Founded April 2013
Stage Revenue
Investor The Trendlines Group
CEO Anat Halgoa Solomon
The Saturas SWP sensor is embedded in the trunks of trees or vines.
Embedded in the trunks of trees, vines, and plants, the stem-water potential (SWP) sensor provides accurate information for optimized irrigation to reduce water consumption and increase fruit production and quality.
Components of the Saturas precision agriculture sensing system:
Saturas’ SWP sensing system automatically collects accurate data using a minimal number of sensors per hectare and transmits the data to a central control system connected to irrigation controllers for automated irrigation. The technology tailors irrigation to the real-time water needs of the crop, resulting in more efficient water use while increasing yields, fruit size, and sugar content (e.g., vineyards). Embedding the sensor in the trunk eliminates the common problem of damage to sensors that are placed in the soil or on the tree or vine.
Provisional stage
Saturas CEO Anat Halgoa Solomon meets with a visitor at a Trendlines Showcase.
Technology: (18 January 2018) proven technology, with Saturas sensors successfully operating in lemon, clementine, almond, and apple trees for more than a year
Installations: ~350 sensors in 3 experimental farms and 10 commercials farms in Israel and Spain
Trials: (December 2018) Launched first South African season in partnership with researchers from Stellenbosch University, farm advisers, and agri-cooperatives to demonstrate the Saturas SWP sensing technology in almonds, apples, citrus, grapes
(May 2018) New field trials in California in vineyards and in almond and walnut trees; completed successful field trials in commercial almond, citrus, and apple orchards in Spain and Israel during irrigation season 2017
Saturas inventor Moshe Meron (left) appears on the Israeli morning show Orly and Guy.
Experienced CEO with extensive business development activity in the water industry
Recognized world expert in agricultural science; specialization in precision agriculture; Head, Crop ecology Laboratory, Migal, Galilee Technology Center
Erez Sokolosky, VP R&D: More than 15 years’ experience in multidisciplinary system development and integration and in technical management
Water is becoming scarcer and more expensive. With direct and reliable information on crop water status, farmers can save water and increase yields.
Today, due to the lack of direct and reliable measurement, farmers typically overwater crops by up to 20% “just to be on the safe side.” Overwatering puts pressure on an already scarce and expensive resource, increases pollution from nutrient-rich runoff, affects the quality of the fruit, and reduces profitability.
Stem water potential (SWP) is a scientifically recognized, highly accurate parameter for determining water status in crops. Today, SWP can only be measured manually, using a labor-intensive procedure. Despite numerous approaches to sensor-based irrigation, including measuring soil and leaf moisture, the market lacks a solution that combines accuracy, ease of use, and affordability.
Current solutions are the labor-intensive pressure chamber or costly electronic sensors that measure soil water and stem constriction. They require high maintenance (especially for calibration), have high variance, and lack accuracy. Saturas’ highly accurate sensors are the only ones to offer automatic SWP measurement combined with ease of use and at a significantly lower cost than products currently on the market.
Company estimates for irrigated orchards/plantations (~$675 million/year), vineyards (~$390 million/year), and irrigated cotton (~$200/year) alone indicate a combined potential of more than $1 billion per year.
