James Clarke, Research Director at ADAS, has extensive expertise in all aspects of farming, from sustainable agriculture to environmental impacts. James has been commended for his years of dedication and work with the UK’s research and farming communities.
“As ADAS Research Director, I spend a lot of time interacting with government, companies, researchers and practical farming to ensure knowledge is applied and that research is targeted to ensure it can deliver impact, especially research with multiple on-farm benefits.
Having good engagement with end users is vital to ensure innovations are ready for uptake and to integrate with the excellent on-farm innovations implemented by farmers themselves. Successful innovation depends on good research and good industry feedback.
To bridge the gap between science and farm practice, we need to prioritise and ensure applied research has readily available and well-placed funding for stepped improvements and for disruptive technology. Marginal gains may not provide the most stimulating or disruptive innovations, however, there is great opportunity for incremental change to deliver long-term impact. Whilst new knowledge is important, it is just as important to communicate and apply existing knowledge.
The UK has amazing research, which can really change the agri-tech landscape if we understand how we apply this expertise in real-world situations and focus on creating on-farm solutions. There are two key aspects when considering the feasibility of a research proposal and the practical application of agri-tech innovation. These are adoptability and acceptability.
Adoptability considers how an innovation fits within the existing logistical infrastructure. Widespread adoption of new technology is reliant on ease of uptake. By developing innovations that consider existing equipment and production systems, farmers and end-users are much more able to invest and to be able to adapt, learn and integrate existing approaches with new ways of working. These will further improve with their input.
Secondly, we need to consider acceptability and how an innovation fits into existing regulatory frameworks and government priorities. Both need to be considered to enable effective solutions to address the challenges in farming.
Farm practitioners have a wide range of factors to consider, including inputs vs returns, policy, changing weather patterns, labour and input availability. Understanding the complex and changing day-to-day challenges farmers face is essential for successful agri-tech innovation. Hence the importance of two-way communication from the outset.
A good connection between applied and fundamental science is therefore necessary for progress. A great example of this is the Crop Storage and Post-Harvest Solutions developed by pooling the expertise and facilities now available in ADAS, the UK Agri-Tech Centre, the James Hutton Institute (JHI) and the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and others including SRUC and companies.
The project offers the opportunity to simulate supply chain environments and monitor storage conditions, focusing on the agricultural and horticultural value chain to develop strategies to improve crop handling and storage, retain quality and reduce losses. With expertise and facilities across the UK, this project has the potential to deliver real impact for the industry.
There has been much change in agriculture in my 45-year career. To make progress and deliver real impact in agri-tech, we need a whole systems approach which integrates practical skills and knowledge across the UK, which brings together the right people with the right understanding to deliver the right projects in the right facilities.”