BayWa digitizes grain storage, alarm when the grain gets too hot

BayWa AG will use smart thermometers for the storage of grain and oilseeds in the future. To control cooling and ventilation in the silo in real-time, the company will equip 20 collection sites in Franconia, East Bavaria, Upper Bavaria, and Württemberg with intelligent sensors by this year’s harvest. These are linked to an app that immediately alerts the silo master if the temperature in the grain storage rises critically. This year alone, at least 300,000 tons of agricultural products at BayWa will be digitally monitored. For the silo master, the use of technology means significant relief in ensuring the quality of the grain. Energy savings in grain cooling are also possible.

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Javelot: ‘BayWa is a lighthouse for the German market’

The system was developed by the French AgTech company Javelot, which is already well-represented in France with its silo sensors. “Germany is also an important producer of high-quality grain, making the market very attractive for our system,” says Roberto Schumann, Javelot’s head of operations in Germany.

BayWa has already gained experience with Javelot in five pilot operations in Germany. So far, it has been largely common practice for the silo master to manually measure and record the grain’s temperature at regular intervals. Javelot’s silo sensors continuously monitor the heat development: an early warning system detects potential hot spots in the silo, specifically locates the affected zone, and reports the exact temperature as well as the rate of temperature increase. With partially automated control of coolers and fans, the silo master can optimize the temperature without energy loss. For optimal storage and preservation of value, the temperature in the silo should be 13 degrees Celsius or lower.

‘Every ton of grain is needed in the world’

“Even if there is currently enough grain available globally, it remains challenging in the medium to long term to meet the growing demand of an increasing world population,” says Jörg-Simon Immerz, Chief Trading Officer at BayWa AG. “For this, we would need a record harvest every year in the main growing regions of the world.” However, climate change and, at least in the EU, efforts to manage agriculture more extensively in the future speak against this. Immerz: “Every ton of grain is needed. The world cannot afford unnecessary losses, which underscores the importance of high-quality, as loss-free as possible storage.”