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As growers face increasing pressure to improve efficiency, manage risk and deliver consistent crop quality, access to reliable real-time data is becoming a core part of modern production. For Fargro, supporting informed, confident decision-making sits at the centre of a holistic growing approach, with environmental monitoring playing a critical role.
One tool increasingly used by Fargro’s technical team is the Aranet environmental sensor system. By providing continuous insight into the growing environment, Aranet allows growers to understand how crops respond to climate, irrigation and nutrition, enabling earlier intervention and more accurate management.
From reactive to preventative growing
Traditionally, many growing decisions have relied on visual crop symptoms or fixed routines. But by the time stress becomes visible, yield or quality may already be compromised.
Fargro works with growers to adopt a preventative, data-led approach. Aranet sensors continuously monitor key parameters, including air temperature, relative humidity, vapour pressure deficit (VPD), substrate moisture and electrical conductivity (EC). This enables growers to identify trends early and adjust conditions before problems escalate, helping maximise the return on inputs such as fertilisers, biological controls, irrigation and heating.
Supporting day-to-day decision-making
The Aranet system uses wireless in-crop sensors linked to a base station, with data uploaded to a cloud-based dashboard that presents live and historical information in a clear, accessible format. Growers can track trends over time, compare zones and set alarms to flag when conditions move outside target ranges.
For Fargro’s technical specialists, this shared dataset supports more informed discussions with customers around irrigation strategy, nutrition programmes, climate control and biological performance.
Data in practice at Kerley & Co
A practical example of this approach can be seen at Kerley & Co, a plant breeder based in Cambridgeshire. Working with Fargro, the business installed a range of Aranet sensors to gain a clearer understanding of the interactions among climate, substrate conditions and plant response.
Sensors installed included:
Air temperature and relative humidity sensors
WET150 soil sensors measuring soil moisture, soil temperature and EC
Infrared plant temperature sensors
PAR sensors measuring photosynthetically active radiation
By monitoring soil EC alongside volumetric water content, Kerley & Co refined irrigation timing and nutrient delivery. This reduced the risk of waterlogging, drought stress and EC-related issues, while improving overall crop consistency.
Using VPD to understand plant activity
A key benefit of Aranet is its ability to calculate vapour pressure deficit using air temperature, relative humidity and infrared plant temperature. VPD provides a valuable indication of plant activity, showing how effectively crops are transpiring and taking up water and nutrients.
At Kerley & Co, the data highlighted periods of both low and high VPD:
Low VPD reduced transpiration and nutrient uptake, increasing the risk of saturated substrates and nutritional imbalance
High VPD increased uptake but raised the risk of dry substrates, nutrient stress and root damage
Armed with this information, growers were able to make targeted, real-time adjustments to irrigation, nutrition and ventilation or heating, ensuring inputs were better aligned with plant demand.
Improving biological performance
Environmental conditions play a significant role in the success of biological controls, biofungicides and nematode applications. Fargro’s technical team uses Aranet data to help growers time applications within appropriate temperature and humidity windows, improving consistency and performance.
Monitoring conditions before and after application also allows growers to evaluate outcomes more accurately and refine future programmes based on measured data rather than assumptions.
Confidence through clarity
For many growers, one of the most valuable benefits of Aranet is the confidence it brings to everyday decision-making. One tomato grower, APS Salads, commented on the system: “I use the sensors every day to check trends and they give me confidence to make changes to the crop accordingly. I believe they have resulted in better quality fruit, with no fruit splitting events to date.”
A practical tool within a holistic approach
Fargro views Aranet not as a standalone technology, but as part of a wider, holistic growing strategy that supports clearer insights, better technical conversations and more resilient crops.
By combining accurate environmental data with technical expertise, growers are better equipped to make timely, informed decisions that protect crop quality, optimise inputs and support long-term sustainability.
Find out more
Growers interested in using environmental data to support day-to-day growing decisions can speak to Fargro’s technical team about integrating tools such as Aranet into a holistic growing strategy.
For further information, contact Laura Davey, technical specialist at laura.davey@fargro.co.uk, or Sean Whitworth, senior growing media and fertiliser specialist at sean.whitworth@fargro.co.uk.