Cranswick, the British food products supplier, has teamed up with biodiversity firm AgriSound to install in-field insect sensor devices at its pig farms in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
The solar-powered insect listening device – the Polly – uses advanced algorithms to allow Cranswick to monitor pollinator activity and to compare data across its sites, meaning that pollination can be tracked and biodiversity can be explored. It gives the company access to real-time data allowing them to manage their crop yield.
Founder and chief executive of AgriSound, Casey Woodward, said that the Polly devices have been installed in specific areas around the farms and its built-in microphone and environmental sensors measure temperature, light and humidity. He continued: “Polly listens 24/7 for the sounds of insects and uses advanced sound-analysis to translate the data into activity scores. These are automatically sent back to the cloud where the farmer can view them via an app or web application.
“This information, available in real time, can be used to target the introduction of pollinator-protection measures to the areas of greatest need, and also determine actions such as the planting of wildflowers or creating new habitats.”
Mr Woodward reported that data from the first two months of the Polly’s use at Cranswick has shown an impressive estimated level of around 48,800 pollinators across the farms.
Ash Gilman, director of agricultural strategy at Cranswick, said that the device is allowing the company to gain an in-depth understanding of activity on the farms: “Pollinators not only form a central part of our ecosystem but are fundamental to the food cycle. The objective is to demonstrate how pigs can play a positive role within the rotation, benefitting soil health and carbon sequestration, as well as presenting new habitats to encourage and increase biodiversity.”
Mr Gilman said that he has been pleased with the initial results; Cranswick will be continuing to monitor the devices and look forward to learning more about activity on the farms.