PheroSyn gains funding for pheromone trap for midges and weevils

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

Pheromones, used by insects for communication, can be used to lure and trap pests. PheroSyn, a spin-out from Rothamsted Research, is exhibiting at REAP 2021, it featured in the REAP 2020 Start-up Showcase and its work has progressed. The company was awarded an Innovate UK grant (£200k) to develop the supply chain for a new set of insect pheromones to tackle midges and weevils.

Midges and weevils are significant global pests of legume food production. Their management is problematic, and the food harvest can potentially be exposed to pesticides when targeting specific stages of their life cycles, leading to possible contamination of the human and animal food chain. PheroSyn, developers and producers of novel pest pheromones, will use the grant to design scalable routes for two new products that target midges and weevils. It will work closely on the project with the UK Processors and Growers Association (PGRO), the UK’s leading legume agronomists.
Over 18 months, the partners will establish manufacture, validation and distribution of the novel products for use by farmers to enable a smarter application of pesticides.
Efficacy assessment of the pheromone products in trapping and monitoring populations of midges and weevils in legume production systems will be undertaken by PGRO following their synthesis by PheroSyn.
Daniel Bahia, Business Manager at PheroSyn, says: “We are delighted to be starting this next stream of work on pea and bean insect pest pheromones. There is a growing global trend away from reliance on chemical pesticides in food production in favour of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
“Demand for our existing pea and pear midge pheromone products has been clear, and this grant allows us to accelerate development of the next range of products, leading to affordable, safe to eat food in a way that promotes zero carbon agriculture.”
Becky Howard, R&D Manager at PGRO, comments: “We are really pleased to be working with PheroSyn to help develop IPM tools for growers and to ensure a sustainable future for UK legumes”.
More information about PGRO, PheroSyn, Rothamsted Research
Find out more about REAP 2021 and the Start-up Showcase 2021. There will be an opportunity to chat to PheroSyn in the exhibition at REAP 2021.

See us at REAP 2021!

REAP 2021: Changing Time(s) for Agriculture – 10th November 2021

Imagine a world where agriculture is not constrained by time. The ability to manage and manipulate time is increasing and REAP 2021 will explore the advances in technology and breakthroughs in science that is making this possible.
REAP brings together people from across the agri-tech ecosystem who believe that innovation is the engine for change. The conference bridges the gap between producer needs and technology solutions and showcases exciting agri-tech start-ups.

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The theme of REAP 2021 is time, a key limiting factor in agricultural production. The conference will examine many dimensions of time and the technologies that are emerging to enable us to manipulate or overcome this major obstacle.

Changes in temperature and seasons as a result of climate change will have an increasing impact on the timing of germination and harvest and also on animal health with migration of pests and diseases, so it is with pleasure that Agri-TechE announces that the keynote speaker for REAP 2021 is Jan-Erik Petersen of the European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen.

Natural capital and ecosystem accounting

Jan-Erik Petersen has worked at the EEA for about 20 years in a range of specialist and management roles. He currently focuses on helping to develop approaches to ecosystem accounting at EU and global level.
His previous role as an agricultural expert at the EEA involved developing indicator data sets that captured the entire interaction between agriculture and environment, from soil protection to water pollution, to GHG emissions, and also biodiversity.
He coordinates EEA work to develop better estimates of natural capital and ecosystem services. The EEA team collates data from multiple sources – from member states, statistical offices, research projects – but also from earth observation data from the Copernicus satellites.

80% of rural areas of the world will have connectivity by 2030

Earth observation data and ‘fibre in the sky’ will become a major facilitator for many types of precision agriculture and reducing the time delay – latency – is needed for autonomous vehicles.
Jan works closely with teams developing new products using the raw satellite data and one focus of his work is the interaction between farming and ecosystems.
He comments: “We’ve created a distribution map of high nature value farmland areas and I am actively exploring the kind of data that we can use to develop further this concept. One of the things we’ve been investigating is the role of the high-resolution data that are becoming available.”

EEA new products team

Of particular interest to Jan-Erik is extensive grazing where there is a close relationship between agriculture and biodiversity. He says that this is a real test for the technology as it is currently difficult to distinguish between different types of grassland using satellite data.
Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE says: “We are delighted that Jan-Erik has agreed to present the keynote and also to join us for further discussions. He sees the conference as an opportunity to gain input from a range of different perspectives that will be of keen interest to the EEA new products team.”

REAP 2021: Changing Time(s) for Agriculture – 10th November 2021

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Groundswell shows regenerative agriculture has wide appeal

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From grass leys to e-seeders and robots to weather stations, Agri-TechE and many of our members were out in force at the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Conference and Show last week in north Hertfordshire. (See our Twitter feed to learn more – and how we took “time” to talk about the REAP 2021 conference!)

Gaining traction

Organised by farmers for farmers (in this case, the forward-thinking Cherry family), Groundswell is fast gaining traction as the go-to event with the relaxed feel but razor-sharp thinking and a determined focus by farmers on change for the better.
Once visitors had got over the excitement (really!) of being out and about in real life, the initial giddiness was soon replaced by information gathering, knowledge exchange and sharing with some of the UK’s leading farmers. The seminar marquees were full – mostly standing-room only – and the exhibitor stands were buzzing, while the walks and demos gave some much needed real-world perspectives.
And a number of myths were busted at Groundswell 2021.
One visitor to our stand – new-to-agriculture and attending their first trade event – commented on the concentration of farmers, all united around a common goal – that of improvement and “doing things better.”
This unity, however, resulted from an eclectic and heterogenous group of farmers. Some own or manage big estates, some run smaller mixed farms, others are practising permaculture on smaller holdings as far north as Orkney.
A very elegant busting of the myth that only a certain type of farmer can or will take a regenerative agriculture approach.
The role of science and technology to support this approach was very much in evidence – it isn’t about letting Mother Nature just go mad, it is about a mindful, deliberate approach to sensitive holistic management. Using data to inform decisions, robotics and automation to tread lightly – but accurately – around crops and livestock, and understanding the biology and chemistry underpinning soil and feed amendments to reduce carbon emissions and improve performance and productivity. Another myth busted – regenerative agriculture is more than a philosophy; it needs good science, robust technology a carefully curated understanding of the systems.
And the final myth was about atmosphere and that famous “festival” vibe of Groundswell. Yes, there was a beer tent. Yes, there was a stand selling hummus wraps (alongside other more familiar food options we expect at agricultural trade shows!), and yes, there was music in the evening of Day 1. And rumour even speaks of some overnight camping in cars, tents and caravans.
But as a way of bringing together the serious change agents of the future in the industry – those farmers and technology enablers committed to making a difference, doing things better, and having the curiosity and open-mindedness to prepare for the future … it was certainly an event worth celebrating.
Hang out the bunting for all those committed to doing differently – and doing better – and long live the festival vibe!

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Using tech to tackle challenges – Innovation Hub live now!

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Agri-TechE

The uncertainty faced by all businesses over the last year with the pandemic is the everyday experience of farmers, and it is driving innovation. It is noticeable how technologies that seek to improve prediction of disease and weather and improve timing of interventions – such as sowing, spraying and harvesting – have grown in maturity over the six years that Agri-TechE has hosted the Innovation Hub at the Royal Norfolk Show, in partnership with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA).
The Royal Norfolk Show is one of the UK’s oldest agricultural shows – it will celebrate 175 years in 2022. However, it has always been ahead of its time and sharing innovative practice was the original inspiration for the show. Back in the 1800s new techniques in breeding were producing quality animals and plants, and showing them competitively was an excellent way to not only reward performance but also to showcase to others what was being achieved. Fast forward to 2021 – and The Sainsbury Laboratory, Earlham Institute and John Innes Centre have accelerated this process with novel tools for improving the selection and production of new varieties with improved resilience.
175 years ago, farm practices were changing too with the introduction of new forms of cultivation and the machinery to do this. In the Innovation Hub, the first drones for agriculture were demonstrated, along with devices for the emerging Internet of Agriculture.
Although sadly the show will not be happening this year, this fine tradition is being kept alive in the Innovation Hub, which for the second year is going online as a virtual show, rather than physical demonstrations in a marquee at the showground.
Mark Nicholas MBE, Managing Director of the RNAA, comments that the Innovation Hub is keeping the flame alive and makes a valued contribution to the show:
“Recognising the importance of innovating in the agri-sector, the RNAA is thrilled to be partnering with Agri-TechE as they support the growth of a world-leading network of innovative farmers, producers, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs in the East of England.
“The Royal Norfolk Show provides an annual showcase for this exciting work and this year, in the absence of a Show, we are delighted to be supporting Agri-TechE as they demonstrate the utility of collective knowledge exchange with an online Innovation Hub.”
Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of membership organisation Agri-TechE , says: “In the first few years of the Innovation Hub, we saw the demonstration of individual devices such as novel sensors and the first drones; now we are seeing greater integration of data from sensors and monitors and other sources feeding into ‘Smart Farming’ frameworks. These will enable greater decision making and also remote management and control of growing environments.
“A good example of this is the smart irrigation system designed by Niab EMR with equipment from Delta-T Devices, which has increased yields of strawberries by 7% while reducing water consumption. Also, 30MHz’s contribution to the Autonomous Greenhouse Project which enables the precision control of environments to grow cherry tomatoes remotely.
“A major enabler for many forms of agri-tech has been the been the wider availability of connectivity across rural areas and the uptake of smartphones by farmers. The pandemic has accelerated the use of all types of digital communication and this will help to lower the barriers to use of technology in agriculture.”
The full Royal Norfolk Show and a live Innovation Hub are set to return in 2022. Until then you are invited to review some of the highlights of previous years and updates on 15 of the many organisations that have participated.

The 2021 virtual Innovation Hub is live now so take a look!

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Paper Crumble could build carbon stocks and improve soil health

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Agri-TechE

Could a co-product from paper recycling help farmers to improve soil health whilst building carbon stocks? This was the question being explored by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and discussed at the 2020 Innovation Hub – and recent reseach suggest that it would.

UEA is working with Greenworld Ltd to explore the potential of Paper Crumble (PC) to improve soils and improve the delivery of public goods, as explained by Brian Reid, Professor of Soil Science and Associate Dean for Science (Innovation) at UEA:
“Soil carbon enables soil to self-structure, and thus increases water infiltration, increase water storage and decreases the risk of flooding. The opportunity to sequester carbon in soil through the use of paper crumble could make a meaningful contribution to net zero aspirations.”
Practices that increase soil carbon stocks can also improve a range of essential ecosystem services, such as food, fuel and resource production, climate change mitigation and biodiversity net gain.

Listen to an interview with Prof Brian Reid from UEA and Steve Kilham, Managing Director of Greenworld Ltd.

UEA discussed the opportunities to increase soil carbon with farmers and growers and has since trialled the use of paper crumble in field trials.
Brian says: “In September 2020, we established a second paper crumble field trial near Swaffham to look at the influence of paper crumble on light sandy soils. This is as a counterpoise to the heavy clay soils trial already in place near King’s Lynn. We are also seeking a location with mid-texture soil for a third trial.”
The team has developed a carbon profiling approach to assess the effectiveness of carbon storage. Brian continues: “In order to provide a prognosis on the longevity of carbon storage under paper crumble amendment, we have developed a carbon profiling approach that can be used to support the modelling of long-term carbon fate in soil amended with PC.
“Given an average farm size, in the East of England, of 120 ha (with 79 % as arable), a 50 year Carbon uplift (via 4-year rotational PC amendment) would be 607 t C (equivalent to 2225 t CO2e in long-term “lock-up”). Thus, the opportunity to sequester carbon in soil through paper crumble deployments could deliver a meaningful contribution to net zero aspirations.”

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Resilience, resistance and reduction in fungicides – The Sainsbury Laboratory demonstrates how it can be done

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About The Sainsbury Laboratory

The Sainsbury Laboratory is a world-leading research institute working on the science of plant-microbe interactions. It deploys the latest technologies to combat plant diseases and accelerate crop improvement. Discoveries in fundamental research translate to scientific solutions that tackle crop losses caused by existing and emerging plant diseases, particularly in low-income countries. These solutions support the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger.

In 2009 researchers first reported a novel gene for combatting potato late blight. Since then they have added two more, and were able to show that these genes are effective under field conditions. At the 2017 Innovation Hub researchers showed their initial work – this work has advanced significantly.

In 2016 a trio of studies from The Sainsbury Laboratory appeared in Nature Biotechnology, demonstrating the potential of developing disease resistance in three globally important crops: soybeans, potatoes and wheat. Two of these projects were supported by the 2Blades Foundation and the Laboratory has continued to engage with key industry partners to ensure that this technology reaches growers.

Increasing resilience to rust – soybean

Asian soybean rust is caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi and can lead to up to 80% loss in soybean yield. Increasing genetic resistance to fungicides and the huge costs associated with disease control emphasises the need for a more robust and sustainable solution. Currently the cost of disease management and yield loss is two billion dollars a year, and soybean crops rely on three to four fungal sprays a season to keep infections under control. By transferring a resistance gene from the orphan legume pigeon pea to soybeans, scientists at The Sainsbury Laboratory were able to create lines of soybean that were substantially more resistant to this fungal disease.

Unlocking resistance – wheat and barley

The stem rust fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp tritici infects economically important cereal crops, such as wheat and barley. In the last decade we have seen an increasing frequency of outbreaks, along with the evolution of more virulent races. Wheat varieties in the UK are highly susceptible to this disease and as temperatures increase in the UK due to climate change, the risk of stem rust re-establishing becomes even higher. The bread wheat genome is notoriously complex consisting of three genomes that evolved from three different grass species.

Photo taken by Andrew Davis, John Innes Centre

These genomes can interact in a way that suppresses resistance to stem rust, making the plant more susceptible to disease. By identifying and isolating a gene on the wheat D-genome that is supressing this resistance, scientists at The Sainsbury Laboratory are making headway on the potential to unlock reservoirs of inherent resistance genes and develop more resistant wheat varieties.

Jonathan Jones group - potatoes — *Infection with Phytophthora infestans in the field destroys currently used potato varieties but not the Rpi-vnt1 immune receptor engineered plants. Photo taken by Andrew Davis, John Innes Centre.*

Reducing loss in the supply chain – potatoes

Potato late-blight is caused by the fungus-like microorganism, Phytophthora infestans. This plant pathogen triggered the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. Today, UK farmers are still battling this devastating crop disease, and depend on 15-20 fungicidal sprays per year to keep it under control. The Sainsbury Laboratory has developed a Maris Piper variety that is not only blight-resistant, but also resistant to tuber blight during storage. This PiperPlus potato incorporates three resistance genes from wild potato relatives. By combining different resistance genes, they can protect each other from being overcome by mutations that would allow the pathogen to evade their detection. This means that all these genes continue to stay effective in protecting the plant from diseases in the long term.

In addition to blight resistance, the PiperPlus potato has added qualities of reduced cold sugar formation and reduced bruising which will cut down on yield losses in the supply chain. Researchers at The Sainsbury Laboratory are now generating PiperPlus lines that also carry potato virus Y resistance and elevated nematode resistance.

Researchers at The Sainsbury Laboratory are now generating PiperPlus lines that also carry potato virus Y resistance and elevated nematode resistance. By combining different genes and modes of action there is less of an opportunity for pathogens to become resistant to any single gene. This enables gene stewardship, which means that these valuable resistance genes continue to stay effective over time. The PiperPlus potato is an excellent example of how stacking different genes can confer durable blight resistance.

The future

Many of the research projects conducted at The Sainsbury Laboratory have provided evidence that engineering disease resistance in crops can reduce several agricultural challenges associated with plant pathogens. If resistant varieties of crops were available for stem rust, late blight and soybean rust it would not only save millions of pounds in annual yield loss, but also drastically reduce the amount of fungicides needed in agriculture, thus making a major contribution to more sustainable crop production.

The Sainsbury Laboratory is appearing in the Innovation Hub at the 2023 Royal Norfolk Show.
Read more about the 2023 Innovation Hub >>

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Sweet and water efficient strawberries – Niab EMR and Delta-T Devices collaborate at WET centre

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Smart irrigation resulted in a 7% increase in the yield of strawberries for one large commercial grower, following the trial of a precision irrigation system designed by Niab EMR with equipment from Delta-T Devices and Netafim.

Delta-T Devices is an industry partner of the Water Efficient Technology Centre (WET) based at Niab EMR in Kent supplying sensors and data loggers for both research and commercial projects. Delta-T first appeared alongside Niab at the Innovation Hub in 2016 and became involved in WET the following year.
Yields of strawberries reached 72t/ha at the WET centre in 2020, double that of the industry average of 45 t/ha with a significant reduction in water use.
The initial trials were in small polytunnels, but WET Centre enables industry scale conditions with commercial farm polytunnels and tabletop configuration, ie where the strawberries are grown on substrate on raised platforms.
The research is focussed on the use of automated irrigation control systems, with as little human intervention as possible.

Smart irrigation

Minimising water wastage is of huge importance given its increasing scarcity. In future, it is anticipated that intensive horticultural growing systems will become increasingly based in urban locations, where very strict water waste prevention protocols (and legislation) are likely to be the norm.
Delta-T’s programmable GP2 Data Logger allows different control algorithms to be set for separate experimental irrigation regimes, and then for researchers to measure and compare the outcome of each approach. These experiments enabled the key plant stress points to be accurately determined, and the optimum moisture content levels in the growing substrate to be determine at each stage of the life cycle of the strawberry plant.
The aim was to ascertain the minimum amounts of water needed to achieve the desired level of strawberry plant quality and yield.

Colour of growbags impacts growth

Further research has shown even the colour of the plastic on coir growbags can have a big impact on crop growth.
The WET Centre team investigated the correlation between plant water use and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) – using the Delta-T Devices SM150T Soil Moisture and Temperature Sensor and RHT2 Relative Humidity and Air Temperature Sensor.
The outputs of this research have been fascinating – showing that black grow bags absorb sufficient additional solar radiation to create warmer root zones (especially earlier in the growing season), whilst white bags reflect more light up into the canopy of the growing crop (see image below for effects on substrate temperature).
Timing of plant growth and fruiting can therefore be manipulated by something as simple as selecting a specific grow bag colour.

Impact of sheeting on photosynthesis

In addition the sheeting, frames and particularly the row position within the polytunnel structures can affect light availability to plants and thus growth and Class 1 yield. Researchers measured Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) levels within polytunnels using the Delta-T Devices QS5 PAR Sensor. PAR corresponds to the spectral range of radiation that plants require for growth and photosynthesis, and levels seen in 2020 were well above the 10 year average.
To explore the effect of this phenomena the team used the GP2 Data Logger and Controller (connected to QS5 PAR sensors) to automatically open and close venting in the roof of the polytunnels – based on the meeting of pre-set threshold requirements and to adjust the irrigation accordingly.
This system was designed to optimise the phytoclimate as the sun passed overhead and leverage the unusually sunny weather of 2020 to maximise yield to levels otherwise not achievable.

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John Innes Centre researchers deliver plant-based solutions to major health problems

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The John Innes Centre has been developing plant-based solutions to chronic health conditions. Conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, anaemia and Parkinson’s Disease can be mitigated with wrinkled peas, fortified floor and genetically modified tomatoes respectively, recent work has shown.

High iron wheat to address global anaemia problem

A new type of biofortified wheat developed by John Innes Centre researchers delivers a two-fold iron increase in hand-milled white flour. The genetically modified (GM) crop has successfully come through early field trials and work is underway to breed a non-GM equivalent.
Iron-deficiency anaemia is a significant global health problem particularly in women and with an economic cost from annual physical productivity losses of $2.32 per capita, or 0.57 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in low-and middle-income countries.
A diet rich in products such as bread and pasta made from this biofortified white wheat flour can provide a high daily dose of dietary iron removing the need for supplements. Results using flour from indoor-grown grain have already shown that cells are able to absorb more iron from the high-iron variety than from control wheat. Researchers are now testing if the iron in field-grown wheat is also more absorbed by the body.
Professor Cristobal Uauy from the John Innes Centre said: “Wholemeal flour which uses the bran and wheat germ portions of the wheat seed produces more iron, but it is not all absorbed into the body. By producing high-iron white flour we can have the biggest impact on health.”

Wrinkled super peas to help reduce type 2 diabetes

A type of wrinkled ‘super pea’ may help control blood sugar levels and could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Unlike regular (smooth) peas, the wrinkled pea contains higher amounts of ‘resistant starch,’ which takes longer for the body to break down.
Research shows that compared to eating smooth peas, wrinkled peas prevented ‘sugar spikes’ – where blood sugar levels rise sharply after a meal. The same effect was seen when consuming flour made from wrinkled peas incorporated in a mixed meal.
This could be important as frequent, large sugar spikes are thought to increase the risk of diabetes. Flour from ‘super peas’ could potentially be used in commonly consumed processed foods which, if eaten over the long term, could prevent these sugar spikes.
The research, from scientists at the John Innes Centre, Imperial College London, Quadram Institute Bioscience and University of Glasgow, suggests incorporating the peas into foods, in the form of whole pea seeds or flour, may help tackle the global type 2 diabetes epidemic.
Professor Claire Domoney of the John Innes Centre said: “Longer term it could become policy to include resistant starch in food to tackle type 2 diabetes and other metabolic illnesses.”

Tomatoes offer affordable source of Parkinson’s disease drug

John Innes Centre scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson’s disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world’s essential medicines.
The development of the genetically modified (GM) tomato has implications for developing nations where access to pharmaceutical drugs is restricted.
This novel use of tomato plants as a natural source of L-DOPA also offers benefits for people who suffer adverse effects – including nausea and behavioural complications – of chemically synthesised L-DOPA. The John Innes Centre led team modified the tomato fruit by introducing a gene responsible for the synthesis of L-DOPA in beetroot where it functions in the production of the pigments betalains.
The aim now is to create a production pipeline where L-DOPA is extracted from the tomatoes and purified into the pharmaceutical product.
Professor Cathie Martin, a group leader at the John Innes Centre explained: “The idea is that you can grow tomatoes with relatively little infrastructure. As GMOs (genetically modified organisms) you could grow them in screen houses, controlled environments with very narrow meshes, so you would not have pollen escape through insects. “Then you could scale up at a relatively low cost. A local industry could prepare L-DOPA from tomatoes because it is soluble, and you can do extractions. Then you could make a purified product relatively low tech which could be dispensed locally.”
Parkinson’s disease is a growing problem in developing countries where many people cannot afford the daily $2 price of synthetic L-DOPA.
L-DOPA is an amino acid precursor of the neuro-chemical dopamine and is used to compensate for the depleted supply of dopamine in Parkinson’s disease patients.
Also known as Levodopa, L-DOPA has been the gold standard therapy for Parkinson’s disease since its establishment as a drug in 1967. It is one of the essential medicines declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its market value is in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

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Agri-TechE

From monitoring single plants to remote management of entire greenhouses, 30MHz has taken its plant-led focus a long way since its first appearance in the Innovation Hub in 2018.

Steven Archer of 30MHz explains that its wireless sensors are able to do an analysis of crop level environmental conditions, including measurement of actual leaf and stem metrics, to more closely assess how “happy” the crop is. The data is collated into the 30MHz platform for analysis and models are created to enable the development of the optimal growing environment. The company recently reached the finals of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge, which aimed to grow healthy cherry tomatoes remotely. Within six months the multidisciplinary team of horticultural experts and computer scientists were able to develop the system and models needed to control a greenhouse autonomously.
Steven explains that this is just one of the applications for the technology: “30MHz provides a data platform for horticulture that collates data from a range of wireless sensors and data sources, analyses and stores the data and then makes it available for many applications. These applications can be simple analysis of a plant or soil moisture or indeed control of an entire controlled environments such as the recent Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge.
“The data is owned by the user and can be utilised in any way they see fit including being sent into other platforms via our API or it can be sent into climate computers for control.”
The platform supports the integration of other sensors such as 2Grow, Sendot and Paskal, with many more coming, and the data is displayed through a fully customisable dashboard accessible on smartphone, putting decision support directly into the hands of the user.
Steven continues: “As it is customisable the data can be displayed in many different ways depending on how the grower wishes to analyse the particular metric in order to make decisions.
“For example, continuous data on substrate or soil conditions can show when sufficient dry back has happened and when irrigation needs to begin. This is particularly important in controlled environments where climate control – particularly managing humidity – is energy intensive.
“Certainly, the optimisation of various metrics has led to less water use, less heat use and in some cases less CO2 pumping.”
More information about the Greenhouse Challenge

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Skippy Scout ten times faster than field walking says Drone Ag

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Agri-TechE

Drone Ag showcased Skippy Scout, its crop scouting app, at the 2019 Innovation Hub, before launching the app at Lamma in 2020, where it won the Gold Future Innovation Award. Since then, over 20 farms in Norfolk and Suffolk are using the app which automates drone flight to photograph broad acre crops. “The app is currently ten times faster than traditional crop walking methods and we intend to make it faster still as we develop the technology further,” says founder Jack Wrangham.

Image analysis of whole field in minutes

The first version of Skippy Scout could image crops and provide an accurate green area index (GAI) figure. The new version 2.5 offers field overview, automated scouting and PDF field reports using maps uploaded by the user, and images taken by the drone
“Our image analysis takes only minutes to provide an easy-to-understand report of the whole field,” says Jack.
The reports are generated using unique image analysis to flag up potential crop issues and can also be compared to satellite and yield maps to find correlations in field performance. “It also provides a breakdown with indicators for green area index (GAI), healthy and unhealthy crop cover percentage, weed percentage, and it gives an insect damage measurement,” he says.
Users can therefore identify crop issues such as weeds or pests more quickly by subsequently viewing the leaf level images on their phone or tablet. “Long term, the reports will also benchmark fields of the same crop to provide a picture of changes and crop progress over time,” he adds. The latest version of the app is also able to identify the development of specific crops such as oilseed rape (OSR). Skippy has been used to monitor OSR in much more detail this season. The aerial photos of the crop are interpreted by the software to establish GAI and even flower fractions. “‘Skippy can measure crop GAI in almost real-time and provide week-on-week tracking of changes, as well as measuring flowering fraction. Therefore, decisions on when and how much foliar nitrogen, and other inputs, to apply can be made based on crop progression indicators such as a GAI of 3.5 when flowering starts,” explains Jack.

Improvements and new features

Skippy Scout has been improved multiple times over the past sixteen months, with the optimisation of current features and the addition of new ones. These new features include more crop monitoring metrics within field reports, such as the aforementioned flowering fraction in OSR, and now a uniformity percentage for all crops that shows how even a field is overall.
At emergence, reports can now even provide plant counts per square metre in bean crops and cereals, with OSR to closely follow suit.
The addition of NDVI maps from the French start-up satellite data company, SpaceSense, now allows users to plan scouting routes based on up-to-date crop health imagery – and there are no plans to stop there…
The next six months are set to include updates in the form of flight route optimisation, speed improvements and even more analysis metrics (plus a few “revolutionary”, top secret features, coming soon).

Two hundred users

Drone AG is approaching two hundred users and Jack cannot see a reason why every arable farmer and agronomist would not want to save time by using Skippy and a drone to walk crops. He says: “It is cheap and easy to use so we expect user numbers to grow significantly in the next 12 months,” he says.
Existing users can update their app to version 2.5 for free now, and new users will benefit from all the additional features when they register. “It is easy to start using Skippy. Anyone who owns a drone can sign up online with monthly subscriptions starting from just £30,” concludes Jack.

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New precision genome engineering service from UEA

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University of East Anglia (UEA)

The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.

Researchers from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences have developed a revolutionary new process that speeds up the success rate of genome editing.

The technique is now available as a contract research service for academic researchers and life science industries such as agri-tech and biotech.

The OmicronCR service, started by Dr Amanda Hopes and Prof Thomas Mock, uses existing CRISPR/Cas genome-editing technology, which alters the genetic code at a specific location on the genome. Editing requires short sequences called guide-RNAs, which are identical to the genetic information of the target site. However, selecting the most efficient guide-RNAs can be time-consuming and expensive, as some guide-RNAs can edit the genome in unwanted places, whilst others do not lead to editing at all.

OmicronCR addresses these challenges with a unique, rapid laboratory test, devised by Dr Hopes. The test carefully designs, evaluates and selects the guide-RNAs that will most likely lead to precise and efficient genome editing for the relevant species, saving the time and costs of trial and error.

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This story has been submitted by an Agri-TechE member.

University of East Anglia (UEA)

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Biocleave teams up with Rothamsted Research to synthesise promising biopesticides

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Agri-TechE

Biocleave uses soil bacteria to create synthetic insect pheromones as natural crop defence

Insect pheromones used in nature for communication are to be engineered synthetically to produce powerful crop protection tools, following a collaboration between biotech company Biocleave and Rothamsted Research. Biocleave uses a benign soil bacterium, Clostridium, as a micro-factory to create recombinant proteins such as enzymes, for use in the production of biopesticides.

Semiochemicals, such as pheromones, are naturally occurring compounds used by insects to convey specific messages. Disrupting these communications can prevent them from attracting mates and breeding and so provide an exciting opportunity for the creation of highly specific biopesticides that are non-toxic to beneficial insects and natural predators.

Naturally occurring compounds are difficult to make using the traditional chemistry techniques that are currently used to generate fertilisers and pesticides from petrochemicals. Instead, the single-cell organism, E.coli, is often used as a bio-factory to create these. However, some of the ingredients of semiochemicals are toxic to E.coli, so as production of these novel crop protection compounds increases, an alternative bio-factory is needed.

Biocleave overcomes a bottleneck in production

Biocleave is using a new organism, the soil bacterium Clostridium, to produce biological semiochemicals.

Dr Liz Jenkinson, CEO of Biocleave, explains: “There are a whole host of semiochemicals, including sex pheromones, that have been demonstrated to have efficacy at replacing traditional pesticides.
“However, it is difficult to produce these semiochemicals as they are created through pathways of enzymes – so obtaining these enzymes is currently the bottleneck; preventing the synthetic production of these biopesticides. Essentially we are harnessing the power of nature to make these enzymes. and then supporting various production partners, to use those enzymes to make the final biopesticide.”

Biocleave gained investment in December 2020, which has enabled it to develop its novel gene editing technology CLEAVE™ and rebrand the company to take it to market.

Strong track record

The original company, Green Biologics, was an industrial biotech company using Clostridium to make biochemicals, biobutanol and bioacetone – it had a plant in the US to produce these biomolecules. In parallel with this the company was developing new technologies and one strand has been using Clostridium as a new host for making recombinant proteins.

Recombinant proteins can include drugs, antibodies and enzymes for disease treatment. A small section of DNA that codes for protein production is inserted into a micro-organism host and as that host rapidly replicates, the protein is produced.

The most widely used host is E.coli, but this often contains toxins in its cell wall, called endotoxins, that are released when the cell breaks down, so products from the cell require purification and this can reduce the efficacy of the product.

Liz continues: “Clostridium is free of endotoxins, and so does not require purification. In some cases, ours is the best current solution for making certain types of recombinant protein.”

Biopesticides are one focus of Liz Jenkinson's research — Liz Jenkinson, CEO, Biocleave

Applications for agriculture

Biocleave’s Commercial Director Dr Nathan Fairhurst explains the company currently has a BBSRC funded project with Rothamsted Research.

“Insect pheromones are used in traps to monitor insects, such as the Codling Moth, to identify the presence of adults to time spraying of orchards to kill the larvae. Rothamsted has identified a number of semiochemicals that have potential as biopesticides to lure insects away from crops or to disrupt their behaviour to prevent mating.”

“Rothamsted has done some limited field trials to demonstrate their efficacy but has been unable to scale production in a way to enable them to commercialise it. In this case it is because the enzymes needed are toxic to E. coli.”

“Our technology overcomes this issue. so, we are working with Rothamsted to develop these enzymes and demonstrate that they can be used in the production of semiochemicals.

“Rothamsted has connections with growers and the farming community and a spin-out company PheroSyn, which is starting to commercialise other semiochemicals so there is already a channel to market.”

Biopesticides are one focus of Nathan Fairhurst's research — Nathan Fairhurst, Commercial Director, Biocleave

Benefits of semiochemicals

Semiochemicals are used differently depending upon crop and insect, but they can either be used as attractants or as repellents – with attractant semiochemicals loaded into traps at the edges of the crop, and repellents applied in the centre of the crop to push the insects away from the crop into the traps. In other cases, you would just use one or the other.

Semiochemicals have big advantages over traditional insecticides, not only are they more targeted and can be used just when required, reducing the volumes of inputs required, but also the production process requires less energy and produces significantly less greenhouse gas emissions.

Nathan concludes: “Semiochemicals as biopesticides is an area that we’re really excited about, and Rothamsted are really excited about. They have identified the semiochemicals, and we’re providing the ability to make them.”

Nathan Fairhurst will be speaking at the Agri-TechE event ‘Advances in Breeding for Agriculture – New Tools for New Solutions’. The event will be looking at the application of genetic tools in breeding of livestock (including insects) and crops, as well as in cultivation of microbes. Nathan will be joined at the event by Helen Sang of the Roslin Institute; Thomas Ferrugia, CEO of Beta Bugs; Gilad Gershon, CEO of Tropic Bioscience; Ingo Hein, from the James Hutton Institute; and Mike Coffey, of the SRUC.

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