Agri-TechE Week 2024 celebrates its 11th year – our largest yet, featuring nine events curated by Agri-TechE and hosted by our incredible member community. This week exemplifies innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking in agri-tech.

Each event reflects the strength of our ecosystem, fostering vital connections between growers, researchers, and technology developers. Thank you to our members for hosting and making Agri-TechE Week possible and showcasing what our community can achieve. 

Industry representatives and researchers from the Essex Plant Innovation Centre (EPIC) at the University of Essex got together to discuss ways in which the agricultural sector can address challenges faced by growers and the wider industry.

What is the place of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) in crop production?

Controlled Environment Agriculture has the potential to address issues in modern crop growing including protection from disease and pests, widening the land available to growers and water efficiency. However, it is not without challenges, not least of which is energy costs.

Jonathan Bell, Operations Manager for Stourgarden, described how his company is incorporating CEA into their operations. In conjunction with researchers at the University of Essex, Stourgarden are utilising a bespoke aeroponics facility to develop methodologies to reliably germinate and grow onions to crop size. With work funded for the next year it is hoped that CEA can produce high‑quality onions at scale for harvest or transplantation.

Dr Deepa Harridas, research scientist from Innovation Agritech Group spoke about her work on nutrient management in CEA. Dr Harridas’ work demonstrates the importance of substrate choice, watering regimes and the microbiome in maximising CEA technologies.

Professor Tracy Lawson from the University of Essex and EPIC spoke about her team’s project ‘Green Conversations’ – developing tools for real‑time monitoring of photosynthesis in CEA to maximise yield and minimise energy usage. Dr John Stamford (Vertical Future) presented on his team’s research into further ways to maximise efficiency of light usage.

Dr Mark Else, Head of Crop Science at Niab, addressed some of the challenges faced by strawberry growers. This sector depends on glasshouses for a large proportion of its crop and is therefore still reliant on natural light. Mark and his team have been working on methods to best utilise CEA tools and have shown substantial gains in yield under well managed conditions.