Irrigation and crop store monitors bring peace of mind and free up time

Tim Young’s family bought Grange Farm at Hockwold, near Thetford in Norfolk in 1964. The 185ha unit consists of typical ‘Breckland’ free-draining, sandy-loam soils and supports root crops including onions and sugar beet. Combinable peas, wheat and stewardship land also figure in the rotation. The farm is within a designated SSSI – the Breckland Farmland Site  of Special Scientific Interest.

Alongside farming, Tim (pictured) also works as an agricultural consultant, meaning time spent off-farm. In the past this has been difficult, especially in the peak summer growing season when high value crops such as onions require irrigation. Adding to Tim’s anxiety levels, albeit later in the year, were concerns regarding his onion storage facilities – were they holding the onions at the correct temperature and humidity to minimise wastage?

“Onions in particular are a high value crop,” Tim comments. “Managing irrigation to optimise yields is crucial. Then, when the crop is in storage, it is imperative that the ambient temperatures are controlled or the crop can be lost.

“The summer months, especially in times of drought, saw me increasingly reluctant to leave the farm in case I missed a problem with an irrigator. Likewise, I would go to bed with one ear open to listen to the irrigation pumps. Then in the autumn and winter, regular monitoring of the stored onions was tedious, time consuming and it was difficult to achieve accurate results across the store.”

Making life easier

Seeking a solution and some peace of mind, an internet search brought Tim to the website of SoilEssentials, the precision farming specialists and its range of 7Sense smart wireless sensors.

“I had an inkling that some sort of remote monitoring sensors, for the irrigators and for the onion store could make my life a lot easier. The sorts of systems I had previously come across did not seem as though they would be right for me. However, when I found the 7Sense sensors on the SoilEssentials website I could see their potential immediately.

“Following my initial enquiry to SoilEssentials they supplied me with 7Sense irrigation sensors. I can’t believe how easy to operate they are. They mounted on my existing rain guns and I now have complete control and monitoring without having to constantly go to the field to check what’s happening. The GPS tracker in the sensor lets me monitor the exact position of the rain gun at all times; I am alerted if there is a drop in water pressure or flow and there is even an alert if the trolley flips over. Basically, I can now keep an eye on the irrigator from anywhere and respond straight away if the system reports a problem.

“I have also given my agronomists access to the sensor monitoring app, so nothing goes unnoticed.

“In the height of the heatwave last summer and the four-night only water restrictions, I had to make sure I capitalised fully when I was allowed to use water and that the irrigators worked accurately and consistently at those times. The 7Sense irrigation sensor allowed this to happen, which is satisfying, as I foresee more of the same extraordinary temperatures, and probable restrictions in the future.”

Irrigation sensor in-situ at JS Young Farms.

Sensors “simplified my farming”

The next step for Tim, after solving his irrigator monitoring headache, was to speak to SoilEssentials again about options for onion store monitoring sensors.

“For the onion store, SoilEssentials supplied 7Sense sensors which monitor temperature, relative humidity, and CO2. Like the irrigator sensors these store sensors offer me 24/7 surveillance and peace of mind and will alert me if conditions in the store change. This system allows up to 32 sensors to be placed in locations throughout the store, all relaying information back to the app on my phone. What I’m particularly impressed with is how rugged and waterproof the sensors are and their ability to utilise wireless signals even through the walls and other obstructions around the stores.

“I am delighted with how both of my 7Sense systems have simplified my farming and allowed me to spend more time doing other things without worrying about onions! The recent FTE government grant helped to fund the sensors as the products fall within the productivity and sustainability precision farming arena. In the future I plan to add storage sensors to the grain store for registering the temperature, and relative humidity of the wheat, that will greatly help with my Red Tractor certification.”

He concludes: “SoilEssentials have their main office in north-east Scotland, but they have a consultant, Ed, less than an hour away from me and the advice and support I have had, and still get, from their whole team is great, making the distance between us irrelevant.”