Tech tools helping farmers adapt to our changing climate

Our farmers are on the front lines when it comes to feeling the impacts of increasing climate variability, but a NSW Department of Primary Industries project is aiming to equip them with the tools they need to better respond to our changing climate.

The Climate-Smart Pilots project, which is part of the NSW Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy, involves establishing a freely accessible wireless sensor network across the region.

Network gateways installed around Orange, Bathurst and Molong are allowing local farmers to connect a range of battery powered sensors to monitor everything from rainfall, temperature and light conditions to water levels in individual dams and troughs.

“It is looking at ways in which we can utilise technology to provide farmers with the tools to better deal with climate variability and in the future provide better information for management of that variability under current and future climates,” said Dr Allen Benter, who is leading the project.

“We've already got a number of farmers connected with tank monitors so that they can see remotely where the water level is in their tank wherever they are. We are setting up some light meters for an apple and cherry orchard, so that they can see the impacts of their shading experiments, whether it be through greater canopy growth on their plants, or using netting to protect their orchard from the summer heat”

In another example at Bateman’s Bay, sensors in the water give real time data to oyster farmers on temperature and salinity.

“The way most farmers are going to experience climate change is through an increase in variability” said Dr Benter. “By being able to respond to extreme events in the short term, gives farmers a chance to deal with those impacts today, and over time it will also give them that extra knowledge of how things are changing so they then can adapt their operations to suit the changing climate.”

And if rainfall patterns continue to shift over the coming years, tracking local rainfall data will mean farmers can better adapt their operations to the changing conditions on farm, said Dr Benter.

Dr Benter’s team have been setting up a number of demonstration sites across the Central West and they are keen to help interested farmers take advantage of the public network.

“Farmers can purchase their own sensors and put them onto this network at a very low cost and low risk, because we'll provide a lot of the training for that, and they can experiment with those sensors on their own properties and see what it means for them and how they can best use them,” said Dr Benter, who said basic sensors can cost as little as $50.

“The other aspect of this particular network is it is very low power… these devices can run off a small battery for quite some years before having to have that battery replaced.

“And the data is encrypted so even though it comes across a public network, nobody can access the data without all the relevant security keys.”

And it is not just farmers, local councils are also very interested in the technology, said Dr Benter. Proposed uses include parking monitors, water meters, and rubbish bin sensors.

“So instead of having to send out trucks to empty all rubbish bins whether they are full or empty, this way they are only directed to empty those that are actually full,” said Dr Benter. “So councils become much more efficient using the resources that they’ve got.”

Information on the project is available at  www.farmdecisiontech.net.au and starting early next year Dr Benter said they will be running workshops in and around Orange and Bathurst to demonstrate the technology to farmers and the community.

“Next year it should really kick off and be a lot more visible for farmers,” said Dr Benter.

“Through those workshops we'll show them how they can participate and trial this on their own properties. We are quite looking forward to that; it will be very interesting to get people on board and see them experiment and develop new technologies for agriculture and aquaculture.”

Further information on the NSW Department of Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy is available at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/climate-and-emergencies/climate-change-research-strategy