Yara Seeking To Make Splash With New Water-Saving Tool
July 8, 2016 
Photo courtesy of Yara North America
With water supplies dwindling and access to them becoming more difficult, Yara North America is introducing a new tech tool to make the best use of the precious resource.
The Yara Water Solution is a plant-based sensor allowing direct communication with the plant during the entire vegetative period. It provides direct information about the water status of plants using non-invasive leaf clamps (sensors) that are wired to sending units in trees.
The sensitive clamps measure the turgor pressure (pressure from water within the leaf) to determine when and where water is needed. Water use – and cost – can be cut by up to 40% due to irrigation being applied more precisely based on the crops’ moisture status.
Yara Water Solution is being trialed on citrus crops in California and Florida to ensure previous sensor calibration is accurate for these markets. This technology has successfully been used in Spain, and is applicable to all leafy plant species. They are expected to be available for more widespread North American distribution in the next 12 to 18 months.
One of Yara’s Water Solution sensors is attached to this citrus leaf.
Photo courtesy of Yara North America
According to Yara, some of the features and benefits of its Water Solution system include easy setting of irrigation thresholds, preventing over-irrigation, and also reducing fertilizer and pesticide use since applications can be aligned to meet water demands of the plant.
“This technology is unique to Yara and its launch will further differentiate us in the North American market not only as fertilizer suppliers but as crop nutrition experts who can help deliver to farmers solutions for environmental issues such as reduced water supply,” says Geraldo Mattioli, Yara North America Vice President, Premium Offerings.
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