Devon Wright’s Post

Block-level pressure monitoring is officially available and fully integrated into our precision irrigation system! The addition of pressure monitoring allows growers to better understand the health and performance of their irrigation system, more quickly diagnose issues in the field, engage in preventative maintenance on pumps and other irrigation infrastructure, and figure out which vineyard blocks to irrigate at the same time to maximize efficiency. “Monitoring pressure is essential for gaining a holistic view of your irrigation system,” said Devon Wright, Lumo’s CEO. “When combined with the block-level flow data from our smart valves, growers are able to clearly understand how their system is performing, quickly figure out the root cause of any problem that pops up, and optimize their irrigation sets to maximize the output of their pump.” Pressure data is complementary to flow data. When you can see both measurements at the same time, you’re able to determine whether the issue with your system is upstream or downstream and you’re able to more quickly discern between leaks, clogs, pump problems, and so on. “Having pressure sensors was extremely helpful for better understanding the irrigation system and some of the issues we were encountering with irrigation,” said Megan Coy, the Viticulturist at Regusci VM who manages the irrigation for Clos du Val’s Hirondelle North ranch where Lumo’s smart valves and pressure monitoring sensors are now installed. “First we diagnosed an issue with clogged sand filters that needed to be flushed that were leading to sudden drops in pressure. And then we all of a sudden had pressure that was way too high and we needed to relearn the system. Over the season, we learned more about where water was really going, which blocks could be irrigated together without causing issues, and the right way to go about opening and closing the system to achieve optimal performance.” With a more complete picture of your system’s performance, you’re in a better position to optimize how you schedule your irrigation sets and how to operate your system most efficiently. “Having flow and pressure data helped us understand that our system was not functioning as well as we thought. We identified some leaks, some low pressure situations that were caused by irrigating certain block combinations together, and some situations where the top of certain blocks were struggling to get enough water,” said Andrew Oliver, Vineyard Manager at Antinori where they’re putting Lumo’s pressure monitoring integration to good use. “For the first time, I can say that these blocks were sufficiently irrigated, and last year’s canopy and crop proved that.”