Student Profiles

"The IoT has improved my practical skills.

"We use the Palintest Soil Testing kit to analyse potassium levels in the soil. The Palintest field kit allows us to test the levels of macronutrients and micronutrients within the soil whilst out on the field. It's great as it gives immediate results like those you’d get in a lab.

"Understanding the nutrient levels within the soil is important as intensive farming can impact soil health and the wider environment. Testing means we can make sure the soil is as healthy as possible and not over-farmed."

"The IoT has enhanced my learning and my practical skills.

"We use a GPS and Trimble system to control the amount of nitrogen fertiliser we apply across the fields. This provides a higher level of accuracy in the application of fertiliser, which is important as it reduces the amount of fertiliser being used.

"The production of nitrogen fertiliser uses large amounts of natural gas and energy, therefore being sensitive to the treatment of the land with GPS and Trimble technologies helps us to farm in a way that maximises crop production without being detrimental to the environment."

“The IoT has future-proofed my career in farming.

"We use the drone to review and survey the spreading of fertiliser across the field. This gives us an aerial view from which we can see the pattern of the spread and monitor how evenly it has been applied.

The drone covers a wide range and significant distances, which would be time-consuming and difficult to manage on foot, whilst also providing a unique and highly valuable perspective. The effective application of fertiliser can improve crop production in an environmentally sustainable way. The drone allows us to check and verify the distribution that is determined by the GPS and Trimble technologies."