Urine sensor development

Authors: Keith Betteridge, Peter Cross

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Executive summary

Objectives

  1. Prove the concept that a urine sensor can be developed for sheep that is capable of predicting nitrogen (N) content of urine as it is excreted
  2. Evaluate the urine sensor on six sheep indoors over a period of up to six days.

Concept

Refractive Index (RI) is one of the few methods we know of which offers the opportunity to indirectly estimate N% of urine in situ. The RI sensor is to be calibrated against standard solutions covering the expected range of urinary N concentration, and is validated against actual urine samples collected as they are excreted by sheep, constrained within a pen indoors. These samples will be assayed for total N in a laboratory test.

Contact for Enquiries

Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change
MAF
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
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