The state’s peak farming organisation, the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, welcomed today’s launch of the first full-scale trial of the Sense-T system that brings 21st century sensing technology to Tasmanian agriculture.
The so-called alpha trial at Houston’s Farm at Richmond combines hundreds of sensors in the paddock in each system with smartphone apps. The sensors measure temperature, humidity, soil moisture, leaf wetness and solar radiation and feed the information back to the farmer’s hand.
“It takes the guesswork out of farming,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said today.
“It has enormous relevance to our vineyards, dairy farms, horticulture and broadacre pasture and cropping.
“Once the trial is assessed, the technology will be made available to more and more farmers here, giving them an even greater market edge.
“This is clever farming in the truest sense. We are transferring leading university and CSIRO research straight into the hands of farmers, who will also have practical input into the final design.”
Jan Davis, TFGA CEO.
