Goanna Ag acquires GroGuru to expand US irrigation technology footprint

Goanna Ag, the Australian irrigation technology company with a growing presence in the United States, has acquired California-based GroGuru, a soil moisture monitoring specialist, in a move aimed at strengthening its position in the US row crop market.

Founded in 2014, GroGuru has deployed its patented wireless underground communication technology across hundreds of farm operations in the Midwest and South. The permanently installed sensors deliver multi-year soil moisture data, giving growers detailed insight into water retention and irrigation needs.

Goanna Ag, which has built its reputation on irrigation scheduling tools for cotton growers in Australia and the Southern US, said the acquisition would enhance its GoField platform by combining canopy temperature monitoring with GroGuru’s long-term soil data.

“The addition of GroGuru’s technology and knowledge base into our GoField system is a significant step towards having the most all-encompassing irrigation decision-making tool on the market,” said Derek Brazda, Goanna Ag’s vice president of US sales and operations.

GroGuru’s chief agronomist, David Sloane, who will join Goanna Ag as part of the deal, called the combination a breakthrough. “The combination of GoField’s canopy temperature tool with GroGuru’s permanently installed probes will be able to unlock insights that we’ve never had before,” he said.

The acquisition comes as Goanna Ag is in its fifth season of US expansion, targeting cotton, corn, soybean, peanut, sorghum, and specialty crop markets. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.