Environment stories that motivate our work

Leaf Wetness Sensor Data Improve Cherry Production

Fresh market cherries growers try to do everything that they can to stop any fruit cracking or splitting, including flying helicopters over orchards to dry the fruit after rains.

Piñon Pine: Studying the effects of climate change on drought tolerance

Henry Adams, a PhD student at the University of Arizona, is studying the effect of climate change and drought on Piñon Pines.

6 minute read

Using soil water sensors for efficient irrigation in greenhouses

Manual irrigation is labor-intensive and repetitive, so it is one of the first greenhouse tasks that should be automated.

1 minute read

LP-80—A Different Approach to Stream Restoration

University of Idaho graduate student, Adrianne Zuckerman, is taking a different approach to stream restoration.

The Staggering Cost of Montana’s Flash Drought

The 2017 flash drought that parched the entire state of Montana and most of South Dakota, severely impacted the profitability of ranchers and farmers. In western Montana, fires burned some of the largest acreages in recent history.

10 minute read

Soil Science in Outer Space

In 2007, METER scientists developed a Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) probe for NASA’s Phoenix Scout Mission, which landed on Mars May 25, 2008. The solar-powered lander collected data for five months until the sunlight waned, ice took over, and communication ceased.

6 minute read

Feed the World

As water resource management grows more complex, the cost of water increases and humanity’s food consumption soars to an all-time high, optimizing crop yields through efficient irrigation is becoming crucial.

Perfecting Turfgrass

Researchers are developing plants and management practices that help sports turf stand up to frequent use and perform well even during fall months.

4 minute read

Ecotron Hasselt

Twelve tailor-made lysimeters help researchers uncover answers today that will help us better respond to changing environmental conditions tomorrow.

6 minute read

TAHMO—Weather Stations For Africa

The Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO) initiative seeks to install and operate 20,000 weather stations in sub-Saharan Africa.