REMOTE access to crop temperature sensors can help farmers monitor their grain stores instantly and regularly.

The new Bluetooth upgrade for Martin Lishman's crop temperature sensor, Minitemp, does away with the need for cables running over the grain surface to connect to probes in the grain, or the labour-intensive process of walking the grain heap and pushing in a probe.

Dr Gavin Lishman commented: "Minitemp Blue is a significant upgrade that will make it much quicker to take readings in small to medium size stores. When they enter the store, users of Minitemp Blue will be able to open an App on their smartphone and view crop readings instantly.

Mounted on 2 or 3m static temperature probes inserted into the grain, the Bluetooth unit will transmit readings over 20-30m depending on the configuration of the grain surface. Having instant readings will enable store managers to make quick decisions on when and where to use crop ventilation fans.

As well as taking measurements, it allows users to store and download to a PC up to six-months’ worth of temperature readings, which is useful for updating data records to conform with quality assurance schemes.