An innovative which allows primary producers to monitor their water tanks, dams and diesel tanks remotely from their mobile phones or laptops is now available from Elders.
Elders has joined forces with technology developer Agbot as preferred distributor for its versatile tank level monitor, following more than 12 months of field testing by Elders staff in South Australia.
Catherine Chenoweth, Elders national technical services specialist, says the Agbot tank level monitor was developed collaboratively with industry and designed specifically for Australian conditions.
“The Agbot tank level monitor is robust, easy to install and affordable, providing alerts up to four times a day by utilising micro-satellite connectivity.
“The major benefit of these monitors is that they significantly reduce manual water runs and stockout situations, because they enable producers to know exactly how much water, diesel or liquid fertilisers they have on hand, property by property, from anywhere in Australia,” Ms Chenoweth said.
“They have the potential to save time and money by reducing the risk of pumps not running, pivots not turning and livestock waiting for water.
“They also allow producers to monitor on-farm deliveries and lower the potential for diesel theft, all adding up to better labour utilisation, enhanced productivity and peace of mind.”
Designed and manufactured in Queensland, Ms Chenoweth said the Agbot tank level monitors are suitable for farm operations of all sizes.
“We believe these monitors have an ideal fit on cattle stations and large farming operations where employees have been required to check water tanks and dams on a regular basis.
“But they are just as useful for absentee owners of smaller farms who want to keep an eye on their investments too.”
Ms Chenoweth said the Agbot sensors are safe, easy to install and built to last.
“The monitors are waterproof, fully encapsulated and engineered to perform in the harshest climates, in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +80°C.
“Users can set up email and SMS notifications for low and high level alerts, giving them full visibility of their farm liquids.
“The simple installation means Agbots can be up and running in 24 hours. We also like their portability, so they can be used time and time again across various measuring points with up to seven years of battery life.”
Elders agtech development officer, Andy Phelan led the field testing of the Agbot at the Struan Best Practice Demonstration Farm – a joint initiative between Elders and South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA).
“We found the Agbot simple to install and the data it captured was invaluable, particularly during summer when we were monitoring a diesel tank supplying an irrigation pump and one of the farm’s header tanks,” Mr Phelan said.
“Developing Agbot directly with farmers, the team has purpose-built a reliable liquid monitoring device, so keeping track of on-farm assets is now simple and more cost effective.”
