LIND, Wash. — Washington State University researchers have installed a wheat field cam at the dryland research station in Lind, Wash.

The camera takes several pictures a day of a spring wheat field. Images can be viewed on the station’s website and the YouTube channel.

The camera is a way for non-farmers to see wheat growing and get information about production, said Drew Lyon, WSU weed scientist.

Overseas buyers are expected to use the cam to see how the crop looks, he said.

The link also includes information from WSU’s Small Grains website, about weather at the station, upcoming events — the Lind Field Day is June 13 — and links to WSU’s Wheat Beat podcast.

A WSU representative will be on camera at various points talking about the stages of the wheat, Lyon said.

The researchers aren’t tracking viewership, said Surendra Singh, director of the Lind station.

They also plan to post short videos throughout the season.

“It seems like I’m going to have to put my video shyness away,” Singh said with a smile.

Technical considerations

The researchers originally considered a continuous, live wheat cam feed. But that comes with additional costs and security considerations — plus the bandwidth that would be required, particularly in a rural location such as Lind, Lyon said.

“In a day, if you take two or three pictures, wheat is not going to change a whole lot,” Singh said.

“It might be fun to watch a coyote walk through the field every once in a while, but I’m not sure the troubles it creates are worth it,” Lyon said.

That could change depending on the feedback the station receives, and if there’s high demand for a live feed, Singh said.

‘Barn owl’ cameras

They are using a low-cost “barn owl” camera that takes several pictures and uploads them to the internet.

These cameras have a long battery life, are movable and can be set just about anywhere, Lyon said.

WSU is considering another camera at the Spillman Farm in Pullman. If the cams catch on, other locations might also be added.

“The most expensive part is you have to pay a cell phone fee for each one,” Lyon said.

The cameras aren’t intended to serve a research purpose, but could help researchers keep an eye on their trials. Lyon said fellow weed scientist Ian Burke has barn owl cameras tracking grain sorghum trials in Douglas County.

“Especially for remote sites, it could help let people know, ‘The sorghum’s heading now, I better get out and do something about it,’” he said.

But the main reason is to help people learn more about how wheat develops, Lyon said.

“We saw the spring wheat emerge there,” he said. “Now it’s starting to get a little size to it. We’ll be able to watch it shoot up here in a little bit and put a head on.”

WSU dryland research station field cam