From industry insights to supporting businesses to develop cutting-edge innovation across AI, robotics and automation and CEA, to thought-provoking conversations at events, we’re sharing our top activities of the month to help you stay informed about all things agri-tech.
The next wave in responsible aquaculture
The importance of developing more test and trial facilities for businesses to create robust solutions in real-world environments was a significant topic of discussion led by our experts, Martin and Polly, at Aqua Nor last month.
In Martin’s talk, titled “Stop Treading Water – The Next Wave in Responsible Aquaculture,” he called for increased investment in demonstration sites to accelerate the introduction of new products to the market. He highlighted the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s Marine Aquaculture Innovation Centre (MAIC), designed to enhance the UK’s capacity for aquaculture research and innovation.
As we navigate towards a more sustainable and prosperous future in aquaculture, the message is clear: establishing robust testing grounds is not just beneficial; it’s essential for driving transformative change.
Using agri-tech to combat challenges in agriculture
As part of Farm24 in August, we highlighted those working hard to drive transformation and growth across the agriculture sector. The UK Agri-Tech Centre collaborates with businesses to accelerate innovation and with farmers and growers to increase adoption.
Find out about some of the standout projects leading the way, including, Precision Pollination, a game-changer that harnesses drone technology to enhance strawberry pollination and HoofCount’s Pedivue device, which employs AI for the early detection of lameness in dairy cattle.
These projects are testing and trialling new innovative solutions to drive sustainability, improve productivity and strengthen resilience. The future of farming is here and it’s more extraordinary than you could imagine!
Boosting the future of potato farming with advanced trap crop strategies
If you are a potato grower, you might be familiar with a hidden battle lurking beneath the soil – the notorious potato cyst nematodes or PCN for short. This resilient foe poses one of the most formidable challenges for potato farming in the UK, wreaking havoc and leading to significant crop losses across the nation.
Is there ray of hope on the horizon? Well, yes there is – the DeCyst initiative, a groundbreaking project supported by Defra and Innovate UK, which is exploring trap cropping as an innovative pest management strategy to help growers combat PCN and protect their yields.
Turning livestock waste into sustainable fertiliser with hydrothermal technology
Imagine a world where the 140 million tonnes of livestock waste generated each year in the UK no longer pose a problem, but instead, become a potent resource. Currently, when farmers spread this waste on their fields, only about half of the crucial nutrients, like phosphorus, are actually absorbed by crops. As costs for traditional fertilisers soar and vital resources dwindle, the agricultural landscape faces a pressing challenge.
A new project: ‘Nutrient Utilisation and Recovery through Supercritical Extraction’ (NURSE) aims to change that. Supported by Defra and Innovate UK, this project will use advanced hydrothermal technology to recover valuable nutrients from livestock waste while also reducing carbon emissions. The project offers farmers a more sustainable and cost-effective solution to traditional fertilisers and enables condensed nutrients for precision application.
Unlocking agricultural insights with advanced multispectral sensors
How can multispectral imaging technology support smarter, data-driven farming decisions? Spectral imaging provides an efficient and cost-effective technology for farmers to see what the human eye cannot, capturing light across multiple wavelengths to reveal hidden details about their crops.
The UK Agri-Tech Centre offers the chance to test, trial and demonstrate opportunities:
- Crop health monitoring
- Soil analysis
- Irrigation management
- Yield prediction
