By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge College sugar beet research project receives Alberta Innovates funding

May 20, 2021 | 2:31 PM

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – A new Lethbridge College research project exploring how automation and wireless technology can boost sugar beet storage is getting a funding shot from Alberta Innovates.

The Alberta Innovates Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge has awarded Dr. Chandra Singh with $236,083.

Dr. Sing is the applied research chair in Agricultural Engineering and Technology at Lethbridge College’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE).

He said that, “sugar beet farming and processing is a significant contributor to the southern Alberta economy, contributing $32.2 million in farm receipts annually.”

“Growers and processors face unique challenges with this crop; this project is an opportunity to develop solutions to reduce losses and improve productivity.”

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In Alberta, freshly harvested sugar beets are stored outdoors during the winter in bulk piles that weight up to 50,000 tonnes before being processed at the Rogers and Lantic factory in Taber, the only sugar beet processing facility in Canada.

However, insufficient ventilation can leave sugar beets vulnerable to temperature swings, which can cause the roots to lose sugar or rot. Dr. Singh’s project strives to develop a remote wireless sensing system for monitoring the temperature in the piles and an efficient aeration system to control it.

Sugar beets at the Rogers and Lantic factory in Taber. (Photo provided by Lethbridge College)

Dr. Singh explained that, “we will have wireless sensors inside the piles that will send temperature data to the cloud and the user can see it remotely.”

“The sensors will also use that data to make a smart decision to tell the fan when to turn on in order to maintain a target temperature. This process will be completely automated, so you don’t have to have people going out and physically checking the piles.”

His project is one of eight sharing more $10.7 million over three years through the award out of nearly 50 submissions received.

Dr. Natisha Stashko, executive director of Smart Agriculture and Food at Alberta Innovates, said “we celebrate with Lethbridge College on the success of Dr. Chandra Singh’s project that will develop smart technology to optimize sugar beet storage in southern Alberta.”

“The work he will engage in will advance the agri-food sector and that’s not only good for Albertans, but for farmers and producers around the world.”

The three-year, $404,733 total project is a collaboration between Lethbridge College, Lantic and the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers (ASBG), with Calgary’s OPisystems providing technical support.