TerraRad makes first commercial shipment for Turfrad

TerraRadTech Tech builds remote soil moisture measurement systems based on microwave radiometer technology. The company’s drone-based radiometers produce high-resolution soil moisture maps that can feed irrigation prescriptions for smart farming applications. Optimal irrigation reduces crop stress and increases yield. The microwave technology can "see" through vegetation and measures sub-surface soil moisture near the crops' root zone. Currently, four products are on the market: TerraRad's Drone-mounted Portable L-band Radiometers (PoLRas), Vehicle mounted portable L-band Radiometers (PolRas) and Ground-based radiometer systems for various research applications (Ground PolRas).

In agriculture, the provided drone-mounted sensor increases productivity for broadacre growers. The sensor receives microwaves that are naturally emitted from the soil and vegetation and is used to calculate volumetric soil moisture and "vegetation optical depth". The company measures a wavelength of microwaves known as "L-band", which allows them to "see" down to about 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) in the soil. Last May, the University of California Riverside became the first customer to integrate TerraRad’s Vehicle PoLRa on a vehicle to measure soil moisture in Southern California. The solution would be used for research projects on citrus fruits, almonds, pecans, and pistachios.

The L-band microwave radiometers are also used in the research field for algorithm development, satellite data down-scaling, and ground validation, as well as in various applications in the cryosphere, the ice- and snow-covered regions of the planet. With TurfRad, the startup allows for soil moisture sensing for golf courses and turfgrass management.

ASB taskTracker, the provider of Golf Course Maintenance Software to help turf industry professionals manage their day-to-day operations while gathering valuable insights into how money is being spent, has procured TurfRad. Thanks to this partnership, TerraRad marked its first largest commercial deal and won the first customer for TurfRad. ASB taskTracker will use the technology for golf course and turfgrass management. The startup is currently onboarding early-bird customers for the product release beginning in Spring 2023.

(RAN)