WiseConn smart irrigation users can now incorporate CropX Technologies’ digital farm management interface into their precision farming network. CropX’s data management system processes information from sensors, satellites, rain gauges and farm machinery to optimize decision-making and crop management.

The integration will let farmers move away from static schedules and instead personalize irrigation based on real-time conditions, optimizing water usage for each crop and field, according to a statement.

“By combining our expertise in precise irrigation management with CropX’s technology, we believe this integration has the potential to enhance irrigation management and contribute to a more sustainable future for agriculture,” says Vicente Ossa, marketing manager at WiseConn.

Matan Rahav, vice president of corporate development at CropX, notes that “by integrating our cutting-edge technologies, we are empowering farmers to make more informed decisions, reduce water usage and increase overall crop yields.”

Work ongoing with Reinke

Beyond CropX’s two-way API integration with WiseConn, John Gates, chief revenue officer for CropX, says the initiative is a part of a companywide goal to make its platform work better with others.

“We’re increasingly hearing interest from drip irrigators about higher levels of intelligence for their irrigation decision-making and, in some cases, for automated irrigation,” Gates says. “The goal of this is to increase interoperability and seamlessness across multiple farming tools.”

In February, for example, CropX launched a new sensor that provides actual evapotranspiration measurements of crop water use in partnership with Reinke Irrigation. The sensor mounts on Reinke's center-pivot irrigation system.

Gates says tech companies haven’t historically emphasized compatibility. That’s changing because users expect the same interoperability in their farming technology that they get with their consumer electronics.

“The bar is high these days in terms of expectations for usability and seamlessness,” Gates says. “We try to build for simplicity, and work to do so without compromising the value and accuracy of those things that are traditionally considered ‘table stakes.’”

But while it’s expected, creating platforms that play well with others isn’t easy. It requires networking with other brands and a user-first development approach.

“There’s no silver bullet, in my mind,” Gates says. “These kind of partnerships have an important role to play.”