Move the sliders and watch the two things Vorterra changes — water bought and yield sold — priced against your own operation. The defaults come from the University of Arizona trial and multi-season commercial results; replace them with your numbers.
Lease pricing is quoted per site — set this to whatever you're quoted and the math updates.
Illustrative model, not a forecast or a quote. Water-savings and yield ranges are informed by the University of Arizona Yuma factorial evaluation (yield +6.8% to +20.5%; water productivity up to +23.1%) and multi-season commercial results; crop water use and gross value per acre are planning defaults you should replace with your own. One unit covers roughly 25 irrigated acres, sized by flow. Outcomes vary by soil, crop, water source and season — the pilot protocol exists to produce your own metered number.
The University of Arizona's controlled factorial trial measured yield gains across every treatment pair — the calculator's yield slider sits inside that range by default.
Best-case water productivity improvement in the same trial — more tons per acre-inch. The pilot protocol targets a 25–30% metered reduction on a demo block.
Units are leased, not purchased — Vorterra retains title, calibration and service, with a 10-year warranty. The cost sits in operating, so the ratio above is the whole story.