Timing of crop protection treatments is critical if they are to be safe and effective – and a new addition to the Sencrop weather app can help farmers ensure pinpoint applications.

Clearly, wind speed is critical when applying sprays, but so are humidity, temperature and rainfall. And the optimum conditions vary according to the type of product being applied. That’s why the new app module allows users to select from fungicides; insecticides; foliar, root or contact herbicides; and even bio-solutions. It then provides specific recommendations tailored to each type of product, and identifies the most appropriate windows for treatment based on a highly localised four-day forecast.

“We tested the app with farmers throughout 2023 and tailored it to make it as accurate and easy to use as possible,” says Mark Herriman at Sencrop. “It’s difficult for farmers to take into account so many meteorological parameters – but applying products at exactly the right time will improve efficiencies, reduce waste and benefit the crop, ultimately boosting the bottom line.”

So how does it work? Through the Sencrop app, users can view their fields and crops, and select the area of interest. They then choose the type of product they want to apply, and the app will generate hourly weather forecasts for the next four days, allowing easy identification of optimal, suboptimal or unfavourable conditions.

The treatment windows are based on precise application conditions, derived from technical institute trials and product regulations, while the ultra-local weather forecasts rely on Sencrop’s connected weather stations and aggregated data from existing weather models.

“Weather conditions easily vary from one plot to another, even over short distances,” says Mr Herriman. “Our connected weather stations, of which there are now 2,870 in the UK, transmit temperature, humidity, wind speed, and accumulated rainfall, allowing real-time monitoring of your farm conditions.

“When it comes to forecasts, we compare the data collected by the station with the main existing weather models and then aggregate the most reliable forecasts for the chosen location. These forecasts continuously evolve as the station records local weather data, providing the best predictions at all times,” he adds.

“This new functionality also includes a view for agronomic advisers, allowing them to easily and effectively track their farmers’ plots and assist them in decision-making.”

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