LFS researchers use new agriculture technology to measure greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems have partnered with Orbis Mesh Technologies Inc. in an effort to further study greenhouse gas emissions using chambers on the UBC Farm.
Assistant Professor Sean Smukler is the project’s supervisor. “We’re using Orbis Mesh technology to assess how different the air temperature and pressure is from inside the chamber and outside the chamber,” he said. “This is something that we’ve not been able to do up until now and we’re actually seeing very sizeable differences between inside and outside.”
The chambers automatically open and close on a timer, creating a shifting environment for the plants housed within. The concentration of greenhouse gas emissions within the changing environment are then measured and recorded. The Mesh Network allows for the elimination of cables in the field by wirelessly relaying sensor data.
“If we can start collecting data without the need for tubing and wires, it makes our ability to collect data without impacting farm operations that much better.”
To learn more about how the technology is being used on the UBC Farm, click here.