In the world of precision irrigation, knowing when and where to water is just as important as knowing how much. Back in 2016, we relied on fixed-wing aircraft to fly fields every 7 to 10 days and deliver thermal imagery. It was a step forward at the time, but let’s be honest—by the time we had the image in hand, the opportunity to make a timely irrigation decision had often passed.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve made huge strides in irrigation monitoring—thanks to tools like IrriWatch and GroGuru.
Why Thermal Imagery Still Matters
Plants cool themselves through transpiration. When water is available and the plant is healthy, you can see that cooling effect using thermal imagery. In the early days, we learned to tell which zones were dry or wet just by temperature differences. But with images only coming once a week, it wasn’t enough.
Now with IrriWatch, we get daily thermal images. That means we’re no longer flying blind between watering cycles.
Take a 700-acre farm we’re working with in Nebraska. With both drip and pivot irrigation across various fields, the daily thermal imagery clearly shows which fields are drier relative to others. Maybe the pivot on the north side looks soaked, while the southern drip field is lagging behind. Even within a single field, there can be noticeable variability—and that’s where this technology shines.
Here’s the key: red on the map doesn’t mean “dry,” and blue doesn’t mean “wet.” Red just means drier relative to the other areas on the map that day. It’s a variability tool, not an absolute moisture gauge.
And that’s why it pairs so well with soil moisture probes.
*700 acre farm photo in nebraska
The Long-Term Power of GrowGuru Probes
Permanent moisture probes like GroGuru continue to prove their value—especially because they let you track trends over multiple seasons. Instead of pulling probes after a few months, these stay in the ground year-round with a seven-year battery life (and often longer). That means you can look back over time and see how current moisture levels compare to past years.
One GrowGuru probe we’ve had out near Salina, KS since 2020 has captured everything from extreme fall dryness during wheat planting in 2023 to better moisture reserves in winter 2025. That kind of long-term data is powerful. It helps us better understand how a field responds to weather, crops, and irrigation strategies over time—not just in a single season.
X: How to remove GroGuru fox for harvest, planting and tillage needs
Instagram: GriGuru training day at NutraDrip
Facebook: What can permanent moisture probes show us
The Bottom Line
- IrriWatch gives us daily thermal images to spot irrigation variability fast.
- GroGuru allows to us compare current moisture to past years—down to the inch.
- Together, these tools help you make better, more confident irrigation decisions.
And with the cost of these technologies coming down, there’s never been a better time to invest in data-driven irrigation.
Whether you’re fine-tuning your system or just starting out, understanding field variability and long-term moisture trends is the key to growing smarter, not harder.
Other Similar Posts:
