Toro Ag is excited to introduce Toro® Transpira™ – a new platform for measuring plant water consumption via direct plant sensing. Through a collaboration with technology partner Treetoscope Ltd, Toro brings state of the art technology to growers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Toro Transpira adds to the company’s growing range of crop monitoring, decision support and automation solutions, meeting an increasing need for reliable and actionable information on crop water usage and plant health.
“With Toro Transpira, we are measuring what matters,” says Adam Setzler, product manager for Toro’s Ag Business. “What makes the application of this technology unique is that we are measuring water usage directly from the plant using a device that is simple to install and manage. This provides growers with a view of the evapotranspiration process in their field that is not available from other monitoring tools on the market.”
Advantages of Toro Transpira include:
- Actionable information on irrigation demand via direct sensing of plant water uptake.
- Easy-to-read output in inches of water, delivered through a simple, concise dashboard.
- Hassle-free installation completed in minutes with basic tools.
- No need for sensor calibration or maintenance.
- Affordable technology with minimal hardware.
- Trusted results validated by leading agricultural research institutions.
The Toro Transpira platform consists of a compact sensor that is installed into a tree or vine by drilling a small pilot hole into the trunk and inserting the sensor probe. The device periodically transmits data to a cloud-based platform where it is converted into measurements of plant water consumption. Farmers then access this information through a simple dashboard via a mobile device or web browser.
“Toro Ag is excited for the value Transpira will bring to customers in our industry,” said Neville Mody, general manager, Toro Ag Americas. “Delivering simple, specific, and actionable information will make irrigation management tools more accessible to a wider range of growers. These tools empower customers that seek to improve water use efficiency, protect, and enhance yields, and manage input costs in the face of an increasing strain on resources.”
The technology is timely as growers in several key crop-producing regions in the Americas face the effects of extreme multi-year droughts. Toro Transpira will be available for a selection of permanent crops such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, wine grapes, table grapes, apples, avocado and citrus, with additional crops added as validation trials are completed.
About Toro
With roots dating back to 1914, Toro is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf and landscape maintenance, snow management, rental and construction equipment, and irrigation solutions. Through a strong network of distributors, dealers, retailers and rental stores in more than 125 countries, Toro helps customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, construction sites and agricultural operations. More at: www.toro.com.
