New water monitor to improve crop quality and yield World leading water monitoring technology developed in Australia is about to make it easier for growers to dramatically improve crop quality and yield and save costs. EnviroSMART™ is a profiling water monitoring probe designed and manufactured by award-winning company Sentek Pty Ltd - set up 10 years ago by a group of South Australian farmers to commercialise locally-invented soil moisture monitoring technology. EnviroSMARTTM is a flexible and versatile device that has already received global attention from growers who are keen to adopt water saving practices to increase production and quality, and improve environmental management. SA Water Resources Minister Mark Brindal officially launched Sentek’s latest product during the recent Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference in Adelaide. Mr Brindal commended the release of EnviroSMARTTM that coincided with National Water Week. The EnviroSMARTTM probe utilises the same core technology as Sentek’s internationally acclaimed flagship product EnviroSCAN®, which uses electrical capacitance to measure and profile soil moisture at multiple depths. Sentek’s Irrigation and Hydrology manager Peter Buss said the return on investment and cost savings from EnviroSCAN® were outstanding even in first season. "In one instance, during trials we doubled the yield of a Chardonnay crop in the United States but maintained the quality," he said. "There are many similar success stories for the Australian agricultural industries including citrus and cotton." In addition to these benefits, the new EnviroSMARTTM has the ability to connect to a range of on-farm systems including weather stations and data loggers. "The EnviroSMARTTM probe is much more flexible and versatile for growers who can integrate it with various systems," Mr Buss said. He said the new device also provided a tool for growers to accurately quantify daily water use for future plantings. "By recording the pattern of water use, it becomes an invaluable asset which can be used as a carbon copy for a successful irrigation management strategy," he said. "It can also prevent problems created by excessive watering, such as disease and pest outbreaks and fertiliser leaching into waterways." Mr Buss said because water was still relatively cheap, it was being wasted, but many growers were now waking up to water management because it could improve crop quality and yield. "Australia has embraced soil and water management for the past 15 years and we are setting the global standard and vision for others to follow," he said. "We are preaching the water saving message to international wineries which are amazed by the success their counterparts are having in Australia through using Sentek technology." Sentek was originally financed by a group of 12 Murrayland and Riverland farmers in 1991 who foresaw the potential to make considerable savings, increased returns and achieve greater environmental sustainability by using the technology in their own enterprises. Mr Buss said the EnviroSMARTTM probe would be launched overseas at an international irrigation conference in the United States in late October. "There’s been a lot of interest from overseas countries for the technology especially for its integration into broader market place." EnviroSMARTTM is expected to repeat the major export success of EnviroSCAN®, which is used to monitor the water usage of more than 100 different crop varieties around the world, including the US, UK, Europe, Asia and South America. For further information on Sentek Sensor Technologies and its product range please contact Sentek Marketing Coordinator Adrian Manera amanera@sentek.com.au, freecall 1-800-244-763 or visit www.sentek.com.au.

Further information: See who to contact at Sentek E-mail Adrian Manera Web page www.sentek.com

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© Bruce Metelerkamp www.sowacs.com/feature/sentek/PressreleaseEnviroSmart.htm last update : 18 June 2002