The problem
The fundamental problem is that we have inaccurate, or limited, information regarding quality and condition of stored commodities. The reason is that grain sampling and splitting is a task for which people are not well suited, so sampling is often poorly done and samples are not representative of the grain being stored or loaded. Grain samples can also deteriorate in shipping and storage, or be tampered with. In addition, grain sample information is not centralized, so it is not easy to access, or process. The other problem is that often the risk of spoilage is unknown because you can’t justify putting temperature or moisture cables everywhere grain is stored.
This inaccurate, or limited information, results in several problems. 70-80% of grain is sold by producers for less than optimal value because they lack detailed knowledge regarding the quality; loads are delivered that don’t match the sample the grain purchase was made from, which causes grief for both grain buyers and producers; 17% of crops are lost to spoilage, or degraded, each year globally due to damage caused by high moisture or temperature, or insects and; information for blockchains and traceability is limited or inaccurate.
The solution
Intelliconn’s ingrain™ Grain Quality Management System solves this problem with an integrated system that not only ensures representative samples are obtained, but can provide real-time analysis of grain characteristics and potential degradation factors. “Our goal is to provide a trusted standard in which everyone in the agriculture sector has confidence” says Intelliconn CEO, Ken Jackson. “This starts with getting a representative sample for which we digitize the related information, which is sent to the cloud. Once in the cloud, the information can be easily accessed and processed by authorized parties. This means that sample analysis labs, grain buyers, and blockchains can access, as well as add, pertinent information. In this increasingly digital era, digitizing grain is a logical and necessary next step.”
The major advantage to producers is that, in addition to knowing with much greater detail and certainty what they have stored, they can see the aggregated data from all the ingrain™ users which provides a detailed view of the quality and quantity of grain in the market. “The difference between a number one and a number two can be as much as 50%. If you know you are sitting on some pretty good number two and the market is getting light on one, you will probably hold off selling” says Jackson. ingrain™ information will also be accessible by farm management software to simplify farm operations and financial management.
The product
The ingrain™ system consists of two main components, the. The Acquisition Module replaces the flex-spout on a grain auger, or conveyor, or can be mounted in the grain stream in a grain handling system. It continuously takes small cross-cut samples from the grain flow which are transferred to the Splitter Module by a tube with airflow. The Splitter Module is mounted in a convenient location for the user to access and contains a sample splitter, which can split the sample into up to six identical sub-samples. The samples are deposited in Secure Sample containers, which preserve the samples, are tamper-resistant, and individually QR and RFID coded. The splitter also monitors grain volume, has a moisture and temperature sensor, a high-resolution camera and spectrometer. The system is controlled by the user’s smartphone and the information is wirelessly sent to the cloud.
Intelliconn plans to complete the development of the first model of the ingrain™ system by the end of the year and introduce a limited production of the product in 2019.
Demand for the product has been strong and Intelliconn is accepting pre-orders.
For additional information, contact Intelliconn at ingrain@intelliconn.com, or Ken Jackson at 1.306.717.6414.