The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Most people in the UK are familiar with 2 ways of protecting their ideas: either through a Patent to protect how something works or through a Registered Design to protect the look of an object.
In many countries of Europe, Asia, and South America there is a third form of protection available which should be considered. Known variously as a utility model or petty patent, protection is provided for inventions which may not reach the level of ‘inventiveness’ needed for the more usual patent, but which nevertheless include an innovation. Also, the time between filing the application and grant is typically far less than for a conventional patent, resulting fairly quickly in a valid and enforceable right.
There are several reasons why you might think about filing a utility model application. First, you are provided with a route to protect more incremental improvements in an invention which might not be independently patentable. Such improvements are often made some time after the original patent for the broader invention has been filed and so allow for the overall scope of protection at your disposal to be expanded.
Second, the usual patent system sets a cut-off point of 12 months from an initial filing, in which to maintain patent rights outside the initial filing jurisdiction – typically the UK for our clients. Should you wish to have rights outside the chosen countries, once this period has passed then this is usually not possible. The utility model however allows rights to be obtained in countries not on the original list: albeit with the additional improvement.
To obtain the rights, then a description of the invention, including drawings, needs to be filed. This is then examined by the relevant Patent Office, but again, the examination process is not as rigorous as that for a conventional patent and is sometimes directed only to formal matters.
Need Advice on Utility Models or IP Strategy?
If you’re considering using a utility model to protect your innovation, or want to explore how it fits into your wider IP strategy, get in touch with our team. We’d be happy to discuss your options and help you find the right approach for your business.
Written by Paul Harrison for ip21
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Precision agriculture company Paul-Tech has launched a new soil data forecasting service that enables farmers to plan fieldwork and respond to changing conditions up to five days in advance. The new feature is based on real-time long-term data collected by Paul-Tech’s soil stations and high-quality weather models.
“Our soil stations have been collecting real-time data since 2019, covering a wide range of growing seasons. Thanks to this, Paul-Tech has one of the most comprehensive agricultural soil process datasets available,” explained Eve Plakk, Product Owner at Paul-Tech.
“Over the years, farmers have frequently asked whether it would be possible to see ahead into future soil conditions. Now we can finally say—it is.”
Paul-Tech’s soil stations have already helped farmers assess crop health by monitoring what’s happening underground. For example, if drought stress is detected in the soil, the crop won’t feel the impact until days later. With the new forecasting service, farmers now gain valuable lead time to act before these changes are visible in the field.
The new forecasting feature is available to all existing Paul-Tech soil station users. It is powered by AI-driven models that combine real-time soil data, historic seasonal information, and trusted weather forecasts. Forecasted indicators include current and five-day rainfall predictions, five-day soil water dynamics, and temperature forecasts for both soil and air (average, maximum, and minimum). The service also provides predictions for volumetric soil moisture and relative humidity.
Although Paul-Tech’s stations do not include a built-in rain gauge, the system integrates reliable rainfall data and forecasts from premium-quality weather models—effectively adding a virtual weather station to the Paul-Tech ecosystem.
“Our core principle has always been simple: what happens in the soil will eventually be seen in the crop,” added Eve Plakk. “With this forecasting service, farmers can now anticipate those changes and respond in advance.”
“We’ve significantly advanced our product in recent years,” said Mikk Plakk, CEO and Co-Founder of Paul-Tech. “Our goal is to offer farmers more accurate tools to support informed decision-making. We recently launched the world’s first real-time nitrate nitrogen monitoring capability, and now we’re taking it a step further with soil data forecasting. These innovations are changing the way agriculture is approached.”
This new forecasting service is now available as an added feature through the Paul-Tech system for all customers from spring 2025.
About Paul-Tech
Paul-Tech is a science-driven agriculture platform that empowers farmers to make more precise decisions using real-time soil data. The company’s soil sensors are built upon generations of research and allow users to track fertiliser effectiveness and various soil processes. Since its founding in 2019, Paul-Tech has operated in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden, and expanded to the UK and Lithuania in 2024.
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Drone Ag technology is enhancing efficiency and profitability for agriculture globally. Their drone AI technology allows for automated data collection and real-time analysis, helping agri companies manage resources more effectively and enabling environmentally responsible practices.
We’re live on Crowdcube – and we’ve already raised over £300,000 in less than 48 hours!
It’s been 3 years since our last public crowdfund. Since then, we’ve been busy developing simple, effective drone tech that’s transforming agriculture – and now, you can join us on the next stage of our journey.
👉 Invest now and help shape the future of farming.
Highlights
Raised over £2m since 2019 & won over £750k Innovate UK grants invested in IP development.
Started rollout to 4 R&D sites in Europe for Syngenta.
Over 5,000 flights made with Skippy Scout in 2024 across the globe.
Agrii holds a 4% equity stake in the company as a strategic investment.
Capital at risk.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.
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The recent passing of secondary legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act for plants in England marks a milestone moment for UK agriculture. England is now aligned with countries like the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and India, which have already approved gene-edited plant varieties such as high-GABA tomatoes, drought-tolerant rice, and herbicide-resistant soybeans.
As GMO regulation is a devolved matter, legislative harmony across UK nations has not yet been achieved. Currently, this is an England only Act, meaning that it has provided a new category for precision bred organisms to be authorised in England. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, these organisms will remain classified as genetically modified organisms.
The legislation unlocks a regulatory pathway for gene-edited crops to be developed and commercialised under a domestic framework. This distinguishes them from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and enables innovations that would have previously been stalled. This shift marks a significant step in the England’s agricultural policy, positioning it as a leader in precision breeding innovation.
But what does this mean for the wider agri-tech sector? And where do livestock and aquaculture — also covered in the Precision Breeding Act — stand in comparison?
A Step Forward for Plant Breeding
This new legislation gives clarity and confidence to plant breeders working with traits that would traditionally be enhanced through traditional breeding, but now with more speed and precision through gene editing. We expect the initial wave of activity to focus on traits that improve:
Disease resistance
Climate resilience (e.g. drought or heat tolerance)
Nutritional value
Input efficiency (e.g. reduced fertiliser or pesticide use)
For producers, it could mean access to varieties that are resilient to changing environmental conditions or that provide for consumer preferences — crucial in a sector under mounting pressure to deliver more with less. We’re also seeing development of cross-functional GE crops like high-lipid barley, which has been linked to reduced methane emissions in livestock.
The Science Is Ready – But Is the System?
We now have the scientific tools to introduce targeted, subtle genetic changes — changes that could have arisen naturally over time — with a precision unimaginable even a decade ago. In livestock, we’ve already seen examples like PRRS-resistant pigs or polled (hornless) cattle where gene editing can deliver clear welfare and production benefits.
But having the tools is not the same as having a system ready to use them. For gene editing to fulfil its potential in either plants or animals, science must be backed by:
Aligned legislation and trade frameworks
Trust-building across the supply chain and with the public
Robust monitoring, decision-making, and governance systems
England has taken a bold step forward with plants, but the needs of the wider system that have been outlined above — particularly in animals — still require development. The regulatory path for livestock is still incomplete, and international divergence (including within the UK) poses barriers for deployment and trade.
What About Animals?
While the Act also applies to livestock and aquaculture, no secondary legislation has yet been implemented for animals — and this creates both opportunity and uncertainty.
As highlighted in the Harnessing Genetic Tools report developed by AbacusBio for the UK Agri-tech Centres and the Roslin Institute, animal gene editing has the potential to:
Eradicate or reduce major diseases (e.g. PRRS in pigs)
Accelerate genetic gain while maintaining the integrity of the animal
However, the path to commercial use is less clear. Animal editing faces higher regulatory, ethical, and social hurdles, especially around welfare monitoring, ethics, environmental risk, and public acceptance. Cross-border trade challenges also remain a barrier.
Shared Opportunities, Shared Challenges
Whether in plants or animals, gene editing is not about “playing God” — it’s about accelerating changes that could happen naturally, but in a more targeted, predictable way. In both cases, the key considerations are similar:
Do we have clear breeding goals tied to sustainability and resilience?
Are systems in place for monitoring intended and unintended effects?
Can we align regulation, public trust, and commercial demand?
The lessons from plant roll-out will be instructive. If well-governed and communicated, early plant successes could help pave the way for animal applications.
What We’re Advising Clients
At AbacusBio, we’re working closely with clients across the value chain — from breeders and producers to policy and research partners — to help them prepare. Our advice is:
Start building capability now. Even if deployment is still down the road for animals, the foundations — genomic infrastructure, breeding goal refinement, and public engagement — are best laid early.
Think system-wide. Gene editing is one tool among many — it will be most powerful when combined with other technologies like genomic selection, Artificial Intelligence in breeding decisions, and sustainability benchmarking.
Consider the long-term implication. It takes a substantial amount of R&D to get a precision breeding idea from concept to commercialisation. A robust and informative framework that assesses candidate gene edits for potential progression from research, proof of concept, integration into breeding and variety development programs, through to commercialisation is essential.
Stay engaged and vocal. The plant sector is showing what’s possible when policy moves. Animal sector voices — including from producers and scientists — will be essential to ensure the next phase of legislation reflects both opportunity and practicality.
Looking Ahead
The passage of secondary legislation for plants is cause for optimism. It shows that England is willing to lead with science, while also demanding responsible innovation. The challenge now is to extend that clarity and capability across the whole of agriculture — plant and animal alike — and ensure we harness the best of genetic technology for a more sustainable future.
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The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is one of the losers of the government’s spending review that sets departmental budgets up to 2028-29. This will only add to the frustrations of rural communities and a sector that feels likes it has already born the brunt of Labour’s early policymaking decisions. The spending review was an opportunity for the government to repair its relationship with the sector after the damage of the 2024 autumn budget with the changes to Agriculture Property Relief, as well as the early closure of the Sustainable Farming Initiative. Defra’s budget will undergo a real terms decrease of 0.7 per cent from 2023-24 to 2028-29. This means that departmental spending will flatline in cash terms at roughly £7.5bn. Sector stakeholders have cautiously welcomed Defra settlement having feared that cuts to spending could’ve been far worse.
However, reflecting the Chancellor’s decision to tweak and omit capital spending from her fiscal rules, there is a small win for Defra. Over the course of this parliament, capital spending will significantly increase. Defra is set to receive £16 billion of capital funding from now until 2029-30, equivalent to an annual average real terms growth rate of 2.5%. The challenge for Defra ministers will be deploying this funding effectively to deliver on their ambitions for food, farming and the environment.
The government’s spending review documents set out how some of this funding will be spent:
£2.7 billion per year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026‑27 until 2028‑29.
£2.3 billion through the Farming and Countryside Programme and up to £400 million from additional nature schemes.
Increasing support for nature-friendly farming through Environmental Land Management schemes from £800 million in 2023-24 to £2 billion by 2028‑29.
Beyond the allocations detailed in the review, attention will now turn to how the remainder of the Defra spending envelope will be portioned out and likely through the upcoming policy documents that the sector is eagerly awaiting. From a National Food Strategy to the review into farming profitability and the revised Land Use Framework, Defra ministers need to navigate competing sector demands – an exercise that will almost certainly involve trade-offs. While Defra ministers keep reiterating that ‘food security is national security’, it still feels as though the dots have not yet been fully connected. Securing the nation’s food supply means boosting domestic production, reducing a reliance on overseas imports and accomplished through supporting the long-term viability of farming and innovative agricultural solutions and technologies.
Now is an opportunity to engage and a lot is up for grabs. Businesses and investors should use this window to advocate for their priorities and influence policy development at both a ministerial and government official level.
If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, including how GK Strategy can support you with government relations and communication, please contact James Allan.
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Landmark Health and Safety Executive (HSE) permit, delivered in partnership with Certis Belchim, paves the way for a revolutionary new method to clean glasshouses and boost crop performance.
Stoke-On-Trent, UK – June 11, 2025– AutoSpray Systems, leaders in the UK’s agri-drone revolution, today confirmed they have been awarded the first-ever UK trial permit by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the aerial application of a biocide.
This significant regulatory milestone, achieved in partnership with crop protection specialists Certis Belchim, covers the aerial drone application of an algaecide to tackle widespread algae build-up on glasshouse roofs. This represents the first step towards securing a full commercial authorisation for the practice.
Algal films on glass are a growing issue for the UK horticultural sector, caused by increasingly damp and mild weather conditions. The build-up significantly reduces light transmission, limiting crop performance and reducing energy efficiency in high-value protected cropping systems. Traditionally, cleaning these structures is labour-intensive, disruptive, and often impractical at scale.
Andy Sproson, Director at AutoSpray Systems, commented, ‘Securing this landmark permit from the HSE is a testament to our team’s hard work and our close, collaborative relationship with UK regulators. This isn’t just about cleaning glass; it’s about providing the horticulture sector with a powerful new tool to enhance productivity and operate more safely. We are proving that drone technology offers smarter, cleaner, and more efficient solutions to long-standing industry challenges, and we’re excited to be leading the charge towards full commercial approval.’
The aerial drone solution allows glasshouses to be treated quickly and safely without the need for scaffolding or access platforms. The application is precise, consistent, and repeatable, ensuring light levels can be rapidly restored to improve crop growth and uniformity.
This permit marks the beginning of a full regulatory pathway toward commercial approval. It is a transformative development for the UK horticultural sector, showcasing how drone technology can solve practical challenges with safer and smarter application methods.
About AutoSpray Systems: AutoSpray Systems is leading the agri-drone revolution in the UK. Its purpose is to revolutionise UK agriculture through the safe, smart, and sustainable use of autonomous drone technology.
About Certis Belchim: Certis Belchim is a leading crop protection company, offering a wide range of innovative and sustainable solutions for growers across Europe in both agriculture and horticulture.
Media Contact: Sam Edwards pr@autospraysystems.com 07907597840
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Could plastic waste be recycled to use on-farm?
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Where 3D printers were once reserved for design engineers and researchers, plummeting prices have cut the cost to around £300 for a basic model and opened them up to a mass market. These could also have valuable applications for farmers seeking to design solutions or prototypes for machine tooling. However, at £50 each, the printing filament can quickly offset the bargain price of the printer.
Students studying engineering at Harper Adams University (HAU) have been researching ways of recycling plastic waste to create consumables for 3D printers, which they will demonstrate at the Innovation Hub at this year’s Royal Norfolk Show.
Since HAU positions itself as the university for food production and technology, it is no surprise that agricultural engineering is its most popular engineering course, and the students’ projects have a distinct agricultural focus.
“It’s a bit like an inkjet printer,” says Peter Barnes, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at HAU. “The 3D printer costs £300 and a kilogramme of filament costs £50. It doesn’t take long to exceed the value of the printer.”
Extruding their own plastics for 3D printers is an attempt at limited-scale circularity, as well as a means to reduce costs.
Students at HAU tend to use 3D printing for initial visualisations and prototyping, says Peter. He cautions that 3D printed plastics are not fully mechanically functional, especially in a rugged agricultural environment. However, there is a place for home-printed parts.
Peter Barnes
Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, Harper Adams University
“A lot of agricultural solutions now are based around autonomy and robotics; the subsystems that people make need boxing and fittings, as well as often intricate intermediate components.
“These can be made from 3D-printed plastics.
“It’s also great for seeing if something will fit into a situation before you go to a machinist to produce the actual part from a more durable material.”
How to recycle plastic into 3D printer filament
The idea to explore plastic extrusion originated from two students as a final-year project, both of whom were engineering students from a farming background. The first student looked into its feasibility, and this was followed by the second student experimenting with the process.
Plastics are collected, washed and shredded. This produces chips, which are fed into an extruder that softens and melts the plastic, then compresses it into a hole at the end. This creates a filament that cools as it exits the extruder.
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Discovering Innovation and Sustainability at Place UK’s Berry Farm
ECIF
Agri-TechE
On 5th June 2025 ECIF participants went on a visit to Place UK for a behind-the-scenes look at cutting-edge approaches to fruit production, including robotics, precision irrigation, sustainable energy use, and integrated pest management.
It was a chance for ECIF participants to see real-world applications of agri-tech and understand the challenges and opportunities driving innovation from those farming and growing food, to meet other ECIF enthusiasts, and to taste some rather excellent berries…
Frank Huffer gave his reflections from the trip.
I was eager to visit Place UK to learn more about alternative farming methods beyond the usual crops I’m accustomed to. Seeing a large-scale business setup and understanding how fruits make their way to our shelves was a key motivation. I was excited to hear the advances seen within the fruit growing industry.
The tour revealed the complexities of managing a large-scale berry farm. From strategic future planning to organising over 600 workers, it was evident that running such an operation requires meticulous coordination. We learnt about their innovative practices, such as using bees for pollination, water collection systems for irrigation, a new UV robot to treat powdery mildew, and raising the plants to a convenient height for picking.
An exciting part of the visit was tasting and rating six different strawberry varieties, allowing us to engage directly with their product development.
I was inspired through the presentation and discussion by the passion and knowledge of the guides Stefan Arsene (Farm Operations Manager) and Dan Yordanov (Head of Fresh Operations). Their excitement for the work and their dedication to advancing agricultural innovation left a lasting impression on me. They presented their blackberries production and discussed the potentially for the emerging market in the UK. It was excellent to hear about the in house trials for new varieties and constant ideas and testing process for innovation.
Seeing Place UK’s innovative approach to farming has deepened my appreciation for the role of continuous testing, adaptation, and sustainability in agriculture. It reinforced my belief that embracing innovation and being adaptable are crucial for the future of farming. Also apparent was the need to be surrounded by enthused individuals passionate about seeking new ideas and implementing change. Something that attending the Agri-TechE events has allowed me to develop within my own circle.
Thank you to everyone involved in creating and operating the event, and to those who asked such interesting questions for great discussions. We all came away with more than just a punnet of berries.
Frank Heffer
Senior Station Technician, KWS Group
I grew up on an arable farm in Cambridge, which was responsible for my initial interest in agriculture. After studying geography at Swansea University, all while working on the farm to fund it, I sought experiences beyond farming work. This led to a part-time role at Cropmark Seeds in New Zealand, where I worked on grass breeding for two seasons, followed by a year at Syngenta on their wheat trials. I then transitioned into a full-time position at KWS, where I’ve been for the past four years now as a Senior Station Technician responsible for the logistics behind the internal wheat breeding programs.
Alongside my professional journey, I have a strong passion for inventing, 3D printing, and design. At home, I apply this passion by designing and building innovative systems and creating cool projects such as a fully automated watering system for the pumpkins I grow for charity.
I joined the ECIF program to expand my knowledge of innovation in agriculture and meet those responsible for larger projects and other adjacent companies. I want to explore opportunities for improving my work and be inspired by those pushing agriculture innovation forward. Perhaps even share my experiences with 3D printing and innovation within the plant breeding sector.
The Early-Career Innovators’ Forum (ECIF) is a platform uniting early career individuals passionate about agricultural innovation.
Join the ECIF Programme to enhance your knowledge and network in agriculture, and to attend free activities, including research, farm and industry visits, an annual conference, and professional skills webinars. Explore more about ECIF and how to join here.
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The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
A Norfolk software company is collaborating with farms to make the equipment they have used for decades digitally intelligent – increasing productivity and saving farmers from having to spend thousands of pounds on expensive new machinery.
Greenstalk, which is based in Loddon near Norwich, is working with farming businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk to revolutionise their existing machines – from weighbridges to production lines – so the output of multiple elements can be monitored and tracked on one software platform via a mobile device.
It was a chance conversation about a broken bird scarer that led to David Aarons, managing director of Greenstalk, working with the farming sector, having achieved a string of national and international awards for innovation and technology design during his career.
Ian Field, from Raveningham Estate farms in Norfolk said: “I was in the workshop fiddling around with an old gas gun bird scarer which was proving to be a challenge. Quite by chance David Aarons called in for a social visit and was very interested in what the problem was and, as always, he went away and came back with a host of ideas.”
What evolved from that meeting was a collaboration that has transformed elements of Raveningham’s business.
Greenstalk has worked with the farm’s managers to retro-fit monitors to a range of equipment including irrigation pumps and grain stores, enabling the Raveningham team to monitor power usage and efficiency via Greenstalk’s web-based software platform.
Farm manager Wayne Beales said: “Previously we were reliant on checking in person to see that everything was working correctly. With the monitors fitted, we now have access to all the information from those assets on one dashboard and we can see instantly if there’s a problem and deal with it.”
Ian Field said: “David and his team are very capable of turning an unsatisfactory situation into a viable success. They always ask ‘what do want it to do or be?’, rather than saying ‘this is what we have and this is what you need’.”
At Frederick Hiam’s farm at Brandon Fields in Suffolk, Greenstalk installed sensors to an old weighbridge which now photographs and records the details of vehicles arriving on site and analyses the weight, type and condition of the load. The system uses existing CCTV cameras with bespoke software that can also monitor the vehicle throughout its time on site.
Managing Director Jamie Lockhart said: “I had spoken to other companies about upgrading the weighbridge and they said we would need to buy a new one at a significant cost, but I knew David had clever ways of making machines talk to each other, so I shared what we wanted to achieve.
“We were having to do everything manually and no one knew what was on site until a ticket was delivered to the relevant person. Now we know, as soon as something arrives, what the load is and how much there is – and we haven’t had to spend a whole load of money on new cameras. We get instant recognition that it’s the right vehicle in the right place at the right time.”
Other innovations at Brandon Fields include digitally monitoring the power usage of production lines which removes the need to produce spreadsheets to analyse results, and creating a geofence around the farm’s fuel tanks to protect them from theft. CCTV cameras now trigger a recording 30 seconds before any vehicle enters or leaves the fuel area, preventing the need to review hours of footage if an incident occurs.
David Aarons said: “At Greenstalk, our vision has always been to build the solutions farmers need, from the ground up, by listening to their needs and adapting our technology to suit. Enabling devices, sensors and platforms to talk to each other helps farmers to manage their operations more efficiently, monitor crop health in real-time, and make data-driven decisions.
“Many people are nervous of investing in new technology, but this is different – it’s about making existing machinery smarter and more efficient and it’s something we can apply to so many applications, which is what makes it so exciting.”
Brandon Fields and Raveningham Estates both continue to work with Greenstalk to explore additional ways to introduce new technology to their businesses.
Jamie Lockhart said: “It’s great for us because we can develop the technology to be exactly how we want it to be and we can redeploy it on other machines to monitor other things, like the output from our packing machines, or the amount of rejected produce.It has been a breath of fresh air and the sort of thinking we want to engage with because, as an industry we are fed up with people selling us the dream and then we buy the reality, and the reality is somewhat disappointing. We are not in the dreams business.”
Greenstalk is a trading brand of Select Software, creating technology from the ground up.
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Following a feature on this year’s BBC Springwatch, the Wilder Sensing team were invited behind the scenes for a tour of the production village and even had the chance to sit in Chris and Michaela’s chairs inside the well known Springwatch tent.
This marks the second year running that Wilder Sensing has supported the show with remote bioacoustic monitoring, contributing data for an on screen segment exploring how climate change is driving earlier nesting in resident UK birds and how this shift may impact seasonal migrants such as the Cuckoo.
Bioacoustic monitoring is not only valuable for scientific research, it is also emerging as a practical and cost effective option for large scale environmental assessment across farmland. By providing continuous ecological insights, it supports smarter land management decisions and aligns with the growing evidence requirements set by food retailers and supply chain partners.
If you would like to discuss monitoring on your own sites, you can contact George Caterer at gcaterer@wildersensing.com
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Real Time Crop Photosynthesis insights directly integrated with Ridder Hortimax Pro.
In an exciting development for the horticultural sector, Gardin, an innovator in optical crop phenotyping technology and Ridder, a leader in greenhouse automation have announced a new joint solution integration.
Real time crop photosynthesis insights generated by the Gardin sensor + AI is now integrated with and directly visible within the new Ridder Hortimax Pro interface. Growers can now close the loop between their crop health and the environment with one solution. This strategic integration marks a significant advancement in horticultural production, empowering growers with real-time photosynthesis insights to monitor crop health, measure farm productivity, optimise their climate strategies and see the results faster than ever before.
Figure 1: Real time crop measurement within Hortimax Pro interface
“For years, we’ve helped growers automate climate control around the crop,” said Sander Baraké, Product Director at Ridder. “This next phase is about integrating real-time crop feedback into that loop, shifting from climate control to crop control. Gardin’s technology enables exactly that, and Ridder’s open platform makes it accessible at scale.
Results include profitability boosts of up to 30% by optimizing winter LED efficiency and maximising summer light. Yield increases of up to 15% and early detection of biotic and abiotic stresses by up to 4 weeks before crop walking,” he continued.
This new product integration highlights Ridder’s strategic role as the solution integrator in the horticultural technology ecosystem. With proven infrastructure deployed in thousands of greenhouses worldwide, Ridder provides the secure, open platform on which partners like Gardin can build and deploy cutting-edge innovations that directly benefit growers. These insights, once only available through manual scouting, are now embedded into the daily operation of commercial greenhouses through Hortimax Pro.
The collaboration between Gardin and Ridder represents a pivotal shift towards data-driven cultivation practices based on measurements of the crops. By harnessing Gardin’s state-of-the-art sensor technology, growers can now access real-time indications of light-use efficiency, assimilation and plant health. This integration allows growers to correlate their crop performance with the environment in real time, in a single dashboard; enabling growers to adjust their climate strategy to meet the needs of their crops and see real value faster than before.
“This joint product offering enables growers to monitor and control their environment and see the impact on their crops in a single interface for the first time. Ridder and Gardin developed this product together in a direct response to requests from their clients. The product is now being deployed with major growers in Europe and North America” said Sumanta Talukdar CEO at Gardin.
Both Gardin and Ridder are committed to continuous innovation as they work together to develop novel solutions for the horticulture industry. The continued partnership between Gardin and Ridder will deliver enhanced greenhouse technologies that lead to more sustainable and efficient growing practices.
For further information, please visit: www.gardin.ag/contact
About Gardin: Gardin is a pioneering agricultural technology company specializing in optical phenotyping solutions that are combined with machine learning to generate insights into plant health and productivity. Gardin’s technology is applicable to any crop species including vegetables, flowers and potted plants. Through its novel approach of ‘Plant Driven Growing’, Gardin is enabling growers to make decisions on the plants themselves to achieve significant increases in greenhouse performance.
About Ridder: Ridder is a global leader in horticultural technology, providing advanced automation solutions for climate control, irrigation & energy management. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, Ridder enhances the efficiency and productivity of horticultural operations worldwide through collaboration and integration of cutting-edge technology. www.ridder.com/
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