Innovative Limburg agro-measurement station developed

Luc Verkoelen from Kessel and his partners Han Fleuren of fruit tree nursery Fleuren and its research associate Yannick Smedts developed Wolky Tolky: an innovative measuring station that allows farmers to monitor the conditions of their fields and orchards in real time. Temperature, soil moisture, growth rate and other factors are measured and predictions are made accordingly.

A grower of Chinese cabbage tested the innovation in his field. When the weather conditions seemed fine, the sensors measured a higher than desired core temperature and recommended irrigation. This saved his crop. "At the end of the week he was the only grower who supplied the cabbage to the auction and thus also got a good price for his product," says Luc Verkoelen.

Growing need for detailed figures

Verkoelen is a software architect by profession and runs a weather station in Kessel. He has been supplying Fleuren with meteorological info for years, which provided more accurate figures than what the KNMI weather stations in Ell and Arcen recorded.

Ready for the market

A student built a prototype, a group of students from Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Venlo further elaborated on it. An engineering firm in Venlo then developed the hardware and a piece of software. Verkoelen himself built the rest of the software, including the app. Now that the teething problems have been solved and the assembly has been arranged, the WolkyTolky can be marketed more widely. Meanwhile, 75 copies have been sold, and there are still 30 orders open.

A measuring station of Wolky Tolky

Predictions

The WolkyTolky measures, for example, precipitation amounts, wind speeds, sun power, soil moisture, leaf wetness and temperatures. It sends this data via the cloud to the user's smartphone. Additional options are possible, such as a meter that checks the growth of the stem or fruits.

Growth due to climate change

As a result of climate change, extreme weather conditions, such as heavy showers and prolonged drought, are increasing. This makes the information provided by WolkyTolky more important for farmers. Verkoelen therefore expects rapid growth of the company: "In five years time our devices will be used throughout Europe, our main market, and we are looking at China and India. We will also have permanent staff in place by then." A measuring station is available from 795 euros, supplemented by a subscription to receive the data.

More information about Wolky Tolky >

Source: De Limburger, Wolky Tolky