Soil probes & weather stations
Click on the map to go to the IOT website (login details and information below).
To log into the site as an AgKI user:
Username: Ag_KI
Password: agki28
Notes
- You can save the page to your phone or desktop so you can use it as an 'app'
- See all the respective dashboards for the 13 locations across Kangaroo Island
- Use the mapview and play the live 24hr readings
To request your own personal login;
- which will enable you to set your default location plus set threshold alerts and view long term data - email
admin@agki.com.au with;
- Your name
- Your mobile
- Your email address
Please note you must be a current AgKI Member to get a personal login.
Resources and Information
Dashboard Navigation Information Sheet
KI Soil Moisture Probe Graph Interpretation Information
Pop out graphics (more data) - how to guide
Setting alerts to your phone - how to guide (must have personal log in set up)
Exporting historic data - how to guide (must have personal log in set up)
Weather Station data article
Soil probes and associated weather stations are becoming increasingly important in assisting farmers to make better informed farm management decisions.
Three soil probes had previously been established on Kangaroo Island, but given the extensive variation in weather across the island, the data had limited applicability to the district in which they are situated. Thanks to funding by South Australia and Australian Government’s National Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, an additional seven soil probes were installed across Kangaroo Island through 2021 and 2022 which has made the data readily available to local farmers. In recent years, thanks to funding from the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board's GrassRoots program, three additional soil probes have been installed including one at the Parndana school campus brining to total number of weather station soil probes to thirteen. This expanded soil probe network will enable farmers to make more informed decisions in an increasingly more variable climate, enabling them to maintain production and efficiency.
Over the last two years, AgByte have developed a new data hosting platform as the previous one was slow and has limited development opportunities. While still being developed, the new platform will provide forecasting capabilities for forward planning and the calculation of extension data for alerts on critical areas such as heat stress, fly strike, frost risks and foot-rot conditions. The data also informs on farm decision such as seeding, irrigation, harvest and importantly high fire danger risk days.
In 2024 thanks to funding from Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's 'Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Program' thanks to funding from the Federal Governments Future Drought Fund the new weather station dashboard was launched at a Community Demonstration Day along with a suite of fact sheets and user guides.
This project has been delivered in partnership with Livestock SA, Agriculture Kangaroo Island (AgKI), Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Kangaroo Island Landscape Board and Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).
Projects
Improving Water Security for KI Farmers
Funded by the SA Drought Hub, AgKI in partnership with PIRSA and KI Landscape Board are creating a resource of fact sheets, case studies and field days to improve water security for KI farmers.
Water security has been identified as a key priority by the KI Drought Hub representatives on the Struan Node Stakeholder Advisory Group. With limited access to mains water and most underground water saline, farmers rely on dams for the majority of stock needs. This project will upskill farmers in techniques to better manage/maximise surface water capture into dams through field days, technical support, fact sheets and case studies.
Kangaroo Island Ag Tech Project
The PIRSA KI AgTech Demonstration Project was funded through the Commonwealth Government Regional Recovery Partnerships program and undertaken in collaboration with AgKI.
The Kangaroo Island AgTech Demonstration project aimed to demonstrate available technologies to KI primary producers to assist them in making AgTech adoption decisions that are right for their business.
AgTech suppliers submitted an EOI to demonstrate AgTech on Kangaroo Island, to have the opportunity to showcase their technology on-farm to many producers. Demonstration sites and field tours provided an opportunity for interaction between producers and developers aiming to increase the adoption of AgTech, improve farm management practices and production.
Some of the results from the two year project includes:
- Seventeen producer events held or attended by PIRSA for the Kangaroo Island AgTech Program, engaging approximately 333 producers.
- Survey results from participating producers reflect an average of 80 percent knowledge increase on each technology trialled.
- An additional 65 virtual collars funded to support the SARDI project on the Stanton’s property.
- A total of 17 Kangaroo Island companies were procured to assist extension activities to a total of $37,762.
- Technology grants of a total of $38,198 (incl GST) were successfully provided to producers who wished to keep the technology they trialled through the program.
- Six beekeepers on the island received 60 hive monitors each for a paid year period due to the success Island Beehive had with these devices and to further support the apiary industry on the island.
- Three research projects successfully completed during the program which included: KI carbon quantification, the carbon emissions baselining and natural capital project and the eID producer group explained in the attached case study.
Case studies
Click on the links below to open each Case Study.
1. Apiary2. Farm Management3. Livestock Tools4. eID5. Water Monitoring6. Soil Moisture
