As the sugar beet campaign approaches, quality control specialists Martin Lishman Ltd have reached agreement with international sugar beet processing co-cooperative Tereos to market the BeetLog impact sensing device and make it available to sugar beet growers worldwide.

Tereos have found that sugar beet bruising can be reduced by as much as 50% by adjusting harvester settings. They approached Martin Lishman with a request for a sugar beet data logger that would detect sources of damage during harvesting to help reduce loss and ensure a higher quality yield. They have used the BeetLog to refine the lifting advice given to growers and support them in their quest to reduce sugar losses and ultimately improve their income from the crop.

Built on the foundations of Martin Lishman’s TuberLog and ImpacTrack data loggers, the BeetLog matches the size and density of a real sugar beet. Impacts received in a harvester are detected and instantly transmitted to an Android tablet or smartphone by the Beetlog’s built-in Bluetooth transmitter. By watching its journey through the machinery, the operator can immediately locate sources of impact. Machine adjustments can then be made on the spot to reduce bruise and damage-causing impacts, and thus help to preserve the quality of the harvest.

Designing such a device posed many challenges, one of which was the shear aggressive nature of sugar beet harvesting. With over 25 years’ experience of reducing damage losses in the potato industry with the TuberLog Electronic Potato, Martin Lishman were the obvious choice for Tereos in joining forces to create the BeetLog.

Managing Director of Martin Lishman Ltd, Dr Gavin Lishman adds “At Martin Lishman we believe that there is an Agri-Tech solution to many of the problems farmers and growers face. Products such as the BeetLog are a cost-effective way of maximising production efficiency and reducing losses. When Tereos approached us with the idea for a sugar beet data logger, it opened up an exciting opportunity for us to get involved in another area of agriculture and add to our experience in the potato and fruit sectors.”

For more information on the BeetLog, visit Martin Lishman’s website at www.martinlishman.com