Potato production plays a key role in South Africa’s food supply, yet producers are confronted with unpredictable weather, rising costs, and ongoing disease risks. To tackle these challenges, many farming operations are adopting data-driven approaches. By using real-time data from weather stations and combining it with local forecasts, producers can make better decisions, improve efficiency, and manage risk more effectively.
To support this, Metos SA has established a network of solar-powered weather stations across South Africa. These units provide producers with real-time data for their specific farms, measuring temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, and leaf wetness. This data is compiled in FieldClimate, the Metos® visualisation platform, which features a range of handy tools, solutions, and reports. One particularly useful feature allows producers to activate a local weather forecast that is linked to the nearest weather station on their farm.
By bringing these technologies together, weather data is transformed into a practical decision-making tool that helps producers plan ahead. By making early adjustments, they can improve irrigation, better protect their crops, and manage diseases before they escalate.
Data-backed management
Good water management is crucial for growing potatoes; too little or too much water can hurt both yield and quality. With real-time evapotranspiration (ET₀) data, soil moisture monitoring, and short-term weather forecasts, producers can irrigate their crops based on what the plants actually need, rather than relying on a set schedule. Applying this hyper-localised weather data enables more efficient water use, thereby securing better yields. It also saves valuable resources by aligning irrigation with crop requirements based on current and upcoming weather.
Weather heavily influences potato diseases such as early and late blight, which spread more easily when leaves stay wet for extended periods and at mild temperatures. Combining real-time data with disease models enables producers to apply fungicides at the optimal time, leading to better financial outcomes, regulatory compliance, and improved crop protection practices.
Topographical factors can cause weather to vary significantly, even across small areas. Farm-specific and hyper-localised forecasts help turn climatic data from these microclimates into more accurate actions. Furthermore, because frost is a major risk – especially for young plants – real-time alerts enable quick responses when temperatures drop suddenly, enabling timely protective action during frost events.
New weather stations
Potatoes SA is expanding its weather monitoring network in Limpopo by adding 30 new Metos SA weather stations in key potato-growing areas. These stations will provide important data, including improved frost forecasts, early- and late blight risk alerts, and seven-day ET₀ demand predictions. The project is driven by the industry, with partnerships already supporting 15 of the current stations.
The Metos SA team and its network of service centres ensure that every weather station receives continuous support. In addition to the Metos® hardware, FieldClimate combines sensors, satellite data, and forecasts on a single platform. This makes it simple for producers, consultants, and advisors to access mobile alerts, dashboards, and custom reports. Metos SA is committed to making climate intelligence widely accessible across the industry.
The future of potato farming
With climate conditions growing increasingly challenging, combining real-time data with hyper-local insights will be key to smart crop management. Climate intelligence networks do more than assist with daily tasks; they support long-term sustainability.
As more weather stations are added and data is collected, the feedback drives smarter choices, lower input costs, and greater resilience to changing weather patterns. Advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive modelling will make climate intelligence even easier to employ at the farm level. By embracing climate intelligence, South African potato producers are not only adapting to change but also helping to build a more profitable, sustainable, and robust future for the industry. – Emile Jordaan, general manager, Metos SA
For more information, send an email to the author at ejordaan@metos.co.za or visit www.metos.co.za