How Trellis is Changing the Weather (Station)
Weather is one of the biggest determining factors in a crop’s success. Although we cannot control it, having the ability to monitor weather conditions on your farm in real time is a big advantage when making any agricultural decision.
When speaking with our customers regarding Weather Stations, we learned that there was a need for an easy-to-use software application combined with accurate weather data. In 2019, Trellis added its telemetry to the Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station, allowing growers to get accurate weather data every 15 minutes, including:
Relative Humidity
Rain Amount & Rate
Solar Radiation
Air Temperature
Wet Bulb
Wind Speed & Direction
Within our software, Trellis customers can even set up alerts based on weather parameters they choose.
relative Humidity
With the Trellis Dashboard App (iOS, Android), you can see the relative humidity conditions of your crop in real time. This is an important reading for many growers, because humidity levels can impact crops and trees in different ways. High humidity and moisture levels can cause fungal diseases like Gray Leaf Spot in turf and row crops. Gray Leaf Spot is a fungus (Cercospora zeae-maydis) that thrives when temperatures are warm and humidity is 90% for 12 or more hours. This disease is a big reason why turf and corn growers rely on weather stations. Other crops affected by high humidity levels are tomatoes and potatoes. When relative humidity levels go above 90%, these plants are susceptible to Sporangia which causes Late Blight, which can destroy a crop in a 10 to 14 days.
Trellis Tip: An extended increase in Humidity can be harmful for some crops. Understanding the impact of High Humidity and warning signs is helpful in preventing disease.
Rain amount & Rate
Our tipping bucket rain gauge collects the rainfall amount and the rate at which it falls. The most accurate rain data comes from your farm. Knowing not only the amount, but also the rate at which you had your most recent rainfall can be crucial in making your next irrigation decision. Each soil texture is only capable of holding so much water. If you receive a lot of rain in a short amount of time, excess rainfall will run-off (along with any recently applied inputs).
Solar radiation
Solar radiation is measuring radiant energy of the sun, and is critical to monitoring the availability of sunlight. You can see on the graph when those peek times are for solar radiation. This is when the suns energy is the highest and has the most impact on the crop.
Trellis Tip: Federal & state cost share programs can help pay for weather stations. We can help you start the cost-share process!
air Temperature
Accurate temperature monitoring on your farm rather than the local airport 30 miles away can help with planting, spraying, and harvesting decisions. Knowing the on-site temperature in your field can be crucial for certain crops that cannot produce below below certain temperature thresholds.
Wet Bulb
Our wet bulb measurement is a calculation based on air temperature and dew point. Growers find this to be beneficial for frost monitoring and protection. Unexpected cold temperatures can mean a huge loss to a farmer’s crop. For example, we see blueberry growers using this measurement to determine when their irrigation system should be turned on to maximize crop protection, while also minimizing wasted water and power.
Wind Speed and Direction
Our anemometer will monitor wind speed and direction up to 200mph. This not only helps with keeping a record of significant weather events, but also important decisions like determining ideal growing locations, or if windbreaks or wind generators are needed. To avoid spraying in less than ideal conditions, farmers and crop dusters keep a close eye on the wind speed before, during, and after they spray to avoid drift.
Trellis Tip: When installing your weather station, be aware of the height at which you are installing the station and how it will affect your readings. For example, your wind speed and temperature sensors will not read the same at 6 feet as they will at 36 feet above the surface.
Weather alerts
Our App gives you the ability to set thresholds for each measurement. Trellis sends text and email alerts at user-specified temperatures, wind speeds, or humidity levels that would affect the producers’ decision making process. These settings can be changed or eliminated throughout the growing season.
Summary
Trellis’ weather station helps you see your farm in a new light. At the end of the day, accurate, real-time information is critical to help you make smarter decisions. Our network of producers love what they do and are incredibly wise stewards of the land. The Trellis community strives to work with the technology available to conserve soil and water for future generations.