BOOSTING IRISH CONTRACTORS

SMART FENCING

Fencing can be a bit of a pain. Quality, long-term fencing options usually aren’t cheap, and often require regular inspections to make sure livestock haven’t broken through. But what if you could erect virtual fences from your smartphone? That’s what US startup Vence is offering. Their small and rugged wearable device is affixed to the ears of livestock (similar to dog collars), which are trained to avoid certain areas using low voltage shocks or uncomfortable sounds. That might sound like cruelty to animals, though the company’s founder Frank Wooten draws similarities with standard electric fences.

“One of the things that’s used is an upward barometer and upward threshold of any electric stimuli that is already what’s used for electric fencing, which is used throughout the world to manage cattle or any sort of livestock,” he told TechCrunch.

As a result, you can improve grazing management without the hands-on labour that is usually required, and free up funds otherwise earmarked for fencing. The app can also be used to monitor your herd’s health, based on information from sensors in the wearable devices.

JCB EXPANDS MULTI SHOVEL

JCB has launched an expanded range of tougher and higher capacity Multi Shovel attachments for Loadall telehandlers, offering farmers and contractors a greater choice of size and configurations. Supplied ready to mount on JCB equipment, the range includes a grab with forged tines that are bolted in place (and can be replaced if worn or damaged), a new weld-on toe plate option, and a larger spill guard to help retain loose materials more effectively.

“The Multi Shovel is part of a comprehensive selection of JCB AGRI attachments certified for use and supplied ready to mount on JCB equipment,” the company states. “It combines a tough bucket for handling loose materials such as grain, beet pulp and other bulk feeds with a hydraulicallyoperated grab for loose muck and silage that also enables the implement to handle round and square bales.”

A BUZZ ABOUT BEES

Tech entrepreneur Fiona Edwards-Murphy has been creating a buzz around a new product designed to monitor honey bee colonies. Edwards-Murphy, founder and CEO of Cork-based ApisProtect, has developed technology based on the Internet of Things (IoT) to help beekeepers monitor the health and condition of beehives using multiple in-hive sensors designed to be unobtrusive. According to the National Biodiversity Data Centre, over half of Ireland’s bee species have experienced population declines since 1980, with six species critically endangered. Bees not only produce honey but, according to EU research, the value of pollination across a variety of crops is estimated at €153 billion globally.

Photo: Apeel

FRUIT APEEL

POULTRY FARMS OF THE FUTURE

US start-up Apeel, part-funded by Bill Gates, has unveiled its Apeel avocados. Supplied to Costco and Harps Food Stores in the Midwest, these avocados feature an extended shelf-life thanks to a plant-based coating developed by Apeel that uses materials such as fruit and vegetable peels. This coating is invisible, thin and tasteless and begins as a powder, which is then mixed with water to create a solution into which fruits and vegetables are dipped. The protective seal slows down water loss and oxidisation, in some cases doubling the shelf-life of the produce.

LG Innotek, the electrical components affiliate of LG, has announced plans to develop technology for unmanned poultry farms in South Korea. Working with the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), it aims to use artificial intelligence to help improve productivity on poultry operations, combining deep learning technology with camera sensing capabilities. Once developed, we could see farms where cameras and various sensors detect environmental changes (such as livestock conditions and the weather) and artificial intelligence responds by changing temperature and humidity. Predicting the time of shipment to market could also be possible through analysing the chickens’ development status. The technology could be used to reduce the impact of an epidemic – if a chicken shows signs of infection the farmer can be quickly informed of the animal’s status and location, allowing for the rapid deployment of disease prevention measures.

“What we pursue is to make our lives safer and more convenient with innovative technologies,” said Il-gun Kwon, LG Innotek CTO. “Artificial intelligence smart farm technology will be a solution to innovate our country’s agriculture and stock-breeding industry and promote the welfare of farmers.”

SMART HUBS

Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, has launched the EU-funded SmartAgriHubs project, a one-stopshop for farmers and those within the agri-food industry to access agri tech research and supports. Waterford IT will be the central point of contact for those who want to avail of these solutions and, as part of the project, Teagasc will lead two flagship innovation experiments to show how technology can be used effectively on Irish farms.

NEW HOLLAND PROMOTES T9 AUTO COMMAND

Machinery manufacturer New Holland has introduced the new T9 Auto Command to more than 40 New Holland dealer personnel at a recent event at Lodge Farm in Oxfordshire. The range features New Holland’s Auto Command Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with maximum outputs across the five models available, from 429hp to 605hp. The rangetopping T9.600 AC is the world’s most powerful CVT tractor, which New Holland describes as taking “productivity, efficiency and versatility to an entirely new level.” The company is also set to begin production on its first methane-powered tractor within three years.

Photo: Emmanuel Bourgois

FDA BEGINS CONVERSATION ON LAB MEAT

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency has taken the first steps towards regulating labgrown meat. With the availability of such meat just around the corner (US company Memphis Meats expects to begin selling around 2021), the FDA held a public meeting on July 12th to give the public and interested parties a chance to share their opinions and raise concerns. Proponents of meat grown in labs point to decreased environmental consequences and ethical/animal welfare issues. Questions are already rearing about how the difference between lab and conventional meat should be highlighted, and whether lab-grown beef should still be referred to as ‘beef’.

FARMING BOOST

Rwandan company BKTechouse has launched a new technological platform aimed at increasing funding for the country’s agricultural sector and reducing the financial risks. Smart Nkunganire System was built in collaboration with Rwanda Agriculture and the Animal Resources Development Board, and will ensure that farmers comply with recommended best practices to qualify for loans and provide lenders with assurances that funds will be used for the intended purposes. The system digitises management of the national farmers’ subsidy programme and will allow farmers to receive advice from experts and warnings or notifications from other stakeholders. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agriculture is the main economic activity in the landlocked country, with around 70 per cent of the population working in a sector that accounts for 33 per cent of the national GDP.

Members of the juding panel, Majella Kelleher, Dorín Graham and John Dardis.

Photos: Andres Poveda

SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYING

PRECISION AGRICULTURE

John Deere’s R4040i PowrSpray self-propelled sprayer was among those featured at the Sprays & Sprayers demonstration area at Cereals 2018 in Cambridgeshire in June. Originally introduced at the same event last year and having entered production at the end of 2017, the R4040i features boom widths of 24-36 metres, a new QuadControl transmission with fully variable wheel motors and stepless speed control (no need to manually change speed ranges), as well as an electronic anti-stall system and 4,000L capacity. Other highlights include the Active Pause function (which enables the solution tank to cease filling while clean water is still provided under pressure to clean the chemical containers), a 750L/minute spraying pump, and cruise control to preset field and transport speeds.

US-based Raven Industries has announced that it will be using its precision agriculture technologies to power future autonomous farming solutions. The company’s first partnership will be with Dot Technology Corp, with the two set to develop technologies for the DOT Power Platform – a mobile and diesel-powered platform designed for a variety of uses. The aim is to allow farmers to spend more of their time focusing on overall operations.

“Raven’s world-renowned leadership in the fields of steering, guidance, propulsion and application controls perfectly compliment DOT’s field path planning, user control experience, machine safety, remote communications software development and facilitates ISOBUS compatible implements,” said Norbert Beaujot, President of DOT and SeedMaster.

CHEMICAL-FREE SOLUTION

Irish company VivaGreen has partnered with DLF Seeds for the distribution of MossOff Chemical Free products. The company is a world leader in the research and development of biodegradable chemical and plastic-free materials, first established by brothers Russell and Garrett Walsh in 1992. MossOff is one of a range of products developed by the company and offers a solution free from chemicals and safe to use around children and pets. Used to remove and control moss on just about any surface, it has an official derogation from regulatory authorities in Ireland, the UK and Europe.

“The raw materials used in our products are completely natural and come from renewable sources. We are very excited about the reaction we have had to MossOff since its launch last year,” said Russell Walsh, Managing Director of VivaGreen. “We are constantly working on new ways to replace other harmful products with environmentally-friendly natural alternatives.”

RECOGNISING SMART AGRICULTURE

The inaugural Talamh Awards were launched in May, a new smart agriculture and rural enterprise awards scheme in partnership with the RDS. Structured around key areas of Irish agriculture and rural enterprise, the awards have a key focus on sustainability with categories ranging from sustainable farming to agri-tourism. Open to agricultural and rural enterprises of all sizes, those who enter must demonstrate a commitment to innovation and development that ‘furthers the interests of agriculture and rural enterprise at large’. No small matter.

Key judging criteria will include the strength and ambition of ideas, positive engagement that benefits the sector, as well as innovative concepts and approaches. The winners of the first Talamh Awards will be announced at a gala dinner in the RDS on Friday October 12th.

IRELAND

PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD FITZGERALD DISCUSSES HIS NEW BOOK DARK IRELAND – IMAGES OF A LOST WORLD.

Q: What is your new book Dark Ireland – Images of a Lost World all about?

A: It’s a compilation of some of the best photographs that I’ve taken in Ireland during the past 40 years.

Q: All of the photographs seem to be taken in the countryside. Is there a reason for that?

A: Rural Ireland is very much part of my childhood memories. I have naturally been drawn to the old way of life; the photographs are of a time when the horse and cart and donkey were commonplace on the country roads. I wanted to capture the Ireland I remembered as a young boy.

Q: Why is the book called Dark Ireland, and where did the idea behind the book originate?

A: I have always liked a short poem of the same title by Ireland’s famous poet Patrick Kavanagh, it seemed to stir memories of my

growing up in the countryside prior to the arrival of electricity. Ireland back then seemed a very dark, mysterious place to me.

Q: You feature some very striking images of people practicing their faith?

A: The photograph of the people kneeling saying the rosary is a powerful image. Those praying are from the local area near the Comeragh mountains, the farmhouse is still being used as a rambling house, reputedly the only one now left in Ireland.

Q: Can you explain those dramatic photographs of men with coffins in the book?

A: Yes, death is very much part of everyday life in Ireland; the names of the deceased are read out on the radio each day. In Co Kerry I photographed a man being measured for a coffin; he is standing upright inside it. The bottom of the coffin had been tarred by the coffin-maker to help prevent the dead body from falling through.

Q: Can you tell us about your upbringing in Ireland?

A: After my mother died I was put on a bus in Portlaw town and the driver told to drop me off when he reached the village of Kilmeaden. Aunt Mai had agreed that I should come and live with her in her thatched cottage. Electricity had not yet been connected to her home and water had to be fetched from the well. In the evenings I watched her lighting the oil lamp and saw how the shadows moved across the whitewashed wall of the rooms; it was my first experience observing darkness and light. I realise now those glorious years I spent with her had a profound influence on my choice of career, something of that remembered light and shadow drew me towards photography.

Q: Your photographs certainly capture a lost world – how long ago were some of the images taken and when did you first begin to photograph rural life in Ireland?

A: While working as a freelance photographer in London in 1970, I