Robert is a winegrower in the Kent region, where he cultivates 12 hectares of vines, mainly dedicated to Pinot Noir. Until 2020, he kept an eye on the weather by noting down weather readings directly from his vineyard and thanks to the Met Office and BBC forecasts. But in April 2020, he was hit hard by a spring frost. After a mild winter, the buds had already begun to develop, and a downdraft of cold air sent temperatures plummeting to -4°C. However, his neighbours' vineyards were only slightly affected, and the weather forecast predicted only -1°C overnight.
As a result, 70% of his plots were destroyed that year. Robert was equipped with candles, but unfortunately he didn't have time to install them in time.
Following this event, Robert decided to install two Sencrop weather stations directly in his vineyards: a Raincrop for rain and temperature, and a Thermocrop sensor that he can install as close as possible to the leaves. He has positioned them in strategic areas of his field that are particularly sensitive to cold: one in a hollow where thermal inversions are frequent, the other on a more exposed hillside. He has also installed a Windcrop station to measure the wind, which can cause thermal inversions. This real-time data enables him to anticipate the risk of frost and better protect his vineyards.
We'll be following him for 24 hours, as he prepares for another bout of frost.
As he does every morning, Robert checks the weather forecast on the Sencrop application. This year's early spring has been marked by wide variations in temperature. In the agronomy tab of his application, he accesses the frost forecasts to compare the wet temperature forecasts of the 20 reference models, for up to 4 days.
Faced with this information, validated by the majority of weather models, Robert knew he had to prepare his infrastructure and adapt his frost control measures. His vines are at the bud-break stage and are particularly sensitive to frost. So he organises the day's work to avoid exposing his crops and equipment to prolonged sub-zero temperatures.
At 8am, Robert starts by checking his stock of antifreeze candles, spread around his winery. He made sure that the 400 candles he needed were ready, and tested a few ignitions. As the candles burn, they give off heat and create a slight movement of air, limiting thermal inversion.
📲 He also activates his frost alert on the Sencrop application, set to alert him as soon as the wet temperature falls below 1°C for at least 15 minutes. This gives him time to take action as soon as the risk is confirmed.
Robert positions the candles in his rows, giving priority to the areas identified as being most at risk thanks to his weather data. The bottom of the field, which is often subject to cold pockets, is equipped first. He places around 300 candles in these hollows and 100 on the exposed slopes.
At around 9pm, the temperature starts to drop.
🌡️ Robert checks his Sencrop application one last time and the live temperature readings from his stations, which are beginning to fall. The thermometer is approaching 2°C. He also looks at the local map of temperature readings from nearby Sencrop stations, to make sure the trend is widespread. He knew then that the night would be critical.
The weather conditions are right for a radiative freeze:
⚠️ He adjusts his forecasts and makes sure that everything is in place to respond quickly. He prepares his matches, puts on warm clothes and waits.
Robert falls peacefully asleep. Despite the drop in temperature forecast for the night, he knows he'll be awake in time to take action, without compromising his crops.
📲 At 2am, his phone rings and he wakes up. The Sencrop frost alert had just gone off!
At daybreak, the buds are still green and intact. Robert knows: without his weather stations and the Sencrop application, he would probably have acted too late and lost part of his crop once again.
✅ Precision weather sensors, installed directly in the plots at the heart of the foliage and transmitting the readings remotely.
✅ Ultra-local data in real time: Precise monitoring of temperature and humidity in each field.
✅ Frost alerts: Receive notifications by text message, call or e-mail so you can act at the right time.
✅ Frost forecast to 4 days in advance : Compare forecasts from several sources for greater reliability.
✅ Local weather report map: the local weather report map lets you view weather reports from nearby stations (rain, temperature, wind, etc.), so you can collaborate more closely on weather data. Try out the frost features
Try the Sencrop application for free for 14 days and receive your first frost alerts in real time!
The winter weather that ended at the end of February is giving way to spring. Early indications are for a period 3 months warmer than normal, particularly over a large part of the south of the UK. Temperatures are set to remain mild. At least, that's what the
When it comes to managing cereal crops, yellow rust is a major fungal disease to which farmers need to pay close attention. The aim of this article is to provide you with an in-depth understanding of the disease, its favourable conditions, its impact on yields and how innovative solutions such
The year 2024 in UK was particularly rainy, especially in England. Temperatures remained generally mild, with no cold spells observed. Discover our complete climatological report. 7% surplus rainfall This is the rainfall record for the year 2024 in the United Kingdom, according to data from the Met Office, the official