Water monitoring AgTech comparisons
Available water is important for the welfare of livestock and to optimise your farm production.
Water monitoring AgTech can save you significant costs of lost water and unnecessary labour. It is critical during droughts, and if you operate on reticulated or mains water.
Benefits
Physically checking water tanks or troughs allows producers to inspect their livestock, but this can be time-consuming due to the distances involved.
Using AgTech for this type of water monitoring reduces the frequency of inspections by 50%.
Through remotely checking livestock water levels, you can also:
- leave the property for longer periods
- minimise the risk of livestock going without water, especially in summer.
Some systems send daily text messages with water level updates and battery charge, while others only notify you when there is an issue with water supply.
Choosing water monitoring AgTech
Consider the technological capabilities of a water monitoring device and whether it is appropriate for your location. These AgTech products can be self-installed or installed by a supplier.
Connectivity
A 3G connection is usually adequate, as monitoring devices only transmit small volumes of data.
In areas with no mobile connectivity, satellite, LoRaWAN and Cat-M1 connected devices can be used.
All solutions record data online continuously.
Power
Most monitoring technologies are solar or battery powered, but some operate via mains power.
Check the type of battery used by the device and monitor battery life throughout its use. Make sure the solar panel on your device is kept clean as this may affect its ability to charge.
The battery must be in an easily accessible location to be replaced.
Fees and charges
There is often an upfront cost for hardware and ongoing subscription fees. The subscription costs are for data collection and communication alerts such as text messages and emails.
AgTech decision matrix
Compare available technologies with the Water monitoring AgTech decision matrix ().
