What Is IrriWatch?
IrriWatch is a precision irrigation platform that uses thermal satellite data and advanced analytics to help farmers monitor and manage irrigation with greater accuracy. Simply put, Irriwatch uses thermal satellites to collect data from the plants and soil in the field; they turn that information into visual and usable data that allows growers to make informed decisions on their irrigation. Unlike traditional systems that rely on in-field sensors, IrriWatch provides daily updates on crop health, water use, and soil moisture—covering entire fields without above-ground hardware.
By calculating evapotranspiration (ET) and other crop stress indicators, IrriWatch helps growers optimize irrigation, reduce waste, and improve yields. It’s affordable, easy to use, and requires no on-farm equipment.
Why IrriWatch Matters
What makes IrriWatch stand out is its ability to combine timely updates with scientific accuracy. Most satellite-based tools provide infrequent data or use simplified indicators like NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), which often detect crop stress after the damage has been done.
IrriWatch delivers daily thermal imagery and uses sophisticated models to assess what’s happening in the soil and in the plant—before you can see it with your own eyes.
“If you tell them what happened in their field 10 days ago, that’s too late,” said IrriWatch Product Manager Roula Bachour.
“You don’t need to tell me I have dry soil if I already see the crop is dead.”
— NASA Spinoff
How It Works: The Science Behind IrriWatch
At the core of IrriWatch is evapotranspiration (ET)—the amount of water evaporating from soil and transpired by plants. ET is a key indicator of how much water crops are using, and whether they are under stress.
IrriWatch calculates ET using thermal imagery from satellites, processed through detailed energy balance models. One such model was developed in the 1990s by IrriWatch founder Wim Bastiaanssen, a Dutch scientist with decades of experience in remote sensing and agriculture.
While most tools rely on visible or near-infrared data (like NDVI), IrriWatch’s thermal-based methods can detect early signs of stress, long before visual symptoms appear.
Real-World Impact: What ET Tells You
Evapotranspiration data isn’t just for irrigation scheduling—it powers a full suite of insights that benefit farmers:
- Soil moisture status
- Daily water consumption
- Dry matter production (predicts yield)
- Water use over time (helps manage allocations)
- Carbon sequestration potential
- Early warnings for pests or disease
Bachour shared that some IrriWatch users have cut diesel costs significantly by reducing unnecessary pumping. Others saved time by only visiting fields flagged for stress—spending less time scouting, and more time solving.
(Source: NASA Spinoff)
IrriWatch Benefits at a Glance
Virtual Soil Moisture Monitoring
Thermal imagery and algorithms create field-wide soil moisture maps—no sensors needed.
Real-Time Updates
Get daily insights into:
- Leaf and soil temperatures
- Soil moisture
- Crop water use
- Growth rates and production
Smarter Irrigation Decisions
Know when and how much to water. Avoid overwatering and underwatering to maximize efficiency and yields.
Affordable, Scalable Tech
Powered by NASA’s ECOSTRESS radiometer on the International Space Station, IrriWatch delivers high-resolution thermal data starting at just $4.50/acre annually.
ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants from space to help track how much water they’re using and how they’re responding to heat stress.
— Wikipedia
Product Highlights
- No above-ground hardware required
- Full-field coverage year-round
- Measures soil moisture and temperature
- Predicts and records rainfall
- Auto-calibration—no manual setup
- No root detection (no probes in the ground)
- Not currently integrated with Galcon controllers
- Price starting at $4.50/acre per year
A Space-Based Platform, Now on Your Farm
IrriWatch was founded in 2019 by Wim Bastiaanssen with the mission of making cutting-edge, space-based irrigation tools available to every farmer. In 2023, IrriWatch merged with Hydrostat, a Luxembourg-based company launching its own constellation of thermal imaging satellites to further expand coverage and resolution.
IrriWatch continues to operate under its original name, now backed by even more powerful tools to serve growers around the world.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Ready to Use IrriWatch on Your Farm?
IrriWatch isn’t just a high-tech tool—it’s a service NutraDrip provides to help you monitor soil moisture, optimize irrigation, and get more from every drop. Our team is trained and ready to help you get set up, interpret the data, and integrate it into your operation.
Sources referenced in this blog:
🔗 NASA Spinoff: How Space Tech Is Powering Smarter Farming
🔗 ECOSTRESS Mission on Wikipedia
Explore More IrriWatch Insights from NutraDrip
A Lesson in Measurement and Management
From Sky to Soil: How Thermal Imaging and Long-Term Probes Are Revolutionizing Irrigation Management
