Under a sunny blue June sky in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, the Norwegian-German Chamber of Commerce held its sixth annual summer party on June 10, and, at the same time, celebrated an innovative company that over the past year has worked to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. This year, Yara beat the competition and brought home the prize with its Yara ZIM Technology – the water sensor solution.

“Yara nominated the water sensor solution, which measures the relative changes in the leaf’s turgor pressure – or “water” / “blood” pressure of the plant. Since the turgor pressure is the driving force for plant growth and fruit production, proper water management is key, ” says Yara’s Precision Farming Director, Magnus Rambraut. “By using the water sensor solution, the farmers will reduce water consumption, save energy, reduce tree maintenance and sustain maximum yield,” he adds.

The Yara ZIM Technology is the most advanced and reliable technology to monitor the water status of crops. Freshwater availability is quickly becoming one of the major global challenges. Currently, agriculture uses about 70% of freshwater withdrawals. If water use efficiency is not improved, by 2030 the agricultural sector alone will need more water than is sustainably available. The ZIM water sensor technology reduces water usage by up to 25%.

The recent droughts in California have been catastrophic for agriculture. Water resource management is therefore becoming increasingly more important in areas with little rainfall.