‘Incubating’ company partners in viticulture research
by Steve Olson

FRESNO
May 20, 2008 1:01pm

Lift-off. That could be the best word to describe recent developments for the PureSense irrigation system management company housed at the Claude Laval Water and Energy Technology Incubator (WET Incubator) on the Fresno State campus.

PureSense is one of five new companies using the WET Incubator as a launching pad for development of water and energy technologies in the Central Valley. The big boost for PureSense came in late March, when company leaders announced a capital commitment of $4.5 million by local and regional investors to help the business grow.

The PureSense irrigation management system uses information obtained from the company’s free-standing, solar-powered monitoring stations that acquire data on soil moisture, weather conditions and plant vitals. On-board station computers transmit the data over cell networks to secure servers linked to the Internet.

Through a combination of software and firmware, the data, which is transmitted every 15 minutes, is converted into a user-friendly interface that a grower can use to monitor soil moisture and plant growth.

The technology used in the interface emerged from improved communications systems developed by the federal government at NASA Ames following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. PureSense obtained user rights through a special licensing agreement with NASA, says Matt Angell, the company’s head of market and sales development.

Key to the Pure Sense system’s power is the ability of the monitoring station to capture and integrate data on climate conditions, plant health and sub-surface soil moisture conditions, says Mr. Angell.

Analysis is presented in a web-based interface that gives growers real-time analyzed snapshots on crop reactions to changing environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and perhaps most importantly, soil moisture.

“We’re used to decision-making based on what we see above the ground,” Angell says. “We want to help growers also understand what’s going on under the ground. Until we were able to measure soil moisture, we weren’t able to do that.”

In setting up the system, one or more five-foot-long soil moisture sensors are strategically placed in the field or fields to be monitored. Placement represents the dominant soil type of the area. The patented sensors are equipped not only with moisture measuring devices every 12 inches, but also with an on-board mini-computer that records and transmits the data every 15 minutes.

“With this type of sensor, at each level you can see the soil moisture. You have the ability to make predictions of when and where water will be needed based on where the water went,” Mr. Angell says.

The Web-based interface features graphic images of actual conditions, formatted to make it easy for a grower to quickly interpret the information and make decisions. Recognizable images like a fuel gauge indicate subsurface water supply, plant consumption, and requirements for targeted crop yield and quality.

PureSense is currently teaming with scientists from Fresno State’s Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) to help manage an experiment evaluating delayed wine grape harvest with the vines under deficit irrigation treatments. The partnership developed through a meeting with PureSense representatives and VERC director Robert Wample last year. According to Mr. Wample, the collaboration is a win-win for all involved.

“This association with PureSense will expose us and our students to this new technology,” Mr. Wample says, “and it will help them in building their model for decision-making.”

According to Mr. Angell, PureSense is built to serve growers by providing them with the most up-to-date information possible on soil and climate conditions.

“It lets you harness the power of real-time data to meet your production management goals, and it eliminates the risk of not knowing or taking action at the right time in the right place,” he says.

The investment funding by the PureSense irrigation system management company is proof of how a good business idea can turn into capital. It’s also the first of what leaders of the Water and Energy Technology Incubator hope will be many more success stories of businesses launched at the facility.

“The basic idea behind the ICWT/WET partnership is to assist start-up companies during the critical ‘incubation’ phase,” says David Zoldoske, interim director of the ICWT and also director of Fresno State’s Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT).

“The first 12 to 24 months really are critical to the success of these companies. Clearly, being able to attract $4.5 million in venture capital shows the strength of the product and management team.”

One of the key goals of the ICWT is promote water use efficiency, and to bolster economic development in the San Joaquin Valley. The growth and success of PureSense would be a great example of this effort, Mr. Zoldoske says.

“Anytime we can create an economic base locally it will provide multiple benefits to the region. Synergy develops among companies, with potential allied or spin-off efforts. Additionally, these companies create technical and marketing jobs locally, which provides great opportunities for our students to take advantage of local career opportunities,” Mr. Zoldoske says.

Another advantage of the location of the WET Incubator is its proximity to Fresno State agriculture. New technologies can be applied directly to the Fresno State Farm, where they will serve to assist research, educate students, and help to improve water management program on the university’s farm.

“The PureSense product not only has the potential to improve water use efficiency in California agriculture, but the world,” Mr. Zoldoske says.

(About the writer: Steve Olson writes for the California Agricultural Technology Institute.)