How grain growers can control their marketing position

02-11-2021 | Crop solutions | Article

Growers can put TeleSense spears with multiple sensors in a silo or bunker and monitor the quality of their grain. - Photo: TeleSense

New technology can offer grain growers and handlers more control over their marketing position, says Executive Chairman Marcus Kennedy of TeleSense Australia.

“The traditional way was to take a look at it, see if there is moisture or any bugs, and smell or taste it”, Mr Kennedy explains. “But now farmers can put our spear or spider with multiple sensors on or in a silo or bunker and monitor the quality. This gives them the ability to wait until they get a better price.”

TeleSense offers users an intuitive app, with easy-to-use software. Growers or handlers get a real time insight of the temperature, moisture and Carbon Dioxide in grain. The app utilises machine learning algorithms to detect and mitigate potential grain storage problems such as hotspots, excess moisture and pests.

Mr Kennedy says that big grain handlers like CBH and GrainCorp and smaller handlers in Australia are already using the technology.

“They have been trialling our multi-sensor spears. That has been going very well. If you have a big 10,000-ton bunker, you can put 20 spears in there and know from what end of the bunker it is best to take the grain out first.”

Also read: TeleSense: Taking the guesswork out of grain storage

In addition to these bulk handlers TeleSense targets the on-farm storage market; 35% of the grain storage in Australia has been stored on-farm over the last ten years. Mr Kennedy emphasises that grain marketers, traders and exporters don’t have a good insight in the quality of this stored grain.

Smart bin

CEO Naeem Zafar of TeleSense: “With a pest or infestation the CO2 levels start to rise within hours.” - Photo: TeleSense — CEO Naeem Zafar of TeleSense: “With a pest or infestation the CO2 levels start to rise within hours.” – Photo: TeleSense

“The main interest we get is for the high value products wheat, barley and canola. And canola is combustible, so it is very important to know when it is heating up. We’ve had some losses in eastern Australia.”

TeleSense is using algorithms to refine its products. It will also introduce a device that creates a ‘smart bin’ to collect the data, analyse conditions and make its own adjustments to rectify an issue if found. “It will actually learn and give certain recommended actions to an operations manager or grower”, Mr Kennedy says.

According to co-founder and CEO Naeem Zafar of TeleSense the wireless sensing, carbon dioxide sensing and advanced analytics of TeleSense are unique. “We do what nobody else does”, he says. “We now have about 550 businesses using it, farmers and grain handlers. We have over 5,000 devices deployed in many countries.”

The so-called spider has been introduced about three months ago. “It’s a machine learning cable free solution for grain management”, Mr Zafar says. “Cables break, they are unreliable and usually only help to tell you the temperature. The spider also detects the air, as it moves through the grain mass, and tells you the carbon dioxide levels at the entrance and exit of the silo. That way we can tell what is happening inside. Each silo has its own profile. AI helps to predict when the grain will spoil for example.”

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TeleSense offers users an intuitive app, with easy-to-use software. - Photo: TeleSense

CO2 levels

Mr Zafar says the carbon dioxide monitoring gives users an ‘exciting implement’. “Because it can take weeks before a hotspot touches a temperature cable. But with a pest or infestation the CO2 levels start to rise within hours. This gives an early indicator so you can take corrective action sooner.”

TeleSense can provide a quality matrix for the different participants in the supply chain, Mr Zafar points out. “Suppose you get an order for 5,000 tons of wheat, and you have wheat stored in 52 bins and 11 locations. You are only going to empty 7 bins. Which bins should you empty? That’s a complicated decision, depending on customer specification, the quality of grain and the quantity in each of the 52 bins, the cost of labour and logistics from the locations and the anticipated quality of the grain three or six months out in each of the bins. When you have this information, you can make a smart decision. We collect all this data.”

Mr Zafar says that every grower in Australia should have a look at new technology because the competition will also be using it. “Our technology has a strong presence in the US and Europe. We expected the same from Australia but the interest has not been as great there as elsewhere. It would be wise to have a look because this is a world market. And the technology has been proven.”

‘Greater confidence for customers’

Gavin Owens: “After harvest I use the system for monitoring the progression of the cooling process.” – Photo: Gavin Owens

Farmer Gavin Owens has been using TeleSense for nearly ten years on his farm In Ireland, about an hour southeast of Dublin. “It’s an early warning system of problems”, he says.
Mr Owens houses 65,000 ton of grain, which he stores in eight large storage units and four smaller units. He cultivates over 400 hectare of barley, rye, feed wheat, malting barley and oilseed rape. Half is sold for animal feed consumption and half is sold to the food industry. Mr Owens is one of Guinness’ trusted suppliers.
The farmer from Ireland uses three base stations and 120 TeleSense ball sensors and spears for monitoring humidity and temperature. With this setup he can continuously monitor his grain quality. “After harvest I use the system for monitoring the progression of the cooling process”, he explains. “And it’s an early warning system of problems. There might be insects for example.”
His customers can also see the information about the grain condition during storage. “If a customer sees that you take every precaution possible, then you are rewarded with greater confidence”, Mr Owen says.
Mr Owens uses the TeleSense web platform for monitoring his grain, which he can access on his phone, iPad and PC. He plans to migrate to the app in the future. “The interface I use now is quite good”, he says. “The only problem I had as an early adopter, was that the documentation on how to use the sensors was very limited. I did not have a troubleshooting guide. There is a right way and a wrong way to use the sensors.”
Eventually Mr Owens found the configuration that works best for his situation and storage facilities. “For example, the ball sensors have no external antenna for the most part. Their range is much more limited than the range of the spears. For me, the solution was to put some spears in every storage unit.”
Mr Owens says he saved on energy costs by having a very good idea of the temperature profile of his grain. “The closer we can keep to the contracted specifications for moisture and temperature, the lower our bill for consumed energy… It’s as much a matter of economics as quality.”
But the main reason for using TeleSense is quality control, he emphasises. “It’s a very fine line between preserving the integrity of grain and having grain with large insect infestations in it because it wasn’t cooled quick enough. Even in long term storage during summer, high temperatures can create issues in storage. ”
TeleSense provides Mr Owens and his customers with multiple samples per day. It gives him a good overview of the condition of the grain, he points out. “You can even see the circadian rhythm of the grain in storage. Particularly in the first 600 mm below the surface.”
Mr Owens owns his TeleSense equipment and pays a yearly fee per sensor and for use of the platform. He is pleased with the technology of TeleSense. “They have improved their offering over time. I find the spears very good, as well as the interface. The information on the platform is readily available and easy to read.”