Our Week in Agri-Tech

Hazel Alpaca (newly-shorn) and I are here to tell you about Cereals, the Festival of Fresh, the next in our “Agri-Tech Meets…” series, plus the Big Announcement that UK farmers have been awaiting. This week from Agri-TechE:🕳️ My learnings from the Niab soil hole at Cereals Event (and thank you David Clarke for a great explanation about "plate-y" limestone and following the wormholes). 💭 A mantra for #agritech start-ups - when you have great tech but are innovating in a crowded field.🥗 From Cereals – to fresh produce, with the Festival of Fresh hosted by G's Group. Audit process streamlining, the rise of the robots – and a discussion about Ultra Processed Foods (link to the public dialogue report in the comments below).🚀 Agri-Tech Meets… SPACE in the next in our series of exploring the interfaces between sectors.📉 The budget for the next phase of the Sustainable Farming Incentive has been announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs… is it going to be enough? (answers on a postcard). Also great catch-ups with Steve McLean from the UK Agri-Tech Centre, and a very valuable meeting of the Agriculture Sector Group supporting Innovate UK Business Connect.News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all wilted and dried out in the UK heatwave this week… imagine the impact on those growing high value, short-season crops such as #peonies?How much of their marketable crop was a peony grower left with this week? Answer in the video…..👏 Big thanks to the team at Niab for a great event, where we talked precision breeding, and learning how crop #genetics might influence the microbial communities living around plant roots, and airborne detection of yellow rust. 🧬 Learning what a pangenome is and why understanding the one for wheat can unlock greater breeding insights, thanks to the work underway by Rachel Rusholme Pilcher at the Earlham Institute.🦠 With the rise of microbial crop products, what are the rules about patenting #biologicals? Ian MacLeod of J A Kemp is on hand to guide you through it.📣 The next in the series of #AgriChat has landed, where I discuss the importance of an independent national capability around spray technology research and validation with Philip Carpenter of DE SANGOSSE . 🗞️ And a newsletter landed - did you receive yours/ We had lots of policy updates in this one!News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Agri-TechE round-up features our discussions on crop health solutions, a new UK offering for on-farm R&D and we’ve entered the world of podcasts. And you’ll learn what the Medici Effect is and why it’s important for #agritech.🚜 Our first on-farm “Demo-Day” – showcasing technology solutions for soils and water management at Elveden Farms Ltd📣 We launched Season 2 of our #AgriChat podcast!First episode is “SPS101” with CropLife UK, to coincide with this week's Kings Speech – “it’s more than a trade deal – it’s a negotiation of GB’s agricultural policy.” (Find it wherever you get your podcasts, as they say!)Two more podcasts recorded this week, including with DE SANGOSSE with MD Philip Carpenter sharing his views on the critical importance of retaining UK national capability around researching and validating spray technologies. Watch this space.🙌 Attending the opening of the very inspiring Dyson Farming Research Centre – check out the story and interview with MD Daniel Cross on our website. A new national resource to test, trial and validate new tech on farm and at scale.💪 Keeping crops healthy with use of biology with chemistry – we talk to Mark Waltham, CEO of Certis Belchim about prioritising plant health for resilience.🗣️ Discussing the State of the Nation – and beyond – with Bayer’s UK MD, Kate Connors.⚡ Growing bioenergy feedstocks in the most regenerative way possible - at the Agricultural Advisory Board of Future Biogas❗ And don’t forget the “Introduction to Agri-tech” event at Throw’s Farm next week, kindly hosted by Agrii. Register here: https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=27317News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re buzzzzzing after a great week where the Agri-TechE round up is from among the apple blossom, as we’re thinking #pollination. A line-up of tech companies walked us through not just pollination monitoring  @agrisound5776  but also bird ID – and, hot news – moth ID WilderSensing, soil organic carbon monitoring  @DownforceTechnologies  and a new high-tech approach to mapping “species interaction networks”  @newcastleuni  And we reflect on Rob Bradburne’s comments on the Land Use Framework in his role as Chief Scientist of the  @EnvironmentAgencyTV Member catch ups with  @Cambridgeconsultants  ,  @CropLifeUK  ,  @cambridgeuniversity  and  @syngenta  … work has started on the new BioSTaR building – their new 9,500m2, 3 storey purpose-designed facility for 21st Century bio-based research at Jealott’s Hill. £100m into UK agricultural research – cause for celebration!Thanks to our latest Stakeholder Group cohort – great to get your views and hear your perspectives from your parts of the industry – from farming, to research, processing, investment and agronomy. Hope you enjoyed this week’s Evolve newsletter - if you don’t receive it and would like to you can sign up here: https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/civicrm/profile/create/?gid=32&reset=1News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inspired by a field of oil seed rape to talk brassica breeding in this week's Agri-TechE Friday round-up, and marvelling at the diversity of plant species with from a common ancestor. This week: 📣 Announcement from Elsoms Seeds about their new innovation centre 🚜 A public consultation around modernising fertiliser regulations - time to have your say if you import, manufacture, develop, sell, use, analyse or have a view about fertilisers of the future. 👋 A warm welcome to new members:  Earthbase - using their AI-Powered platform to predict and shape the success of companies in hashtag#agritech hashtag#food and hashtag#naturalcapital  The East Malling Trust - the charity funding and supporting research, innovation and education around horticulture. 🤫 Plus the next installment in our micro-learning series - protecting your secret sauce in agritech - trade secrets, trademarks and copyright with ip21 Ltd Great catch ups across the team with Processors and Growers Research Organisation, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), Hutchinsons and Interactive SoftwareNews, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday round up is from Agri-TechE Towers (too cold and windy to be outside today!). This week: - Introducing some of our latest new members: Livefarmer UK - farm management software to help manage crops and assets, and supporting your audit needs. GIS-Point ltd. - harnessing spatial data for analytics, monitoring and precision application. Pennine Analytical Laboratories Ltd. - measuring the composition of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen, and levels of proteins and calories etc in a whole range of materials Number 8 bio - for cattle farmers wanting an increase in FCR of their animals and to reduce their GHG emissions - a novel molecule encapsulated in a slow-release dissolvable bolus. 🐞 🐝 🪶 🚰 🌳 FIVE BASIS Reg Ltd points up for grabs for delegates attending our "Productive Landscape: Nature-tech for Profit and Planet" event (April 28th). Hear from the Environment Agency Chief Scientist, as well as speakers from G's Group, The Crown Estate, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Cambridge Consultants, the NFU (National Farmers'​ Union), Brown&Co LLP, Lloyds Banking Group and more - plus a host of tech companies. Thank you so much to Fenland SOIL, ADAS and Rothamsted Enterprises for supporting the conference. 📣 The UK's first Precision Bred Organism marketing notice has been issued.....a new barley developed by Rothamsted Research using gene-editing techniques moves a step closer to commercial deployment. And who do you / we know who met the King this week to receive their well-deserved Gong?! Huge congratulations to Simon Pearson MBE - you are a great ambassador for UK hashtag#agritech. Mentioned or met this week: Marcus Harrison | Thomas Williams | Peter Eastmond | Freddie Theodoulou | Julius Joel | Diane Mitchell | David Webster | Charlie Curtis PSAg , CSRM | Isobel Ashbey | Casey Woodward | Geoff Horrell |George Caterer | Darren Evans | Ben Makowiecki |News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday round up from Agri-TechE - in a week that has seen the launch of the UK’s Land Use Framework and our hosting of the big ARISE programme delegates from North and South America. This week:- The Farming Minister was at the University of Reading to talk about the report around land use for food production, nature recovery, housing, energy production, communities and amenities. Good to see a focus on domestic food production but the "More With Less" message is writ large......agriculture is going to have to be even more productive. - The 6 month ARISE programme culminated in a UK visit for the delegates at the Norwich Research Park, Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology and WMG, University of Warwick. A great showcase of different innovation ecosystems in the UK - we wish we had time to visit all the UK has to offer. - The Innovation Summit was hosted at Niab and featured more than 80 partnering meetings (yes, 80!) between the ARISE delegates and our community, as well as talks about cross-border funding for research, innovation and collaboration. Closing with a fantastic insight into Dyson Farming Research by Richard Meredith.....the longest post-talk queue we have ever seen of people wanting to talk to him afterwards! Big shout out to the ARISE delegation from some excellent global institutions, including Embrapa, the Yield Lab LATAM, the Yield Lab Institute, Washington University in St Louis, Taylor Geospatial, Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre, agcenter, Universidad Austral, Tecnologico de Monterrey, CREA, as well as Agritierra and Earthbase, and Newcastle University and Harper Adams University.News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A farming-focussed round-up from Agri-TechE this week, coming from the gorgeous GORGATE LIMITED Farm, an exemplar of production plus nature recovery.In this week’s round-up:🙏 Reinforcing the important of farmer input into the innovation process through the #Geocrop project – using historical weather and crop data to identify potential fail points for the supply chain. Thank you to our farmer members who were part of the process.🫧 🪴 Our Soils and Water Demo Day will be hosted at Elveden Farms Ltd, helping farmers see relevant #agritech in real-world action.📣 Telling the story of agriculture, harnessing our community to show how to make an impact through media and PR. Big thanks to Lizzie McLaughlin of Seeded Marketing, Tom McHarg CMktr of Orter Marketing and Max MacGillivray of Beanstalk.Global. 👋 A very warm welcome to some of our latest new members:☑️ Certis Belchim – crop protection solutions, both chemical and biological☑️ Agri Frontier – helping you assess and develop your market in Africa☑️ Trade and Investment Queensland – the go-to organisation for exploring agriculture and horticulture in Australia's second largest state ☀️☑️ Polysolar Limited - your flexible friend in agrivoltaics for energy production (and potentially even yield enhancement) for polytunnels and glasshouses)Plus putting the (agri)-world to rights with Jon Williams of BASF Agricultural Solutions.News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Agri-TechE round-up come from high above the Yarra river, hot (literally) from the AgriFutures evokeAG conference in Melbourne, Australia. 🫶 Aligning mindsets with some utter legends in global #agritech, in particular the awesome Brendan O'Connell; Peter Wren-Hilton; Meg Lovegrove and Rob Hulme. 💡 Being inspired by the keynote address by Andrew Bate, farmer and founder of SwarmFarm Robotics - check out my blog on our website with thoughts about agri-tech R & D.....(as well as E, A and S). And while we're on the alphabet soup, some reflections about TRLs - are they fit for purpose for agri-tech innovations? 🤝 Very much enjoyed seeing our Antipodean members, includingthe Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), Agnition Ventures and also the Aussie arm of Dyneval. And remember Moa Technology from #REAP2024 - they were here with a stand as well. 👏 Well done to the UK companies on the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme - Airponix Ltd, Polysolar Limited; O2 Agri Ltd; Cleobury PM; Rare Earth Global; and The Extraordinary Berry Company. You did the UK proud showcasing your innovations around virus free seed potatoes, flexible solar panelling for polytunnels, the benefits of hyper-oxygenation in livestock prodution, waste valorisation for fertiliser, the wonders of hemp and innovative glasshouse design for strawberry production. 🙏 A massive thanks and well done to the amazing team who delivered the conference - particular shout-outs to Harriet Mellish, David Lord, Alex Bundock; Harriet Coutts; as well as Emma McMahon and Millie Childs. I enjoyed the Farmers2Founders pitching session - fast-paced but high quality presentations, and great discussions with Gabrielle Munzer and Thomas Williams about the investment landscape and a new solution to mitigate GHG emissions from ruminants. You can read Belinda's blog about the trip on our website.News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Agri-TechE round up from our week in St Louis, Missouri on the second stage of the ARISE programme with AgriTIERRA, Earthbase, Embrapa and the The Yield Lab Institute.This week's vlog featuring:💭 Some takeaways from the week's discussions and those who inspired our thinking.❗ Discover my new favourite mantra - is this the key to developing effective #agritech innovations.....and explaining why ecosystems are so important?🌦️ Long-range weather forecasting for farmers......do you trust this world-famous tool to predict the next 6 weeks of weather?It's been such a privilege to visit Bayer; the World Trade Center St. Louis; the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; the Taylor Geospatial Institute; Washington University in St. Louis; 39 North - and a huge thank you to all who hosted us and facilitated our thinking.(And probably the best justification for lean manufacturing in our industry I have ever heard...... by Joe Steensma).News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mega week at Agri-TechE, but any week that ends with horses has to be a good one. This week's round-up (also available as a podcast in Our Week in Agri-Tech) features: 🏇 When agritech meets horse-racing 🚜 Sustainable production of crops for renewable energy, with Future Biogas 🙏 Our Stakeholder Group meeting, kindly hosted at CPI and overseen by our new Chair Helen Ferrier. 🔎 A deep dive into how to Make The Most of your Agri-TechE Membership, the online recording is available in the Member Stash on our website and also via our YouTube channel. 🧑‍⚖️ Putting our members at the heart of policy-making in the UK, giving evidence to a Select Committee and via our Back to the Future report. 🙌 Welcome to two of our latest new members - Orter Marketing and the Crown Point Estate. Plus catch ups with members Collison and Associates Limited; The Crown Estate; Norwich Research Park and Home Farm Nacton News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What were the take-home messages of The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC)? The first Agri-TechE roundup of 2026 gives a quick overview (spoiler alert - there wasn't much #agritech). The debate was our highlight, with the motion "This House Believes Farming Will Be A One Day A Week Job in 90 Years". Mentioned in dispatches in the vlog - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State Emma Reynolds, Minette Batters DL, Niab, Jack A Bobo and Elliott Grant. Also:📧 Our first events mailer of the year landed - bookings open with discounts for members 🤝 Prepping for CropTec next week (come and see us on stand CT314 to learn more about our plans for the year, and for the chance to win goodies).News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s podcast will reveal…... The value of “nature benefits” in England in 2024 (at £37billion, it’s more than any single manufacturing sector in the UK) and why we should care about the UK’s newly-released Environment Improvement Plan. Plus Agri-TechE’s event on Nature-tech for Profit and Planet in April 2026 at Rothamsted Research in April next year. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=27311 What delegates REALLY thought of REAP 2025 – and getting next year’s date locked in your diary! Exciting news for those looking to engage with the #agritech innovation ecosystems in north and south America through the #ARISE project (Agri-Tech for Resilience, Innovation and Sustainable Ecosystems) – in partnership with AgriTIERRA and Earthbase, and our international friends at the The Yield Lab Institute and Embrapa. News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions. https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.