Surfing the British Potato CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY GPS receiver against theft Soil moisture sensor indispensable for optimum cultivation More GPS news at British Potato deals with the ifarmer tracker from the Buffaload company. This is a small GPS receiver which can be mounted in a tractor or some other valuable piece of equipment to keep track of its whereabouts. In the first place, this device is to prevent theft, as you can read at www.ifarmer.co.uk. Tractors, but also harvesting machines and potato lifters are valuable machines that are not easy to trace after their disappearance. One of the reasons is the absence of a proper registration number/chassis number registration. With the GPS unit mounted in an invisible spot, locating the machines has now become easy. What it does is that each minute the position of the tractor, its speed and the trajectory is registered. As well as that, extra data can be linked to the unit such as the fuel tank level, fuel usage, hours driven and an emergency signal. The data that the ifarmer tracker registers can be read out on every computer and/or mobile phone via the internet. An additional benefit of this tracker application is that insurance companies often give discounts on insurance premiums. Peter White may only have a small stand at British Potato, but he is getting a remarkable number of visitors. Many British potato growers, promotion officers and company managers seem to know him and his water management products quite well. One of his latest and most attention-catching water techniques is the soil moisture sensor. This is a long, hi-tech rod of approximately one metre in length, which is fitted with six sensor electrodes. These electrodes measure the moisture content at a depth of 10, 20 and 30 centimetres. Every thirty minutes, they complete a measurement. The data can be read out in figures and diagrams via the internet on a computer or mobile phone. This instrument enables the timely detection of a water shortage in a crop, so that one can start irrigating early enough. The rod can also be used to carry out fertilisation at the right moment. The sensor can also be linked to management systems that operate with satellite maps. It is a measuring instrument that is, in fact, an indispensible component for optimising modern cultivation equipment. Tests have shown that the sensor application can prevent crop stress and consequently result in fewer stress-related pests and diseases. More information about this water management product from Peter White can be found on his website: www.irrgationworld2000.com. More efficient and quicker weighing with NewTec 4900 NewTec, the manufacturer of weighing and grading machinery had picked British Potato to present its new 4009 weigher. This weigher is quicker, more efficient and more maintenance-friendly than the previous version. With 5 portions of 2,5 kilograms, its capacity has been increased to 55 per minute. Furthermore, the transport of the potatoes forward to the weighing trays flows better thanks to a new transport system with sensor control. Another new feature is that the weighing trays can be removed for maintenance or cleaning with one hand movement. They are also provided with a more durable plastic interior. 18 Potato World 2010 • number 2 Pagina 17
Pagina 19Voor archief, online onderwijscatalogi en magazines zie het Online Touch content management beheersysteem systeem. Met de mogelijkheid voor een e-commerce shop in uw drukwerk.
Potatoworld 2010/2 Lees publicatie 16Home