Telemetry
What is it and how can it help me manage center pivots and other farm systems?
Merriam- Webster defines telemetry as the science or process of telemetering data. So, what is telemetering? Telemetering is an electrical apparatus for measuring quantity (such as pressure, speed, or temperature) and transmitting the result especially by radio to a distant location. Gadgets that transmit data that allow us to monitor or control equipment from a distance.
With a center pivot irrigation system, we can see where a pivot is located and what direction it is moving in. We can also turn the machine on or off. This tool can be extremely helpful and time saving, especially if you have numerous machines and or have substantial distances between them.
AgSense telemetry equipment is most known for controlling center pivots, but here is a list of several applications that may utilized in various places on your farm:
Irrigation – Supervise and manage your irrigation systems from anywhere.
Pump and Auxiliary Control – Stay in control of water, fertilizer, manure or other farm pumps.
Flow and Pressure – Watch how much water is being pumped.
Soil Moisture – Monitor soil moisture to assist in irrigation scheduling or other field activities.
Weather – Keep tabs on weather conditions including wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain, barometric pressure, and solar radiation.
Tank Levels – Knowing levels in your ponds or tanks can be helpful in keeping your operation running smoothly by preventing overflows or shortages that disrupt schedules.
Theft Monitoring – Notifications can be sent if span cables are cut, even if the center pivot is powered off, helping you to deter vandalism and theft. This can also be applied to grain systems to monitor unauthorized grain removal.
Grain Bins – Remote monitoring of grain temperature can keep you informed without making countless trips to your grain storage bins.
Water Use Reporting – Having center pivots on AgSense equipment will make water use and reporting much simpler and more accurate.
The use of this technology provides remote management capabilities that can be beneficial to your operation. With regards to center pivot irrigation, you can greatly reduce the number of trips to the field while still tracking and controlling this equipment. What this equipment does not replace is good communication with your staff members and custom applicators. We repair many pivot crashes every year on both machines with and without telemetry equipment. The majority of these problems can be remedied with good communication. Multiple pivots collide with each other or make contact with field equipment left in the path of a moving center pivot. If you are running your machines remotely, make sure all employees are aware of the schedule and avoid costly breakdowns from crashes. It is also a good idea to go to the field occasionally and check on the proper function of sprinklers, end guns and corner arms. Good uniform water application can pay great dividends in a high yielding crops without extra pumping expense.
About the Author
Pete is the marketing manager for Michigan Valley Irrigation, having joined the company in 2016. He was raised on a dairy farm in western New York and graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in agricultural economics. His entire working career of over 37 years has been involved in agriculture. A farmer helping farmers. When away from Michigan Valley he operates, Joyful Noise Farm, a small livestock and produce farm and spends time with his family.
