Camera technology to monitor grass growth
Innovative grass management technology from Anuland gives farmers the chance to tap into new camera technology to gain more precision and control of grassland management. At the moment, most farmers are walking farms weekly, visually measuring grass covers to allow them to estimate grass growth rates. It is time-consuming.
Anuland is an agtech startup based in Co Limerick and for the last two years it has been developing a new systemised approach to grass management.
Anuland claims its new technology helps farmers reduce time taking grass measurements but also can help to reduce fertiliser costs.
According to Anuland director David McDonnell, this tool offers first-of-its-kind camera technology that automatically measures grass and soil characteristics using AI vision technology, bespoke algorithms and machine learning.
How does it work? Through an app, the farmer takes an image of the grass anytime during his daily tasks. This image is paired with the Anuland Monitoring Station visual and soil sensors and transmitted to the Anuland Insights Platform, where bespoke grass measurement and soil data is processed and returned to the app. This results in grass management recommendations and soil quality characteristics in real time.
David McDonnell, Anuland director, with the Anuland grassland management hardware.
David said: “Farmers know that growing more grass equals lower costs and higher profits but time and labour constraints mean only a small percentage are currently measuring grass. Our camera technology enables farmers to measure their grass on the go and keep on top of their grass management decisions.”
The Anuland service is based on a monthly subscription and once-off installation fee. The initial cost includes the Anuland Monitoring Station, the Insights Platform and the Anuland App. A user signs up to a 36-month minimum term and pays a one-off installation cost of €495 and then €175 per month, or €2,100/year. At the moment, there is a special launch offer which means that if you order now you will receive three months’ subscription for free worth €175 per month for a new subscription starting in January 2020. There is an opt-out option after 12 months if the device is not working for your farm.
Strongbo removes weighing dilemma
Weighing cattle – whether they are suckler- or dairy-bred – can be a dangerous job unless facilities are excellent and you have plenty of help around the yard. In the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena at the Ploughing, Adam Woods spoke to one entrepreneur who is taking the hassle out of weighing and making it a lot safer.
Strongbo is an Irish company set up by mechanical engineer Michael McInerney and software developer Ivan Wahirab. Michael grew up on a beef farm in Co Galway and was always interested in mechanics and how things were designed and made.
Weigh scales
The product is a standalone solar-powered weigh scales with a drinker attached so animals have to stand on to the scales to be weighed. Animals are EID-tagged and the reader on the unit identifies the animal when the animal steps on to the weigh scales.
The unit captures the animal’s weight and sends it to a cloud-based database developed by the Strongbo team. The database then processes the data into user-friendly reports, so farmers can view the data whenever they want. The beauty of the system is that it reduces the labour required to weigh cattle on a beef farm and obviously makes the job a lot safer.
The weighing system can take hundreds of weights daily and use these data points to generate an accurate weighing report.
The unit can be used indoors and outdoors and comes on a platform, so it doesn’t have to be levelled in a field-based scenario. Artificial intelligence is able to determine whether two animals are on the scales at the same time and cancel out that weight.
The ability to know what is happening with weight gain in a group of animals is hugely beneficial to farmers and could lead to management decisions being made quicker to rectify poor weight gain. The system has the ability for others such as nutritionists or farm advisers to log in to your account and analyse the weight data. The system is retailing around €3,100 and is still in the testing and development stage.
Read more
Making solutions work for the farm
Camera technology to monitor grass growth
Innovative grass management technology from Anuland gives farmers the chance to tap into new camera technology to gain more precision and control of grassland management. At the moment, most farmers are walking farms weekly, visually measuring grass covers to allow them to estimate grass growth rates. It is time-consuming.
Anuland is an agtech startup based in Co Limerick and for the last two years it has been developing a new systemised approach to grass management.
Anuland claims its new technology helps farmers reduce time taking grass measurements but also can help to reduce fertiliser costs.
According to Anuland director David McDonnell, this tool offers first-of-its-kind camera technology that automatically measures grass and soil characteristics using AI vision technology, bespoke algorithms and machine learning.
How does it work? Through an app, the farmer takes an image of the grass anytime during his daily tasks. This image is paired with the Anuland Monitoring Station visual and soil sensors and transmitted to the Anuland Insights Platform, where bespoke grass measurement and soil data is processed and returned to the app. This results in grass management recommendations and soil quality characteristics in real time.
David McDonnell, Anuland director, with the Anuland grassland management hardware.
David said: “Farmers know that growing more grass equals lower costs and higher profits but time and labour constraints mean only a small percentage are currently measuring grass. Our camera technology enables farmers to measure their grass on the go and keep on top of their grass management decisions.”
The Anuland service is based on a monthly subscription and once-off installation fee. The initial cost includes the Anuland Monitoring Station, the Insights Platform and the Anuland App. A user signs up to a 36-month minimum term and pays a one-off installation cost of €495 and then €175 per month, or €2,100/year. At the moment, there is a special launch offer which means that if you order now you will receive three months’ subscription for free worth €175 per month for a new subscription starting in January 2020. There is an opt-out option after 12 months if the device is not working for your farm.
Strongbo removes weighing dilemma
Weighing cattle – whether they are suckler- or dairy-bred – can be a dangerous job unless facilities are excellent and you have plenty of help around the yard. In the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena at the Ploughing, Adam Woods spoke to one entrepreneur who is taking the hassle out of weighing and making it a lot safer.
Strongbo is an Irish company set up by mechanical engineer Michael McInerney and software developer Ivan Wahirab. Michael grew up on a beef farm in Co Galway and was always interested in mechanics and how things were designed and made.
Weigh scales
The product is a standalone solar-powered weigh scales with a drinker attached so animals have to stand on to the scales to be weighed. Animals are EID-tagged and the reader on the unit identifies the animal when the animal steps on to the weigh scales.
The unit captures the animal’s weight and sends it to a cloud-based database developed by the Strongbo team. The database then processes the data into user-friendly reports, so farmers can view the data whenever they want. The beauty of the system is that it reduces the labour required to weigh cattle on a beef farm and obviously makes the job a lot safer.
The weighing system can take hundreds of weights daily and use these data points to generate an accurate weighing report.
The unit can be used indoors and outdoors and comes on a platform, so it doesn’t have to be levelled in a field-based scenario. Artificial intelligence is able to determine whether two animals are on the scales at the same time and cancel out that weight.
The ability to know what is happening with weight gain in a group of animals is hugely beneficial to farmers and could lead to management decisions being made quicker to rectify poor weight gain. The system has the ability for others such as nutritionists or farm advisers to log in to your account and analyse the weight data. The system is retailing around €3,100 and is still in the testing and development stage.
Read more
Making solutions work for the farm
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