Grainswest - Tech 2023

Tech 2023 grainswest.com 33 MAKE MINE A SMART BIN Adaptive Agriculture Solutions of Saskatoon, SK, is best known for Bindapt, its automated in-bin drying system that consists of a thermostat controller and fan adapter plates paired with a heater. Powered by diesel, propane or natural gas, the heater moves warm, dry air through the grain column. The company has now added sensor technology to the system. Two versions, Bindapt+ and Bindapt+ Pro, allow farmers to turn their aeration bins into smart bins that monitor grain as it’s dried down. The system’s sensor technology improves grain drying efficiency. By not having the means to thermostatically control their supplemental heating system, farmers have, in the past, often used too much heat, said Steve Rogoschewsky, owner of Adaptive Agriculture. The two products utilize sensors that are placed between the bin fan and the air plenum to measure temperature, humidity and static pressure. With this data, they calculate grain drying time while accounting for fan size and speed. The Pro version allows a farmer to dry two bins simultaneously. Once the grain is completely dry, a process that takes three to four days on average, the grain-drying system can be removed. The system hardware is paired with a web platform that allows farmers to track, monitor and save data related to individual bins as well as visually map their binyard and create a crop plan. An additional aid to grain drying efficiency, Adaptive Agriculture’s Binstick is a portable probe used to monitor the drying process in loaded bins that are not equipped with sensor cables. The device can be connected to either Bindapt product. Bindapt allows farmers to harvest grain earlier, said Rogoschewsky. “We’ve helped a lot of families across the Prairies to get through adverse weather for harvest, as well as expanding their tech to monitor the rest of their bins. ” It’s also more than a mere ad hoc solution, he added. “If you can get out into the field a week early, ahead of the ideal conditions for drying, you can start putting grain in the bin and dry it down. We’ve changed the way farmers view what their harvest picture looks like.” Bindapt+ and Bindapt+ Pro by Adaptive Agriculture Solutions allow farmers to turn their aeration bins into smart bins that monitor grain as it’s dried down. BY MELANIE EPP I LEAD IMAGE COURTESY OF ADAPTIVE AGRICULTURE SOLUTIONS Harvest is without a doubt the most hectic season, especially on big farms, where sheer volume compounds grain handling problems. Though workload increases with farm size, the time window to complete harvest does not. Setbacks such as labour shortage, harvest surge and inclement weather can be a major source of stress on farms of all sizes. New grain bin technology aims to alleviate such harvest pressures.