The timing of the first cut in grassland farming coincides with the fawning season of roe deer and other wild animals. Due to their natural reflex to seek cover, fawns do not run away from danger. This instinctive behaviour makes it especially difficult to spot animals hiding in the grass. It happens over and over again that they are seriously injured or even killed during mowing. This must be avoided at all costs.
If the carcass of a wild animal ends up in the clamp, it will decompose and contaminate the forage. Under anaerobic conditions, bacteria of the species Clostridium botulinum produce the neurotoxin botulinum. Feeding silage contaminated in this way can expose cattle, sheep, horses and poultry to botulism. This disease usually causes death within 1 to 3 days due to respiratory paralysis.
With SENSOSAFE, we at PÖTTINGER offer you a convenient and efficient solution for detecting wild animals in the field directly during the mowing process.
Harvesting windows are short and time is precious. Often there are no resources available at this time to search the entire area to be mowed for wildlife.
With SENSOSAFE you complete two tasks in one: Mowing and detecting wildlife. The time-consuming organisation of people, dogs, drones and other systems for detecting wildlife is a thing of the past. You can focus fully on harvesting the forage.
What's more, you don't need special training or a permit to operate the SENSOSAFE system.
Many technical systems such as drones with thermal imaging cameras have the problem that they can only be used in the early morning hours. As soon as the grass has warmed up due to solar radiation, thermal imaging cameras are no longer effective.
SENSOSAFE is the first system of its kind in the world that uses the interaction between optical sensors and an integrated light source. This system operates independently of daylight and temperature. Unlike thermal imaging cameras, you can rely on SENSOSAFE to work reliably around the clock in any operating conditions.
A bar with optical sensors scans the area in front of the mowers during the mowing process.
If an animal is detected, the control terminal gives the driver both a visual and acoustic warning. The driver then has plenty of time to stop the tractor. Depending on the system, the mower also lifts automatically.
Wildlife are saved and botulism in cattle is prevented.
"If my customers are happy, then I'm happy. That is why I am always open to new technologies that help me to improve the quality of the service I offer. SENSOSAFE gives me three benefits that I can pass on directly to my customers. Firstly, I prevent unnecessary animal suffering. Secondly, I prevent animal carcasses from contaminating the silage. And thirdly, I can start mowing at the drop of a hat without having to search the fields first."
Thomas Neudorfer, Peilstein | Austria