Trimble to Enter Irrigation Market with the Acquisition of IQ Irrigation Assets

Published on September 8, 2013 13:53 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Business

Trimble announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of privately-held IQ Irrigation ofChristchurch, New Zealand. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close by the end ofAugust 2013.

IQ Irrigation provides a reliable and precise hardware and software solution for controlling linear and pivot irrigation systems. It enables farmers to apply the right amount of water in the right place based on crop requirements, optimizing water usage.

IQ Irrigation's GPS-controlled system controls individual nozzles on most irrigator makes and models, and can be operated remotely with an Internet application that can be run from a computer or mobile device. Options range from straightforward control of the irrigator to creation of no spray or variable spray areas, or complex irrigator control with many variable watering patterns and liquid manure dispersal capability. The solution also includes application reports that detail what input (water, liquid manure or fertigation) was applied as well as when and where it was applied.Farmers are able to select the irrigation patterns that suit their crop, terrain and farming operation, including the ability to keep select areas dry such as roads, waterways and farm buildings.

With IQ Irrigation's Web-based solution, farmers can see in real time the location and status of the irrigator and a visual simulation of the current water consumption and irrigation patterns. Farmers can remotely stop, forward or reverse the pivot. In addition, the solution enables farmers to turn the water on or off and speed up or slow down the pivot.

Farmers will also be able to monitor the status of their pivot or linear irrigators on Trimble's new Connected Farm™ dashboard after the completion of the IQ Irrigation asset acquisition. The irrigation pivot data is expected to be available on the Connected Farm dashboard in the fourth quarter of 2013 inNew Zealandand the first half of 2014 in the U.S. The new Connected Farm dashboard is a Web portal that's accessible via an Internet-enabled device, including Trimble's new TMX-2050™ display.

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Centralized Irrigation Control