Michael Vasey
Lindauer River Ranch
Red Bluff, California
“We were extremely happy with the FloraPulse system we tested in our prune orchard this year. We found that the FloraPulse readings correlated very well with our pressure bomb readings. Throughout the season, we found that we could trust the FloraPulse system and eliminate the need for the time intensive pressure bomb measurements. One benefit that I hadn’t considered is the real-time nature of FloraPulse. Not only could we see the stress at one point in the day, but we could see the whole cycle of stress the tree experienced throughout the day, every day.
I hope to expand our use of FloraPulse to other orchards to get better, more real-time data on tree stress and to reduce the labor required for our old method of pressure bomb readings.”
Andres Olivos
Andres Olivos
Rengo, Chile
“The data we received from the FloraPulse sensors in prune fits the pressure chamber measurements and has proven very useful. Having daily water potential measurements has allowed us to decrease water use by 45%, to save on water pumping costs, drying costs and increase our fruit size and dry weight yields.”
Derek Sohnrey
Sohnrey Family Foods
Orland, California
Derek Sohnrey, who grows tree nuts and rice with his family near Orland, initially started using the pressure bomb to monitor tree water status and has since moved to FloraPulse in his almonds because of its labor savings and consistency of results.
“It’s extremely helpful, especially when you’re trying to manage multiple crops,” he said. “Everybody’s trying to run small crews nowadays. From a time management side, (FloraPulse) is really nice.”
The first year Sohnrey used the device, he compared his results to those of the pressure bomb and found them very close. He’s since stopped using the pressure bomb.
“Several times I wouldn’t think I needed to irrigate yet, and it’s like, oh, wow, I definitely need to irrigate,” Sohnrey said. “Other times, it said we were actually really wet, and you can watch it trend on the graph. It gives you more insight into the tree and what it’s doing at certain times.”
https://california-farm-bureau-publications.cfbf.com/view/995161797/6/
Mark Greenspan
Advanced Viticulture
Windsor, California
“We switched to FloraPulse plant stress sensors and holy moly, having real time data on plant stress is pretty wild. Look at how much data we were missing just by looking at only weekly snapshots of plant stress.”
“We were used to looking at polaroids. Now we’re looking at a feature length film. This data will allow farmers to determine exactly where and when vines need irrigation. More than that though, having access to so much information has the capacity to teach us things we never knew about plants and how they interact with their environment. It’s a brave new world.”
https://advancedvit.com/what-its-like-to-have-real-time-plant-stress/
Jim Bittner
Bittner-Singer Orchards
Appleton, New York
I can’t imagine growing apples without FloraPulse.
By monitoring water potentials, I’ve optimized our irrigation approach to frequent, smaller applications almost daily.
The system provides clear thresholds—when we hit 7-8 bars, it’s time to irrigate.
Particularly valuable is how the potentials validate not just when to water, but also if we’re applying the right amounts.
We can precisely calibrate both timing and quantity specifically for our orchard conditions.
Rod Chamberlain
Wong Farms
Mecca, California
“I am very happy with the FloraPulse unit. I grow a rare mango crop, in a desert environment with extremely high summer temperatures, in alluvium soil that has very limited water holding capacity. I had been using soil moisture measurement units but was always nervous that the soil moisture information isn’t completely indicative of the requirements of the mango trees, particularly when we get in the 115 to 120 °F temperature range. We had four separate high temperature incidences this last summer that lasted 3 to 5 days each and using the FloraPulse information I modified the irrigation frequency, run time, or added an extra irrigation cycle to meet the needs of the trees.
I am currently tracking about an additional 10% annual water use reduction which I attribute to the use of the FloraPulse unit.”