Consumer Physics has introduced its SCiO Cup — a portable, lab-grade forage dry matter analyzer.

According to the company, the smartphone-operated device transforms feed analysis by enabling frequent dry matter analysis. SCiO Cup enables on-farm decision making, ensuring consistent dry matter intake and reducing feed leftovers. In addition, SCiO Cup can be used on-field for planning silage harvest timing at optimal moisture levels.

“We bring lab-level accuracy to the farm, with added simplicity,” said Terry Allen, Consumer Physics’ North America head of business development. “The process is instant and simple — fill up SCiO Cup with green chop or silage, click the button once and get results on your phone within 10 seconds.”

Allen added that SCiO Cup is already being deployed by Cargill and other feed and nutritionist brands.

SCiO Cup supports dry matter analysis of chopped corn silage (green and ensiled), legumes silage, grass silage, small grains silage and mixed silage. Silage calibrations are seamlessly and continuously updated in the cloud to ensure seasonal and regional accuracy, the company said. SCiO Cup also enables users to track past dry matter results and trends across time, per field or feed bunker/pit.

SCiO Cup is operated with a rechargeable battery and can scan more than 1,000 samples on a single charge. It is rugged and shock-resistant, designed for on-field applications and comes with a protective carrying case.

SCiO Cup has been developed by Consumer Physics using near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) and is based on an earlier version that has been completely upgraded after three years of extensive field tests.

SCiO Cup is the second product launched by Consumer Physics in just a few weeks. In June, the company’s launched SCiO for Corn, which provides instant results, in the field, directly on the cob, without shelling. This solution is tailored for corn seed producers, agronomists and corn farmers to optimize seed production and corn harvest timing.

Consumer Physics was founded in 2011 by a team of scientists and subject matter experts. The company developed SCiO, the world’s first pocket-sized connected micro-spectrometer.