eKo System Enhanced with Weather Station Sensor Suite

(Product News, 24 Aug 2009)

Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com), a leading supplier of wireless sensor technology and cutting-edge environmental monitoring solutions, announced the release of the new ES2000 Weather Sensor Suite. Designed to interface with the revolutionary eKo system, the addition of this sensor suite provides growers with access to vital information regarding the conditions affecting their environment.
The ES2000 weather sensor suite allows users to not only monitor real-time conditions, but predict weather patterns that may affect their crops. This solar powered solution provides an integrated sensor suite including a rain collector, temperature/humidity sensors, anemometer providing wind speed and wind direction, solar radiation and barometric pressure.
"Combining the data gained from our Weather Sensor Suite and the eKo system's fundamental features provides growers with easy access to information related to irrigation control, frost protection, evapotranspiration, and plant disease conditions," said Russ Heilig, Vice President of Business Development at Davis Instruments who collaborated with Crossbow on the development and integration of the Weather Station Sensor Suite. "The solar powered eKo node has enhanced the wireless telemetry potential of the standard weather station permitting growers to access data from remote locations within their field from anywhere in the world."
Using only a single port on the eKo Node, users can maximize their sensor data collection by adding additional sensors such as soil moisture, leaf wetness, etc. to gain greater knowledge about their environment's conditions. The eKo system provides users with the ability to collect data from multiple points through their entire site providing a micro level of detail regarding various critical parameters instead of relying on information from a single point.
"Water is today's critical issue. Having the ability to measure ET (evapotranspiration) with the ES2000, collect soil moisture data and understand the soil's water content through a single system like the eKo Pro Series allows users to make intelligent decisions about their water and how it should be distributed," stated Lowell Zelinski, renowned vineyard consultant and owner of Precision Ag, Crossbow's premier distributor in Paso Robles, CA. Zelinski continued, "Having access to this type of data removes some of the guesswork related to irrigation management and frost protection. Growers are able to combine data from their weather station and other sensors, track the historical data and make informed predictions about emerging conditions."
The eKo Pro Series System and related sensors including the new ES2000 is priced competitively. The system is immediately available for purchase from select distributors and online directly at www.xbow.com with the ES2000 pre-release available in late fall.