Company Overview Phytech Ltd. - CROP GROWTH CONTROL.

Company Overview

Phytech Ltd. - CROP GROWTH CONTROL

PhyTech

• PhyTech is a leader in Crop Monitoring.

• We have commercially available, patented, field proven new products desperately needed on a global basis.

• We moved from mainly R&D to a global marketing stage.


Background

• Headquartered in Israel

• Established in 1998 by Kibbutz Yad-Mordechai.

• 20 Employees.

• Leading research company in Agricultural Crop Monitoring.

• International level advisory board.

• Sales in more than 30 countries world wide.


What we do?

We develop crop monitoring solutions that improve crop sustainability, yield and quality.


Problems in Agriculture


Problem Summary1. Land and water limitations

2. Increasing pollution due to indiscriminate irrigation

3. Poorly controllable sustainability and profitability

4. Lack of an on-line information channels about the current crop status. Disconnected character of the existing information sources.

The Problem


The Solution

PhyTech has developed andPhyTech has developed andmanufactured proven manufactured proven solutions addressing all four solutions addressing all four needs mentionedneeds mentioned


The Needs

1. Tailored soil and crop management to fit the specific conditions found within a plantation or agricultural field (Precision Agricultural).

2. Precise control of crop water status and growth in order to provide timely and discriminate application of water with fertilizers and other controllable factors

3. Ability to observe instantly and remotely the current crop status as well as its recent trend

4. A single computerized on line information channel, which replace a variety of disconnected information sources about the current crop status and growth.


The Solution

The Product – PhyTalk system

Phytalk system Overview

Internet

Radio orCellular

NetUser PC

Consultent

Sensors

Repeater


The Solution

27 Oct26 Oct 28 Oct 29 Oct 30 Oct 1 Nov 2 Nov

3 NovALLALLALL

Stress Detector # 17# 17 on Duty!ShanyRay Techno l ogies Lt d.

Number of days analyzed: 7Number of alarms: 4

DANGER!DANGER!

My Computer

LPS #14 LPS #17 LPS #26 LPS #99

Alarm Diary

9:00-12:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa

12:00-15:00 Leaf T > 3 4 C Air VPD > 4 kPa

15:00-16:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa Test # 1 negativ e

SSRR

3) Trial-and-errortesting of new regimes or treatments


3 NovALLALLALL



DANGER!DANGER!

My Computer

LPS #14 LPS #17 LPS #26 LPS #99

Alarm Diary

9:00-12:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa

12:00-15:00 Leaf T > 3 4 C Air VPD > 4 kPa

15:00-16:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa Test # 1 negativ e

SSRR

Stress!

2) Detecting physiological disorders WARNINGSWARNINGS

cropcrop yieldyieldsample plantssample plants


3 NovALLALLALL



DANGER!DANGER!

My Computer

LPS #14 LPS #17 LPS #26 LPS #99

Alarm Diary

9:00-12:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa

12:00-15:00 Leaf T > 34 C Air VPD > 4 kPa

15:00-16:00 Air VPD > 2 kPa Test # 1 negative

SSRR

1) Remote decision support

Intelligent Products – Application Techniques


Plant sensors•Fruit growth•Stem growth•Stem diameter•Sap flow rate•Leaf temperature

Environmental•Solar radiation•Air temperature•Air humidity•Wind speed•Soil moisture

Products – PhyTalk Radio SensorsPhytech Ltd. - CROP GROWTH CONTROL

Graphical Software Multi-axis charts

Shows both measured and derived calculated variables

Presents both instant and daily average values

Products – PhyTalk SoftwarePhytech Ltd. - CROP GROWTH CONTROL

Intellectual Property Status SENSORS

•US Patent 6,937,162

•US Patent 6,701,665

•Patent Application 10/685,381

•6 PCT

DATA ACQUISITION EQUIPMENT

USER INTERFACE

APPLICATION TECHNIQUE

•Patent Application 2002/0170229 A1


Uniqueness of the Product

The result of interdisciplinary R&D works, carried out

by outstanding experts on many crops during many years.

Almost every component has a certain advantage over commercial analogs.

Some sensors and software have no commercial analogs.

Complex combination of hardware, software, application techniques, and know-how. This allows to attribute the product to the category of on line information and decision-support system for crop growing.


Some solutions developed by Phytech

Avocado: Precise irrigation according to the actual

plant needs for optimal production

Citrus:Time to Market protocol based on fruit size.

Wine Grapes: Precise irrigation according to desired

irrigation strategy by using stem growth trend before veraison and water potential at post-veraison (advanced alternative to

pressure chamber).

Vegetables:Tuning irrigation and climate control in

greenhouses on the basis of measured plant water status and fruit growth

The Market –Landscape Advantages

The Market


PhyTech Advantages

• Proven success in the field for many years

• Our products are commercially available.

• Our products and approach are well known and established.

• Focus on the needs of the users.

• Experienced crop monitoring involvement.


Summary

• Proven technology

• Proven economical model

• Wide base of pleased customers

• Extensive data from real crops

• Solutions and agronomical support available directly from Phytech experts.


Avocado

Daily contraction amplitude

Amplitude and trends of such variations is proportional to water deficit. Thus, the daily contraction amplitude (DCA) and trend of growth may be used as a criterion for scheduling of irrigation.


After years of practice in avocado we realize that dendrometers give the most accurate and up-to-date picture of the tree's water status in avocado. Growers that integrate dendrometer data, with soil moisture and climate parameters, have the optimal information platform to understand and to react to the tree's needs.

What is a Dendrometer ?

Dendrometer - an electronic sensor mounted on the trunk of the tree and allows for continuous monitoring of changes in its trunk radius.

Plant growth and water plant balance affect diurnal behavior of trunk radius. The growth rate depends on a vegetation stage and state, climatic conditions and soil moisture levels . The diurnal variations represent mostly fluctuations of water content in the plants.

Dendrometer on trees trunk


Two parameters are commonly used for evaluating plant water status: daily contraction amplitude (DCA) and trend of daily growth.

Daily contraction amplitude )DCA(

Trend of daily growth


Effect of irrigation frequency on trunk behavior Hass trees, Kibbutz Ramat Hashofet, Israel

Daily Irrigation

Irrigation twice a week

Two irrigation regime in subsequent years, in the same plot: 2009 – irrigation twice a week, 2010 – daily irrigation


Irrigation in the winter period

Comparison of variants with epizodical watering at February 4, against the variant without irrigation (waiting for the rain) shows the possible loss of the fruit diameter of about 0.25 mm in 2-3 days. For several months, this situation could be repeated many times. The loss of the fruit can reach a diameter of several millimeters.

predication graph without irrigation


Loss of the fuit diameter as a result of inaccurate irrigation in winter and at other periods of the year may reach a few millimeters.

Fine-tuning irrigation by phytomonitoring technology prevents unwanted loss of growth of the fruit.

The effectiveness of fine-tuning irrigation can be determined by the correlation between weight of the fruit and its diameter. Simple calculations show that in obtaining the additional increase in the fruit diameter even 3 mm, yield can increase in the range from 150 to 400 kg from one dunam. In most cases, it ranges from 10 to 20% of the total yield.

Correlation between fruit weight and diameter


Mango


Mango trunk diameter growth in unstable climatic condition

Ramat Magshimim, Mature trees, Shelli varieties


Two principal calculation of trunk diameter daily contraction (DCA): Base reference line using and

traditional calculation (Max-Min)


y = 0.0835x

R2 = 0.8688

y = 0.059x

R2 = 0.7305

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

0 1 2 3 4 5

VPD, daytime only avg, kPa

MD

S,

mm

Two principal calculation of trunk diameter daily contraction: Base reference line using (blue line) and traditional

calculation (Max-Min, red line)


PersimmonPhytomonitoring observations were carried

out on

Triumph variety in ten orchards

Beit Oren, 2003-2008

Tel Nof , 2002-2006

Hosen, 2002-2008

Kfar Hitim, 2003-2005

Sde Nizzan, 2004-2007

Gan Efraim (Beit Ariza Mor Perot Hasharon), 2010-2011

Malkia, 2010-2011

Zrifin (Pri Or Mehadrin), 2002-2008

Nordia (2004-2007)

South Africa (2005-2007)


Objectives:• Determination of the characteristic periods of plant growth and development

• Determination of the Phytomonitoring indices for adjusting irrigation regimes in every particular period

• Recommendation for application in irrigation practice

Phytomonitoring may help to answer the following questions:

1. When to start irrigation season

2. How to irrigate at air drought (‘khamsin’)

3. How to adjust irrigation during every

characteristic period of the growth season

4. How to irrigate after harvest


30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

20-Jun 20-Jul 19-Aug 18-Sep 18-Oct 17-Nov

Fru

it m

m

Tel Nof Hosen Hitim

Beit Oren OF Beit Oren NH

PHYTOMONITORING™ in CROP GROWTH CONTROLAdjustment of irrigation schedule:Adjustment of irrigation schedule:

Seasonal shape must be taken into Seasonal shape must be taken into considerationconsideration ! !

- 0 . 5

0

0 . 5

1

1 . 5

2

2 . 5

3

3 . 5

4

4 . 5

1 - Apr 1 - May 31 - May 30 - Jun 30 - Jul 29 - Aug 28 - Sep 28 - Oct

Trunk

,mm

Tel Nof Hosen Hitim Beit Oren

Trunk Fruit

Typical seasonal growth curve and characteristic Typical seasonal growth curve and characteristic periodsperiods

PHYTOMONITORING™ in CROP GROWTH CONTROL

RIPENINGFRUIT GROWTHBUDBRAKEBLOOMFRUITSET

IRRIGATIONTASK

PLANTSTATUS

INDEX

Irrigation start

Meet increasing

demand in water

Trunk growth rate

Meet increasing

demand in water

Trunk growth rate(basic)Fruit growth rate(auxiliary)

Adjustment Adjustment

Trunk growth rate

Fruit growth rate

Fruit growth rate

-10% irrigation

water

+10-15% irrigation water

Norm

Norm


Irrigation adjustmentIrrigation adjustmentThree treatments with difference irrigation

120%80%

100%

-10% water for all treatments

According water

demand +12% water for all

treatments

Cultar


Fruit diameter open field and net house comparison (Bet Oren 2007)


Fruit diameter and weight

y = 9.3512e0.0385x

R2 = 0.9683

5060708090

100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

Fruit diameter,mm

Fru

it w

eig

ht,

gra

mm


DecadeAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptOctNov

10.20.20.350.50.70.650.750.3

20.20.250.370.60.70.650.650.3

30.20.30.420.650.70.650.60.2

Average0.20.250.380.60.70.650.670.27

Penman, Eo, mm/day

5.30.57.47.56.76.34.83.3

Required daily irrigation, mm

12.32.84.54.743.30.7

Month irrigation, mm

30708514014512310020

Running total, mm

30100185325470593693713

Crop irrigation coefficient and running total amount of water


Irrigation norm and persimmon yield comparison: plot 5 – traditional irrigation, plot 6 –irrigation according Phytomonitoring

YearIrrigation, m3/dun

Yield, ton/dunFruit diameter more 60mm,

ton/dun

Export percentage

Plot 5Plot 6Plot 5Plot 6Plot 5Plot 6Plot 5Plot 6

20068307502.62.11.821.886971

20078767063.153.161.531.537477

20087905703.43.81.611.587370

Average8326763.053.11.651.667273

Water conservation

-20%


1 x RS-ATH-5R1 x RS-ATH-5R Air TemperatureAir Temperature

and Humidity Sensorand Humidity Sensor(-10 to 50 °C ; 0 to 100 %RH)(-10 to 50 °C ; 0 to 100 %RH)

1 x RS-ATH-5R1 x RS-ATH-5R Air TemperatureAir Temperature

and Humidity Sensorand Humidity Sensor(-10 to 50 °C ; 0 to 100 %RH)(-10 to 50 °C ; 0 to 100 %RH)

2 x RS-FI-M Fruit Growth 2 x RS-FI-M Fruit Growth SensorSensor

(15 to 70 mm)(15 to 70 mm)

2 x RS-FI-M Fruit Growth 2 x RS-FI-M Fruit Growth SensorSensor

(15 to 70 mm)(15 to 70 mm)

11 x RS-DE-1R x RS-DE-1R DendrometerDendrometer(0 to 10 mm)(0 to 10 mm)

11 x RS-DE-1R x RS-DE-1R DendrometerDendrometer(0 to 10 mm)(0 to 10 mm)

2 x RSD-SMS-2R Soil 2 x RSD-SMS-2R Soil Moisture SensorMoisture Sensor

(0 to 50 vol. %)(0 to 50 vol. %)OROR

RS-TM-2R Twin RS-TM-2R Twin TensiometerTensiometer(0 to 84 cbar)(0 to 84 cbar)

2 x RSD-SMS-2R Soil 2 x RSD-SMS-2R Soil Moisture SensorMoisture Sensor

(0 to 50 vol. %)(0 to 50 vol. %)OROR

RS-TM-2R Twin RS-TM-2R Twin TensiometerTensiometer(0 to 84 cbar)(0 to 84 cbar)

StationaryStationaryData ConcentratorData Concentrator

StationaryStationaryData ConcentratorData Concentrator

Phytalk SystemPhytalk System

PhytoGraph™ PhytoGraph™ SoftwareSoftware

PhytoGraph™ PhytoGraph™ SoftwareSoftware


Almond• Strategy of almond irrigation has three basic conditions: yield increase, almond kernel of larger diameter and kernel desirable quality.

• Researches of local and foreign experts show, that the increase of seasonal irrigation norm leads to growth of almond yield. In according to Asher Aizenkot (Israel) the increase of seasonal irrigation norm from 350 m3/dun up to 500 m3/dun provides yield increasing from 170 up to 220 kg/dun. The increase of irrigation norm up to 850 m3/dun provides an increase of yield already up to 280 kg/dun.

• Directly proportional dependence between irrigating water norm and yield of almonds are established also by other researchers (David A. Goldhammer, Terry Prichard, Black Sanden).

• On the other hand the yield increases provide some reduction of fruit diameter, and also their qualities.


Materials and methods



Comparison of trunk growth depending irrigation norm in different plant phase development


Comparison of trunk growth and daily contraction depending irrigation norm in fruit growth phase development.

Period with the same irrigation norm


Calculation the true Daily contraction amplitude very important fore make the right decision to adjust irrigation.

We propose calculation method on the use of Base reference line.

Example on the pictures shown that traditional method (Max morning-Min afternoon) against propose method can lead to significant error in estimation of true Daily contraction.

Comparative calculation have shown that at high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) difference in the calculation may reach tens microns.

Company Overview Phytech Ltd. - CROP GROWTH CONTROL.

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