10 years after starting a project that delivered a fully autonomously managed crop, Jonathan Gill looks forward to what the next ten years may bring. I have spent 20 years working with robotics in a professional capacity and have seen massive benefits with machines being programmed to perform the dull, dirty, dangerous tasks that we …
A new project is set to explore the concept of an energy-independent farm If you went to Agritechnica, you may have seen New Holland’s T7 Methane Power LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) tractor as an industry first. The latest development in the brand’s Methane Power tractor offering. The tractor itself offers farmers unparalleled performance for an …
Written by Dr David Cutress: IBERS, Aberystwyth University. • Silicate and carbonate reactions could offer a route for long-term carbon storage• Whilst issues surround carbonate minerals, silicates, like basalt rock, appear more promising• Applying crushed silicatesto agricultural soils could benefit carbon footprints, nutrient availability, pH, soil water retention and plant growth and yields• Currently, there …
Knowing basic infrastructural information about fields is a key requirement to unlocking technological progress for an Oxfordshire wine producer. Tech Farmer visits JoJo’s vineyard. By Mike Abram Three simple words explain why Ian Beecher Jones, and his partner Tess, started the 2ha JoJo’s vineyard that nestles on the chalky slopes of the Chiltern Hills, not …
Profitable businesses are best placed to help the planet. Knight Frank’s Mark Topliff speaks to consultants Simon Britton and Andrew Martin to discuss the five standout traits of the most successful farmers they have worked with. Farming businesses that perform at the top 25% level financially are more capable of riding out volatile markets and …
Written by Lizzie Sagoo from ADAS Earlier this month, ADAS, Rothamsted and Bangor University welcomed over 250 delegates from 25 countries to the 18th International RAMIRAN conference in Cambridge. The theme of this year’s RAMIRAN was maximising the utilisation of organic fertilisers against a background of changing regulation and increasing pressure on the environment and food production. Following …
Making the most of organic materials to reduce fertiliser bills Read More »
Written by Joe Stanley from the Allerton Project It’s well established, including by our own research (in part discussed in June’s article on our pioneering Conservation Agriculture trial), that a move to reduced tillage or direct drilling (DD) can generally be considered beneficial for the triumvirate of farm economics, soil health and environmental sustainability. With …
As more growers use foliar nitrogen applications, Direct Driller picks out some practical tips about how to formulate mixtures for maximum efficacy from Joel Williams’ masterclass. Written by MIke Abram Foliar feeding potentially offers a more efficient and quicker route to get nitrogen into a crop, particularly later in the season, but it does come …
By Toby Simpson NSch @tjsimpson Cast your mind back to January 2021, that particularly cold, dark, and dreary month made infinitely worse by the fact we were in a third lockdown with no end in sight. For me this was the background to an epiphany, while sat by the fire reading through old Nuffield papers, …
Established nearly 60 years ago, the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) is a constant force in the volatile foliar-disease landscape. Jason Pole, who manages technical communications at AHDB, explains how the project is exploring ways to get disease data out quicker. Strategic value of UKCPVS UKCPVS is a long-term strategic project. Set up in …
