Mar 15, 2023

Vineyard management firm adds Lumo irrigation technology

Redwood Empire Vineyard Management (REVM), a vineyard management company, is set to trial the first smart irrigation valve for growers this summer.

Lumo, an Agtech company focused on water sustainability through the development of smart valve and irrigation technology, announced the development in a news release.

REVM is among the first vineyard management companies to recognize the benefits of Lumo’s smart irrigation technology. The vineyard management company, which manages vineyards on behalf of vineyard owners and provides a range of services such as the planting and harvesting of grapes, vineyard maintenance, irrigation, fertilization, and pest and disease management, understands the importance of an irrigation system that delivers consistent and reliable results, according to the release.

“Lumo’s smart irrigation valve is very promising and could significantly help us reallocate our resources in a much more efficient way,” Tyler Klick, REVM’s owner, said in the release. “With current automated irrigation systems, there’s no convenient way of knowing whether or not a scheduled irrigation was executed properly, so we have to manually check throughout the day, which ends up costing us time, money, and our most important resource – water. Having the ability to get real-time flow data and reports will enable us to truly automate our irrigations.”

REVM manages hundreds of vineyards that use different irrigation management systems and all present their own unique challenges, Kilck said in the release. “This can be a daunting task,” he said in the release. “Lumo’s solution is promising because it has the potential to become the standard irrigation solution in the vineyards we manage. This would help us operate much more efficiently and create more value for our clients.”

Lumo’s smart irrigation valve is unique in that it offers growers precision and efficiency. Each valve is wirelessly connected to the internet and features built-in sensors that capture and report on the volume of water used during each irrigation event. The technology provides complete visibility into every irrigation, eliminating the need for manual logging and reporting, according to the release.

The technology delivers precise volumes of water to each block, with automatic shutoff occurring when a specified volume has been reached. This ensures vineyards can make the most of their time, limiting the need for unnecessary site visits. Lumo’s technology also identifies irrigation anomalies, such as suspiciously high or low flow rates, enabling teams to manage by exception and focus only on sites that require attention, according to the release.

“Lumo’s technology is poised to revolutionize the way vineyard management companies irrigate their vineyards,” says Devon Wright, Lumo’s CEO, said in the release. “We are excited to work with REVM this summer to demonstrate the power of our smart irrigation valve and help vineyards become more efficient and sustainable.”