http://www.catchtalk.tv/events/agro-mechanics2014/videos/professor-royal-agricultural-university

1. PROFESSOR
TOBY
MOTTRAM
ROYAL
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITY

2. Agri-monitoring with
wireless sensor
networks
Professor Toby Mottram
Royal Agricultural University
Cirencester, England
Toby.mottram@rau.ac.uk

3. Rumen pH Bolus
l Invented in 2003 in UK
l First publication: Mottram et al., 2008
l Low pH means high digestible energy
- high energy ?
- High digestibility ?
- High sugar grasses ?
l Improves milk yields AND cow health
l Commercialised by 5 companies worldwide
l Www.ecow.co.uk
l Revising the diagnosis of SARA and ketosis

4. Rumen pH Bolus
l Inserted
by
mouth
l Retained
in
Re>culo-­‐rumen
l Data
downloaded
by
radio
l Uploaded
to
internet
l Analysed
and
interpreted

5. A high yielding herd
Low pH but regular feed pattern with cows not eating at night

6. Same herd after a feed
change
AEer
a
feed
change,
pH
is
higher
and
cows
eat
more
at
night

7. Temperature Measurement
Each drop in temperature is caused by a drinking event,
five a day is good, something was wrong here, it seems
the cows did not have close access to water at grass.

8. The Challenges
Soil moisture management
Improves crop growth
Reduces N2O emission
Drainage and irrigation control
Soil nutrient & pH measurement
Crop management
Water N measurement
Control pollution
Reduce algal bloom

9. History
Smartdust
A US DARPA project for military applications

10. Wireless Sensor Network
for soil water management

11. Next Stage
Biogradeable wireless nodes for soil and water
Multiple sensors per node
Better modelling to interpret data
Toby.mottram@rau.ac.uk
Sensors from www.ecow.co.uk