep track of key developmental milestones, which lets Bill know when the grapes go into veraison, and informs the timing of treatments such as hormonal sprays.
The SupPlant system can be easily calibrated for different varieties. It provides Bill immediate visibility in what is going well, and what requires his attention. The water efficiency of SupPlant has been a stand-out feature.
'As a conservative estimate, we’re getting 8 to 10 percent better water usage on average than we did before SupPlant, often better,' says Bill.
'Last year we had only 30 megalitres left for the whole property at the start of April, with another 5 weeks of irrigation scheduled. By the end, we still had 6 megalitres, where we otherwise would have used it all up.'
Bill has also found the customer service of SupPlant to be outstanding. They provide regular agronomic support based on live readings from the tech installed. This helps him to quickly target efficiency gains in water and labour use, as well as consistent improvements in quality and fruit size.
SupPlant has been so effective on Talia Farms that Bill has twice expanded his coverage to additional blocks and new plantings. For other producers, he recommends a density of one plant unit per 10 hectares, or more if the property has a lot of varieties.
He has found good value from SupPlant’s new smart flow sensors, and he recommends complementing the product with more soil moisture sensors and pump flower meters. This would give a complete picture of irrigation requirements and usage on your property.
See it in action
To view the SupPlant package, contact the AgTech Extension Officer at:
Contact vendor
Daniel Fischl – SupPlant sensors
Email: daniel.fischl@supplant.me
Phone: 0413 765 367
