GroGuru Moisture Probes: Year-Round Insight for Smarter Irrigation

At NutraDrip, we’re all about helping growers make confident irrigation decisions—and that starts with reliable data from the root zone. That’s why we offer GroGuru, a permanent soil moisture probe that works hand-in-hand with subsurface drip irrigation and other irrigation systems to deliver accurate, consistent moisture data all season long.

What is GroGuru?

GroGuru is a wireless underground system, also known as WUGS, that allows permanent installation of soil sensors. Each probe is 40 inches long with six sensors that measure both soil moisture and temperature at various depths. Once installed, these sensors provide year-round data with no need for recalibration, offering consistency season after season. 

The “Fox” unit, mounted above ground, transmits data directly to the cloud. Through the GroGuru InSites® platform, users can visualize root zone activity, monitor infiltration, and receive AI-powered irrigation recommendations. 

GroGuru is a powerful tool for soil health monitoring as well—letting growers track things like cover crop root depth and water infiltration over time. 

Key Features

• Permanent installation – no need for seasonal removal 

• Wireless connection to the cloud via the “Fox” unit 

• 5–7 year battery life 

• 6-sensor probe capturing moisture and temperature data 

• Automatic calibration 

• Root detection 

• Soil moisture tracking year-round 

• Crop-specific irrigation templates 

• Predicted and actual rainfall logging 

• No salinity (EC) data or automatic irrigation controllers 

Pros and Considerations

Pros:

• One-time installation (5–7 year lifespan) 

• No seasonal setup/removal required 

• Consistent year-over-year data 

• Root zone detection and depth tracking 

• Intuitive, visual moisture readings 

• Compatible with multiple crops and irrigation types

Considerations:

• The Fox unit remains visible above ground and needs to be moved out of the way for planting and harvesting 

• Tillage can skew perceived ground level, affecting sensor accuracy 

• No EC data measurement 

• Not designed to automate irrigation control 

Pricing & Installation

• Year 1 cost (probe + subscription): $1,950 

• Annual subscription (Year 2+): $950 

• Installation cost: $200–$500 (often lower when bundled with drip system install) 

Direct from GroGuru: About WUGS, FoxLite, and InSites

The following information is provided courtesy of GroGuru.com: 

About WUGS (GroGuru Wireless Underground System):

• The GroGuru WUGS system is ideal for broad-acre row crops like corn, cotton and soybeans. 

• No need for annual installation and removal of soil sensors from the field. 

• Install soil sensors during the six-month fallow period when farm labor is more readily available. 

• Greater than a five-year battery life for the underground unit! 

• Highly scalable with a low total cost of ownership. 

• In-field telemetry takes less than a minute to remove or install during seeding or harvest. 

• Perfect fit for alfalfa, where farmers can simply drive right over the buried sensors. 

• Permanent installation provides year-round data and season-to-season variability. 

• Measure winter precipitation and manage pre-season and in-season moisture and irrigation. 

• Carry over all the set points and management templates to start next season already ahead. 

About FoxLite: 

With some crop types, the permanent installation enabled by GroGuru WUGS is not ideal. For example, in root vegetables like potatoes, sugar beets, peanuts and carrots, where the root zone itself is dug up during harvest, GroGuru has a unique solution – an alternative field telemetry system called FoxLite. This unit is directly wired with either Sentek Drill-and-Drop or AquaCheck probe-style sensors. GroGuru InSites®works with all these hardware solutions and a wide range of third-party telemetry providers, including the Sentek Irrimax Live solution. 

About InSites®: 

• GroGuru collects data from the root zone of the crop, adds other critical data, and applies machine learning and artificial intelligence to determine things like root growth, root depth, and available moisture in the soil. 

• InSites provides irrigation guidance on how much water to apply and when. 

• The platform is available on mobile, tablet, or computer with a farmer-friendly interface. 

• InSites works with GroGuru’s own sensors and telemetry, and supports third-party sensors like AquaCheck and Sentek. 

• It uses DTN weather forecasts and crop models for 10-day irrigation forecasting. 

• Features include a GPS-based Farm Scale view, gas-gauge style moisture visuals, and color-coded pins showing overall soil moisture availability. 

• The “irrigate by pictures” interface allows users to visualize the full root zone and soil profile in a simple, layered way. 

• Users can select or customize crop-specific irrigation templates to match their field goals. 

Why GroGuru with NutraDrip?