Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

The Olds College Smart Ag research group is requesting advanced research equipment to increase capacity and benefit clients. The equipment is essential for conducting research on 800 acres of land in western Saskatchewan newly acquired by Olds College for applied research purposes. This is a different climatic growing region from Olds, Alberta, and offers new research opportunities. A new focus for this land is to assess rural connectivity and develop alternative strategies for improved data collection in broad acre farm settings, which requires updating and expansion of the current sensor suite. The requested equipment includes a cellular signal scanner for a college-owned drone that will enable baseline assessment and future research into rural connectivity and long-range networks. A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is needed for projects requiring exact location finding like machine learning application development and precision agriculture research such as studies of variable rate technology. GNSS will complement new equipment for obtaining detailed weather and soil parameters including weather stations, soil moisture sensors and an earth auger to facilitate their installation into fields, a soil sample grinder for effective preparation of homogeneous soil samples, and a LiDARMill subscription for processing LiDAR data. An air quality meter, datalogger thermocouple layer, unified grain moisture analyzer, grain bin monitoring system and bin fans are needed for grain management and storage applied research. Calibration and maintenance tools (soldering and de-soldering equipment; oscilloscope) that will support the college’s overall Smart Ag research infrastructure. The Smart Ag applied research area has been focused on testing, validating and implementing bourgeoning technology to enhance the way producers do agriculture since 2018. The research generates practical outcomes that enhance the productivity and sustainability of agriculture, which is critically needed to help address global food needs in economically and environmentally sustainable ways. Research outcomes benefit technology innovators by optimizing and validating their novel products and services, and provides objective and useable information about the effectiveness and economic value of new technologies that helps primary agricultural producers make informed decisions on adopting new agricultural practices and products.