First automated stem-water measuring system rollout is backed by €1.5mn EC Grant
Kerlink, a specialist in solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), and Saturas Ltd., the developer of a stem-water measurement system for efficient farming, report that Kerlink will provide Saturas with LoRa-based hardware and software as it launches its technology commercially.
LoRa (Long Range) is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technology. Kerlink is a global provider of solutions for designing, launching, and operating public and private LoRaWAN IoT networks. It offers a comprehensive product portfolio of industrial-grade network equipment, best-of-breed network core, operations, and management software, and value-added applications.
Saturas, an Israeli start-up, has raised about US$9 million (€8 million), including a prestigious €1.5 million H2020 grant from the European Commission (EC) in 2019, to support its miniature, tree-embedded sensor system that continuously measures stem water potential (SWP) of trees and vines. SWP is scientifically recognised as the most reliable measurement of water stress and an important practical tool for irrigation management. Saturas is the first company to develop a system for measuring SWP automatically, replacing the cumbersome manual devices that fruit-tree and vineyard growers have used for decades. Using Kerlink stations, the company’s tiny LoRa sensors transmit processed data to central, automated irrigation-control systems, tailoring irrigation to crops’ real-time needs.
Kerlink will supply Saturas’s deployments with hardware and software such as its solar-powered Wirnet iStation, Wanesy Management Centre, a robust solution for managing private IoT networks, and Wanesy Network-as-a-Service, a turnkey comprehensive offer combining key infrastructure, operations, security, and professional services.
“Precision agriculture, led by precision irrigation, is a vital and rapidly growing global business sector with an estimated annual growth rate of over 20%,” says Anat Halgoa Solomon, Saturas’ co-founder & CEO. “Saturas is positioned to establish a strong presence in this market, and it is vital that we partner with the leading, most reliable companies in the supply chain. The quality of Kerlink’s hardware and software solutions has been proven many times in diverse, challenging environments around the world, and will be a natural fit for our global commercial rollout.”
Romain Weryk, Kerlink key account manager says, “Smart farming, or ag-tech, is one of the Internet of Things’ most important vertical markets but it needs the breakthrough innovations that companies like Saturas are bringing to fields and orchards to deliver on its promise,” “Kerlink’s equipment and software, with their flexibility for supporting customised private networks, are the backbone of IoT networks across more than 120,000 installations in 69 countries.”
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