ATB announced on 19 March 2026 that the first of two planned AgroHyd-X weather radars had been installed near Wünsdorf. The installation took place on 5 March and supports a project jointly coordinated with the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences.
The FURUNO X-band system is intended to resolve rainfall patterns at 100 by 100 metres. Following installation on an existing radio mast, the project entered calibration and testing. ATB's contribution includes integrating precipitation information into farm models and installing measurements of rainfall, canopy precipitation and soil moisture at partner farms.
Researchers are working with agricultural businesses and the German Weather Service to keep the tools relevant to practice. The objective is improved water-use decisions; the announcement did not present measured irrigation savings from deployment.
