2017 ASHS Annual Conference

We have evaluated a new cloud-based software product for monitoring soil, water and environmental conditions. The Ag-Zoom software (Ag-Zoom.com; Cervera, Spain) is specifically designed as a real-time viewer for the EM50G (3G cellular) radio datalogger (Meter-Group, Pullman, WA). EM50G nodes can be connected to a wide range of soil, water and environmental sensors in the field; the sensor data are then transmitted from the node through the GSM cellular network to a cloud server on a schedule chosen by the end-user. There is also a photovoltaic EM50G version available with rechargeable batteries, which allows for data transmission every 15 minutes (near real-time) from remote locations. These capabilities therefore reduce maintenance needs and allow for wide-area deployment of nodes on farms, addressing the limitations of other ground-based networks. It also allows for integration of data from anywhere cell-phone networks are available. The google map feature in Ag-Zoom enables easy geolocation of the node and access to individual node data from anywhere on the planet. The software is designed around “widgets”, which graphically illustrate both primary (e.g. air temperature, soil moisture content) and derived data (e.g. degree days, plant-available water) in a format that is easily accessible to growers on their mobile devices. The software offers extensive customization features, which allows a consultant (or manager) to illustrate or prioritize specific datasets for the end-user. Data is also easily displayed in either metric or imperial measurements, according to individual preferences. A primary feature of this software is the alert capability, which is easily configured using data from any sensor on the node. We tested data receiving rates for frost monitoring (alert) purposes using an EM50G node located in South Carolina; the 15-minute alerts were reliably received in College Park, MD within 5 minutes of the node sending the data. Alerts can be received either as an email or a text message (using the secure Telegram Messenger App) on I-phone or Android devices. Advanced model-based capabilities are also available as individual widgets in the software. We have tested and are using the Penman-monteith (ETo) model for predicting crop water use, using crop coefficients. Several disease models are currently available e.g. Botrytis cinerea and Monilia (brown rot); other predicted models are being integrated into the software on a continuous basis.