XLRator is pleased to announce the continued success of its SEA Cluster Initiative that brings together the tech and farming industry, educational institutes and regional businesses to develop AI-enabled products and software for the local economy.
With the introduction of new regulations in BC, farmers face issues identifying and remedying nutrient management problems. There is a need to analyze and determine the best ways to tackle challenges with better accuracy of results. Agrilyze has developed a soil macronutrient detection device in collaboration with SFU students and as a part of XLRator’s SEA Cluster Initiative. The device aims to help the team better understand managing manure application while joining the local farming community and industry to develop an infrastructure used for data collection.
By keeping track of actual NPK content, crop production can be optimized, and environmental pollution can be avoided. The team has created a sensor to monitor NPK content in animal slurry and soil and water samples instead of crude estimates or tedious nonspecific, off-site laboratory analysis.
The device detects soil macronutrient levels, promotes plants’ growth in different ways, allows for individual soil samples around the farm, and provides a low-cost way to obtain results from soil or water. This is important for farmers as these elements are also regulated by local municipalities. Monitoring will also prevent the overuse of fertilizers and allow farmers to plant the right crop. It will also assist dairy and poultry farming as excess manure washout to the aquifers is a challenge in the Fraser Valley.
Agrilyze maps, SaaS technology and data analytics reveal a unique and synergistic approach to an environmental challenge – farmers are looking for real insight into specific parts of the field. Typical sampling may provide different results or merely an average. With this sensor, results can be tracked over time, allowing farmers to determine what outcomes their actions are causing while producing healthier & larger yields.
BENEFITS TO FARMERS:
- Improve yields and profitability
- Increase consistency of nutrient availability across a field
- Promote more uniform crop growth
- Develop more uniform plant maturity
- Allow fine-tuning of which nutrients are most needed
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:
- Gain more efficient use of plant nutrients to prevent losses from leaching or runoff into waterways
- Improve plant residue to help build soil and save it from wind and water erosion
- Provide the right level of nutrients to help increase yields and reduce the need for farming marginal land
For more information, please visit: www.agrilyze.ca
