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Precision Sensing to Reduce Pollution. By Kody Moore. Water pollution. Fertilizer runoff is a problem in many parts of the country in our rivers and streams. Discharge from factories, refineries, etc. Chicken and hog farm waste Fertilizer leaches through to water tables. Eutrophication.
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Precision Sensing to Reduce Pollution By Kody Moore
Water pollution • Fertilizer runoff is a problem in many parts of the country in our rivers and streams. • Discharge from factories, refineries, etc. • Chicken and hog farm waste • Fertilizer leaches through to water tables
Eutrophication • Eutrophication is increased nutrient input into water that exceeds the normal amount. • The available dissolved oxygen is then used by organisms that break down these nutrients. • These organisms lower the amount of dissolved oxygen available to other marine species (fish, aquatic plants, etc.)
Fish Kills Oxygen sag curve
Point vs. Non-point sources • Point source pollution • The source of the pollution can be found • Non-point source pollution • The source of the pollution cannot be found
Solution? • Precision sensing could be part of the solution to the fertilizer loss/pollution problem. • It has to be accessible to farmers. • Easy to use (easier then random soil sampling) • The farmer has to benefit (more money)
Types of Precision Sensors • Weedseeker- • Cuts weed control costs by 80%. • Reduces environmental impact. • Greenseeker- • Average profit of $8.00 an acre. • Protimeter Grainmaster i- • Measures the moisture and temperature of crops.
Types of Sensors cont. • IRROMETER tensiometer- • Provides soil moisture measurements • “prevention of groundwater pollution” • PM-48MB Photosynthesis Monitor- • Monitors CO2 exchange
Post Sensing • Next something has to be done to interpret this information to the farmer. • The SBNRC (Sensor Based Nitrogen Rate Calculator) • This turns the Numbers off of the Greenseeker into numbers the farmer can use. • Then goes a step further and gives the farmer a fertilizer recommendation.
Conclusion • Fertilizer pollution is one of many causes of water pollution which affects everybody in the world. • The reduction of fertilizer use would benefit the farmer in most cases. • Precision sensors can help the farmers make fertilizer, and irrigation rate recommendations.
Questions??? • Dedicated to the restoration of the “infamous Ranger”!
Literature cited • AgriStore Online. "PM-48MB photosynthesis monitor." Agricultural sensors, monitors, dendrometers. May 2002. 12 April 2007. http://www.agrisupportonline.com/store/Phytech/technical_data/pm-48mb.htm • Center for ecology & hydrology. "Freshwater pollution." 24 january 2007. NERC. 4 April 2007. <http://schools.ceh.ac.uk/advanced/freshpoll/freshpoll_fig3.htm>. • Cornell University. "Increasing Nitrogen Pollution In Nation's." Science Daily. 27 February 2005. 4 April 2007. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050223140534.htm>. • "IRROMETER Co." n.d. 12 April 2007. <http://www.irrometer.com/agcat.htm>. • New Hampshire Department of Dnvironmental Science. "Lake Biology." 1995. 4 April 2007. <http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/bb/bb-3.htm>. • Ntech industries. "Webseeker." 2007. 12 April 2007. <http://www.ntechindustries.com/weedseeker-home.html>. • Phytech technologies. "Phytomonitoring." n.d. 12 April 2007. http://www.agrisupportonline.com/phy/introduction.html • "Protimeter grainmaster i." General electric company. 2006. April 4, 2007. <http://www.gesensing.com/products/prot_graini.htm>.