AGROTECH - Institute for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Streaming Land Trials for AgroTech, Institute for Agriculture and Food Innovation.
AgroTech A/S, a Danish Government Authorised Technology Service Institute, provides private companies operating in the agricultural and food processing sectors including primary producers and suppliers, access to advanced technology. Services AgroTech provides to primary producers and suppliers include: access to trials and tests, demonstration of new technology and other basic services.
“With the new WORKABOUT PRO we can now, as mentioned, modify the trial and continue as we just watch out for two things at the same time. It is very important for a fast and efficient communication of important knowledge to the farmers.”- Birgitte Feld Mikkelsen, AgroTech
The Challenge:
- Dansk Landbrug (Danish Agriculture), AgroTech and Landscentret have used handheld computers from Psion Teklogix for many years for registration in Land Trials carried out in conjunction with local agricultural centres.
- AgroTech faced both an increase in the amount of data being captured in the field and in the range of land trials being carried out. As a result, they required a new, robust, feature rich and ergonomic mobile solution.
- The new solution needed to meet all the specifications defined by AgroTech as sensitive for their operations. AgroTech required:
o A robust handheld with watertight unit
o An ergonomic, easy to use handheld with a display that is easy to read in all conditions, particularly outdoors and in sunlight
o A handheld with a high capacity battery to ensure a full day of productivity for workers out in the field
Solution
- AgroTech replaced its fleet of handheld computers with Psion Teklogix’ WORKABOUT PRO.
- Data is registered in the fields, transferred via Internet – field workers type the data in the handheld and transfer through a network to a central database at AgroTech. The results are then calculated and accessible for further processing.
Benefits
- Access to real time information
- Quickly and efficient delivery of important information to farmers. For instance, the new technology makes it possible for AgroTech to modify trials on the go. Previously if AgroTech was testing for fungus in a crop and found other irregularities during that trial they would have stopped the trial and started again the following year. With the new WORKABOUT PRO, AgroTech can now modify the trial and continue work while watching for other irregularities. As a result, farmers receive the most current crop information.
- Robust functionality and ergonomics ensure a full day of productivity in the field.
