In the realm of agricultural technology, precise and efficient water management is crucial for sustainable farming and maximizing yields. The Lumo Smart Valve offers a robust solution, enhancing irrigation practices through innovative features designed for optimal crop management. This product stands out by integrating critical irrigation components into a single, fully wireless, and solar-powered unit, revolutionizing how farmers approach water distribution.
The Lumo Smart Valve represents a significant leap forward in irrigation automation, providing growers with unparalleled control and visibility over their water resources. By combining a controller, valve, and flow sensors, it simplifies installation, reduces infrastructure complexity, and ensures that water is delivered precisely when and where it's needed, adapting to varying environmental conditions. This intelligent system empowers farmers to achieve greater efficiency, conserve water, and improve crop health with minimal manual intervention.
Key Features
The Lumo Smart Valve is engineered with a suite of advanced features designed to deliver intelligent, efficient, and reliable irrigation control. At its core, it operates as an autonomous, solar-powered irrigation controller, leveraging an integrated solar panel and a robust backup battery system to ensure continuous operation without external power sources. This self-sufficient design makes it ideal for remote agricultural settings.
A key differentiator of the Lumo Smart Valve is its integrated design, being the first valve to combine a built-in controller, flow, and pressure sensors into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate components and extensive trenching for wires, significantly simplifying installation and reducing overall infrastructure costs. The system communicates wirelessly through an advanced proprietary mesh network technology, ensuring reliable peer-to-peer communication between valves across the field, with a cellular modem providing initial internet connectivity for remote management.
Farmers gain real-time monitoring capabilities, offering 24/7 remote control and block-level visibility into applied water volumes. This data is accessible via a user-friendly dedicated mobile app or desktop platform, enabling quick adjustments and providing real-time alerts for any abnormalities or leaks in the system. Furthermore, the Lumo Smart Valve utilizes a patented motor-driven actuation technology, which offers substantially less power draw and significantly reduces water hammer compared to traditional magnetic solenoid valves.
The valve's construction from high-strength fiber-reinforced polymer ensures exceptional durability, designed to withstand environmental extremes and mechanical impacts common in agricultural environments. It also includes a tamper-proof flow rate adjustment mechanism, providing secure and consistent control over water application. For comprehensive water management, the Lumo Smart Valve supports integration with Pump Automation, enabling end-to-end irrigation control from the pump to the plant.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | High-strength fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Power Supply | Solar panel with backup battery system |
| Connectivity | Advanced wireless mesh network, cellular modem, mesh WiFi |
| Flow Meter | Integrated |
| Valve Actuation | Motor-driven |
| Valve Sizes | 2 inch, 4 inch |
| Flow Rate (2 inch valve) | 1.5 - 120 GPM |
| Flow Rate (4 inch valve) | 1.5 - 715 GPM |
| Minimum Operating Pressure | 15 PSI |
| Maximum Operating Pressure | 130 PSI |
| Maximum Water Temperature | 120℉ |
| Maximum Ambient Temperature | 130℉ |
| 2 Inch Fitting Type | 2 inch slip union on inlet and outlet |
| 4 Inch Fitting Type | Flange |
| Control | Automatic and manual control of valve state (open/closed) |
| Network | Peer-to-peer proprietary mesh network |
| Reporting | System reporting through internet |
Use Cases & Applications
The Lumo Smart Valve is versatile, designed to enhance irrigation practices across a variety of agricultural settings, particularly where precise water management and automation are critical. One primary application is in optimizing irrigation for specialty crops and vineyards. Growers in regions like Napa, Sonoma, Central Coast, Okanagan Valley, and Washington State can leverage the system for precise water delivery, ensuring optimal vine health and grape quality by providing just the right amount of water exactly when and where it’s needed.
Another key use case involves automating irrigation processes to reduce labor needs. Farmers can remotely control and monitor their entire irrigation system, minimizing the manual effort traditionally associated with opening and closing valves or checking flow rates in the field. This is particularly beneficial in regions facing labor shortages or for large-scale operations seeking to streamline their workforce.
The system is also crucial for real-time monitoring and adjustments of irrigation. With its integrated flow meter and cloud-managed software, farmers can accurately track water consumption and make immediate adjustments based on environmental conditions, crop needs, or regulatory requirements. This capability helps in preventing over- or under-irrigation, which can lead to significant water savings and improved crop yields.
Finally, the Lumo Smart Valve supports end-to-end irrigation automation from pump to plant. By integrating with pump automation systems, it allows for a holistic approach to water management, ensuring that water is efficiently moved from the source, through the distribution network, and precisely applied to the crops. This comprehensive control system is invaluable for optimizing operations in regions with limited water resources.
Strengths & Weaknesses
| Strengths ✅ | Weaknesses ⚠️ |
|---|---|
| Fully Autonomous & Solar-Powered: Operates wirelessly and independently, reducing energy costs and infrastructure needs. | Limited Valve Sizes: Currently available only in 2-inch and 4-inch sizes, which may not suit all irrigation system scales. |
| Integrated Design: Combines controller, valve, and flow/pressure sensors into one unit, simplifying installation and eliminating trenching for wires. | Proprietary Network: Relies on a proprietary mesh network, which might limit interoperability with some existing non-Lumo components. |
| Precision Water Management: Built-in flow meter and real-time monitoring enable optimal water usage and crop health. | Dependency on Solar/Battery: While robust, prolonged periods of low sunlight could impact battery performance without adequate charging. |
| Motor-Driven Actuation: Patented technology reduces power draw and water hammer, enhancing system longevity and efficiency. | Pricing Not Public: Requires direct inquiry for pricing, which can be a barrier for initial budget planning. |
| Remote Control & Visibility: Cloud-managed software provides 24/7 remote access and block-level insights via mobile or desktop. | |
| Durable Construction: Made from high-strength fiber-reinforced polymer, designed to withstand harsh agricultural environments. |
Benefits for Farmers
The adoption of the Lumo Smart Valve offers numerous tangible benefits for farmers, directly impacting their operational efficiency, resource management, and overall profitability. Farmers can achieve significant water savings through precision irrigation, ensuring that water is applied only when and where it's needed, reducing waste and contributing to environmental sustainability. The integrated flow meter provides accurate consumption data, enabling better water resource planning and compliance.
Reduced labor requirements are another major advantage, as the autonomous and remote-controlled nature of the system minimizes the need for manual valve adjustments and field checks. This frees up valuable labor for other critical farm tasks, addressing challenges in regions with limited labor availability. By automating irrigation schedules and allowing for remote adjustments, the system optimizes workforce allocation.
Furthermore, improved crop health and yields are a direct result of consistent and optimal water delivery. Preventing both over- and under-irrigation ensures that crops receive the ideal moisture levels, leading to healthier growth, reduced plant stress, and ultimately, higher quality and quantity of produce. The real-time alerts for abnormalities or leaks also help in quickly addressing issues that could otherwise impact crop health and water efficiency.
Economically, the Lumo Smart Valve is described as more affordable than traditional systems and cost-effective. The reduction in water, labor, and potential energy costs (through optimized pump operation) contributes to a strong return on investment. Its durable design and motor-driven actuation also mean lower maintenance costs and a longer operational lifespan for the irrigation infrastructure.
Integration & Compatibility
The Lumo Smart Valve is engineered for seamless integration into existing agricultural irrigation systems, minimizing disruption and maximizing compatibility. It supports various irrigation protocols, allowing it to adapt to diverse farming setups without requiring a complete overhaul of current infrastructure. The wireless design, which combines the controller, valve, and sensors into one unit, eliminates the need for extensive trenching and wiring, simplifying the integration process significantly.
Beyond its core function, the system offers robust connectivity through its advanced wireless mesh network and cellular modem, ensuring reliable communication across the farm and to the cloud-managed software. This cloud-based platform, "The Ops Center," provides complete visibility and control, acting as a central hub for managing all connected Lumo Smart Valves. Critically, the Lumo Smart Valve also integrates with Pump Automation systems, offering an end-to-end solution for irrigation control that spans from the water source to the individual plant. This comprehensive integration capability allows farmers to achieve a truly automated and optimized irrigation ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How does this product work? | The Lumo Smart Valve integrates a solar-powered controller, motor-driven valve, and flow/pressure sensors into a single, wireless unit. It communicates via a proprietary mesh network and cellular modem to a cloud-managed platform, allowing farmers to remotely monitor, control, and automate irrigation based on real-time data and predefined schedules. |
| What is the typical ROI? | While specific ROI varies, the Lumo Smart Valve is described as more affordable than traditional systems and cost-effective. It helps farmers achieve significant savings through optimized water usage, reduced labor requirements, improved crop health, and minimized equipment maintenance, leading to faster payback periods. |
| What setup/installation is required? | Installation is streamlined as the Lumo Smart Valve combines multiple components into one, eliminating the need for extensive trenching for wires and separate installations of controllers, valves, and flow meters. It's designed for seamless integration into existing irrigation systems, with support for various irrigation protocols. |
| What maintenance is needed? | The Lumo Smart Valve is built with high-strength, fiber-reinforced polymer for durability against environmental extremes. Its motor-driven actuation also reduces wear and tear. Regular checks for debris in the flow path and ensuring the solar panel is clean for optimal charging are generally recommended. |
| Is training required to use this? | The system features a user-friendly interface accessible via a dedicated mobile app or desktop platform. While initial orientation may be beneficial, the intuitive design aims to minimize the learning curve, allowing farmers to quickly gain control and visibility over their irrigation operations. |
| What systems does it integrate with? | The Lumo Smart Valve is designed for seamless integration into existing irrigation systems and is compatible with various irrigation protocols. It also offers integration with Pump Automation for comprehensive, end-to-end irrigation control from the pump to the plant. |
Pricing & Availability
The pricing for the Lumo Smart Valve is not publicly disclosed. Interested parties are encouraged to contact us via the Make inquiry button on this page to book a demo or request a personalized quote. Pricing can vary based on the specific configuration, the number of valves required, and the scale of the irrigation system being implemented. While specific figures are not available, the system is described as more affordable than traditional irrigation control systems and designed to be cost-effective in the long term.
Support & Training
Lumo Smart Valve provides comprehensive support to ensure optimal performance and user satisfaction. This typically includes technical assistance for installation, operation, and troubleshooting. While specific details on training programs are not provided, the user-friendly nature of the mobile app and desktop platform suggests an intuitive learning experience. Customers can expect resources and guidance to effectively manage their irrigation systems and leverage the full capabilities of the Lumo Smart Valve.
