The weather — loved and loathed in equal measure! But maybe it would be mostly loved if it could be read and predicted more accurately. Our field test shows how Sencrop products can help make this possible. 

KEEPING IT BRIEF

  • Sencrop began as a start-up and now offers advanced tech.
  • An app or web portal provides farmers with reliable weather interpretations.
  • Various configurations are available depending on user needs.

Sencrop offers a comprehensive range of modular components for recording weather data as well as irrigation management technology. Our team installed and tested a few of the company’s solutions out in the field. One thing quickly became clear: the more farms that use this technology, the more valuable the final data interpretation will be! 

Sencrop’s Raincrop and Windcrop units are suitable for many farms and are widely used. Raincrop records rainfall, humidity and temperature and then calls on these measurements to compute the dew point, whereas Windcrop measures wind velocity and direction. The company mounts the measuring units on a sturdy stainless-steel tripod that can be sited in the middle of the field and withstand any disruptions.

Integral GPS antennas are fitted to deter thieves. The measurements are typically transferred to the cloud via the free Sigfox network. If soil sensor-based measuring is chosen, the data is transmitted through the mobile phone connection. 

For more information on soil measurements, and our user experience with the Solarcrop module, see the separate box on the last page of this report. These components are particularly relevant for those farms using irrigation.

Putting a system to work 

The units arrive well packaged in individual boxes.  Some assembly is required before putting a unit to work; we found that the instructions could do with a bit more detail. For example, it wasn’t immediately clear which of the bird-proof spike devices (to prevent birds perching on the station) belonged to the Raincrop and which to the Solarcrop.

Once fully assembled, setting up a Sencrop account is the next step. This can be done via an online platform or using the Sencrop app. Each component is registered either by scanning the printed QR code or by manually entering the serial number — both options work brilliantly.

The overall costs: The basic unit (rain and temperature sensor with tripod) retails at €620 (excluding VAT). The wind sensor costs an additional €470. Annual fees for the web applications vary depending on the package. A standard licence costs €131 per year which includes user access to two weather stations and access for one staff member. The more comprehensive €227/year licence gives access to a total of up to five stations for five staff members. Each additional personal licence costs €40 per year. 

As our team tested four stations we would have needed the more comprehensive licence. 

Comprehensive platform

In day to day use we were really impressed with the layout of the many functions of both the app and the web platform. Both of these options display all the relevant data on a clear homepage and incorporate a personalised dashboard that has your own weather readings and forecasts.

You can also view approved stations in the local area or separate networks from local dealers, for example. This is a particularly neat feature for large farms or cooperatives, allowing localised weather patterns to be tracked. On several occasions, we noticed considerable differences between stations that were just a few hundred metres away from each other, useful information that helped us to avoid unnecessary trips to the field.

In addition to reviewing your own data, the forecast feature holds a number of stand-out details: Sencrop draws on data from 40 weather services and compares and displays around 15 providers for the specific location. On top of that, it compares the forecasts with actual local weather data and determines the most suitable and accurate forecast provider. A rain radar is also integrated. Our experience was that the forecast was not always 100% accurate, but that it did help to determine weather trends.

Further functions

Sencrop also helps with better agronomic decision-making — for instance, timing of spray applications. It factors in humidity, temperature and wind velocity, and even makes specific recommendations for using fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. In our opinion, whilst the system is a useful timing tool, it is no substitute for human judgement.

In addition to offering optional irrigation management (see panel on the next page), Sencrop can send frost alerts via the app or text message.

The platform also offers handy features such as cumulative rainfall and temperature summaries over selected periods and can be linked to external forecasting and disease prediction models. 

Summary

Sencrop’s modular kit offers genuine value for many farms. The recording of rainfall, temperatures and wind speed data, in combination with the well-designed app, provides a strong basis for making informed decisions. We recommend the components especially for farms with scattered fields or crops, as well as for more traditional arable or mixed units.

Sönke Schulz

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