Weather station – AKA Primary Solutions, Harvest
The Harvest weather station, supplied by Australian agent AKA Primary Solutions, collects local weather metrics to inform farming decisions.
Benefits
On-farm weather data can be more accurate than data provided by the regional Bureau of Meteorology, when the weather station is located far away from the farm.
There can be significant variation in rainfall and temperature within a small area, which impacts on irrigation scheduling and available crop water in dryland systems.
The Harvest ITU G2 station provides farm staff with the latest weather data at their location, which supports:
- scheduling spray times, fertiliser application and irrigation
- improved assessments of fire risk.
How it works
Harvest ITU G2 acts as both a weather station and base station for integrating other devices. It captures temperature, humidity, rain, wind, evapotranspiration, solar irradiance and barometric pressure.
Solar-powered remote monitoring sensors can be added to measure a variety of parameters, including soil moisture and temperature. These communicate via UHF signal, using the Harvest Acclima TDR probe.
Data is updated every 15 minutes and can be accessed on the Harvest website or mobile application.
Harvest online dashboard showing weather data at the Struan and Kybybolite AgTech demonstration farm
Installation and power
The base station can be installed by AKA Primary Solutions. It uses solar or mains power and includes a backup battery.
Connectivity requirements
3G coverage is required for the base station, with the option for wireless UHF for additional sensors.
Pricing model
Upfront costs and ongoing subscription fees.
Contact the vendor to discuss a range of pricing options available.
Producer case study
Producer case study
Mary and David Morris are generational farmers who have been managing their 1,250-acre property near Eudunda, SA, since 1994.
In 2016, despite being a good cropping year in South Australia, they experienced crop failure due to a frost event. The expected humidity levels at night meant frost should not have been possible. This event prompted Mary and David to investigate frost patterns on their property and find a solution to monitor weather conditions.
Frost patterns were changing on their property, occurring on hilltops but not in the flat areas. Mary and David needed accurate data on temperature, humidity, and wind speed.
In 2019, they installed a Harvest weather station to gather real-time data that would help with decision-making and farm management. They chose the taller 15m Harvest weather station because it captured data on the inversion layer, which was crucial for understanding frost events. Standard international weather stations are 10m.
The weather station is equipped with temperature sensors at 1.5m and 15m, humidity, wind speed, and a rain gauge. Mary found the data helped with decisions about their crops, specifically whether they needed to turn their crop into hay. The information she found most useful was the 'definitive data on the amount of frost and how long it was for'.
Mary and David haven’t had any problems with the weather station. They also use it to inform spray timing when conditions are optimal, to prevent spray drift and minimise the potential impact on their property and neighbouring farms.
Implementing a Harvest weather station has improved Mary and David’s farm management practices. The ability to monitor temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall data in real-time has helped them make timely decisions to minimise potential crop losses. The public accessibility of the weather station has been beneficial to their neighbours, who also use the data for their farming operations.
Mary and David recommend other producers consider using this weather station. When asked how often they use the technology, David stated, 'I look at it every day and multiple times a day, and the neighbours do as well'. Overall, the weather station has been a valuable tool for their farm.
See it in action
To view the Harvest ITU G2 station, contact the AgTech Extension Officer at Struan and Kybybolite demonstration farm.
Access our live data from Kybybolite through the Harvest dashboard.
Contact vendor
Diane Stewart – AKA Primary Solutions
Phone: 0429 090 443
Email: diane@akaps.com.au
