Sencrop; Europe’s leading agro-weather platform, and Raindancer; the Berlin-based irrigation control specialist, have joined forces to help farmers manage water in a changing climate. The collaboration will allow farmers using both solutions to input rainfall measurement data from their own fields into the Raindancer system to plan and steer irrigation.

The partnership brings together more than 40,000 Sencrop weather stations across 30 countries and Raindancer’s 15,000 equipped irrigation machines in 30 countries. “Good irrigation starts with good data,” says Frank Dühnelt, CEO at Raindancer. “With readings straight from the field, decisions become not just faster but better – for yields and for using water wisely. For farmers, this integration means fewer clicks and a clearer overview. Sencrop is one of the most widely used weather station brands in Europe, so the collaboration is an important step.”

A changing climate

Europe is warming faster than any other continent. Droughts, heatwaves and rainfall that are becoming increasingly difficult to predict are complicating water management on farms. At the same time, the use of water for agricultural purposes is subject to ever-stricter regulations. In France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, quotas, abstraction permits and summer restrictions require farmers to monitor their consumption closely.

Added to these constraints are rising input costs and volatile agricultural prices. During dry spells, supplying the right amount of water at the right time becomes essential to maintain yields and quality. Farmers therefore face the challenge of saving water while safeguarding their yields. To do this, they need to know precisely how much water each plot receives and adjust their irrigation to the crops’ actual needs. Hence the value of combining local weather data with precise control of irrigation equipment.

Smart technology

Raindancer equips hose reels and pivots with GPS-based monitoring and control, managed from a smartphone or desktop computer. With the new integration, farmers who use a Sencrop station can see rainfall and, depending on their sensors, temperature, wind speed, and soil moisture data, measured in their own fields on the Raindancer platform, next to the status and history of their irrigation machines.

Field-level rainfall measurements, rather than data from a distant regional station, give a better estimate of natural water input and help farmers decide when to start, postpone or cancel irrigation.

The integration is especially relevant for potato and vegetable growers, for whom irrigation timing has a direct effect on yield and quality. It can help to:

• Avoid unnecessary irrigation and adjust irrigation to compensate for any shortfall in rain, applying only the water needed to meet crop requirements.
• Save water, energy and labour by targeting irrigation where it is needed.
• Keep rainfall and irrigation records in one place for farm and regulatory reporting.

Irrigation support

“Many farmers using irrigation already rely on a Sencrop station to know exactly how much rain fell on each field,” says Martin Ducroquet, Sencrop co-founder and general manager. “Bringing that data into the Raindancer platform means they no longer have to switch between tools to decide whether to irrigate or not. With our collaborative platform, our goal is to make field-level weather data useful wherever farmers make their decisions.”

The integration will launch at EIMA International in Bologna, from 10 to 14 November 2026. It will be available to farmers using both solutions from November 2026, for the 2027 season. Existing Sencrop users who already irrigate with Raindancer will be able to connect their station. Farmers who do not yet have a weather station will be able to add a compatible station to their equipment, including Sencrop, through their usual distributor.

• For more information visit sencrop.com