How a data analyst is improving 4 arable businesses in Norfolk

Member News

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

Data is the new weapon for farmers seeking to enter a competitive global market, while protecting the environment and coping with the greater extremes in weather.

But not enough is often made of the data available, even on large, progressive estates, according to Poul Hovesen, director of farming at Salle Farms Company and Holkham Farming company.

“That’s especially true of what impact we can have on the crop’s potential, whether it is its resilience to stress, or its yield due to nutrients and biomass.”

Here the link to the complete article on Farmers Weekly

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

Salle Farms Company

Member News

Germains Seed Technology Celebrates 150 Years of Innovative Seed Solutions

Member News

Germains Seed Technology

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

Before there was Rolls-Royce, Marks & Spencer, or Typhoo Tea, there was Germain’s Fruit and Produce Company—a business that has adapted and persevered to celebrate its milestone 150th anniversary in 2021. Although the company now known as Germains Seed Technology has changed considerably since it was founded by Eugene Germain in 1871, it continues to “maximise nature’s potential” through innovation, quality, and flexibility—just as it has since the very beginning.

Today, Germains Seed Technology is a leader in the international seed industry, delivering highly specialized seed pellet and treatment technologies for sugar beet, vegetable, and field crop seed producers and growers across the globe. The company operates from nine global locations across North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Germains Seed Technology’s Head Office and Sugar Beet Research and Development are based in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. In 2015, the company also opened a Fundamental Research Centre in Norwich Research Park, where senior researchers use advanced RNA technology to create strategically targeted seed priming and crop development treatments.

Victoria Lawrence, Managing Director of Germains Seed Technology, stated, “We are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary with the multiple generations of employees, customers and partners who have grown right along with us. Staying true to the vision of our founder, we remain dedicated to using cutting-edge science and seed technology to develop solutions that benefit people around the world. We look forward to continuing to evolve and solve new challenges for the next 150 years!”
Message from Victoria Lawrence

The company was founded by Eugene Germain, a Swiss immigrant who opened Germain’s Fruit and Produce Company in the small, sleepy town of Los Angeles in 1871. The Southern California climate proved ideal for agriculture, and the business expanded quickly, moving to a larger location in 1898 that was billed as “the most complete seed store in the West.”

The company embraced flexibility from the start, branching into a wide range of different crops and agricultural business ventures over the years. Early in the 20th century, Germain’s shipped the very first carload of oranges from California to the U.S. East Coast. Later, in 1954, the company introduced the “Queen Elizabeth” pink grandiflora rose, which was named in honour of the newly crowned queen and remains one of the most popular cultivars grown today.

As a company, Germains has always fostered a culture of innovation, research, and development. In the early 1950s, Germain’s formed the Filcoat Processed Seed Division and introduced the first pelleted seed into the American market. Pelleting made it easier to precisely plant small, irregularly shaped seeds using automated planters and also provided a way to apply protectants needed to control pests and disease.

Researchers at Germain’s soon developed a clay-based pellet for sugar beets, which have oddly-shaped seeds that can be difficult to plant. After three years of comparative sugar beet trials in the 1960s, Germain’s Filcoat pellet was selected as the “pellet of choice” by the influential British Sugar Corporation. This marked a significant turning point for Germain’s. In 1965, Germain’s (UK) Limited formed, and the company opened its first plant in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, to meet the growing demand for pelletized sugar beet seed throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

The seed technology division gradually became the main focus of the business, expanding to multiple locations in the UK, Europe and North America while other units were eliminated or sold off. Germain’s continued as a family-owned business until 1987, when it was acquired by S&W Berisford, then the owners of British Sugar. In 1990, the company was acquired by Associated British Foods LLC, and in 2010 was rebranded as Germains Seed Technology. Today, the company sells conventional and organic seed coating, priming and pelleting products for over 45 different crops and also collaborates with growers and seed producers to provide custom solutions for real-world problems.

Germains Seed Technology is also committed to social sustainability at both global and local community levels. The company donates quality treated seed to impoverished communities in developing countries through the non-profit Seed Programs International organization. Germains UK also supports a number of other charities, including the King’s Lynn Food Bank, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Widowed and Young, East Anglian Air Ambulance, Norfolk Hospice, East Anglian Children’s Hospice, Brambles Animal Sanctuary, and the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals).

Just like its determined pioneer founder, Germains Seed Technology has proven quite adept at responding to ever-changing market needs and persevering through adversity. In its 150 years, the company has survived multiple economic recessions, natural disasters—and now, two global pandemics. Its innovative seed technologies continue to help improve crop yields, making it easier, more affordable, and more sustainable for people to grow food across the globe.

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

Germains Seed Technology

Member News

Rothamsted businesswoman Nicole Sadd wins National Business Leader Award

Member News

Rothamsted Enterprises

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

The National Business Women’s Awards 2020/21 event was held at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley, and saw business women from across the UK come together to support and celebrate each other’s achievements in this annual awards ceremony.

There are 20 categories in total in these national awards and Hertfordshire-based Rothamsted Enterprises CEO, Nicole Sadd, was named as a finalist in two: ‘Corporate Leader of the Year’ and ‘Business Woman of the Year (Small Business – £1m-10m turnover)’.

Nicole faced some serious competition from a number of women business leaders and was delighted to be named as the winner in the Corporate Leader of the Year category.

This category is open to women in business who demonstrate being a proven leader in their organisation and brand category. Nominees demonstrate outstanding leadership, and a track record of building sales and profitability whilst energising and inspiring the people who report to them.

Nicole commented: “It’s taken a while to sink in. It was totally unexpected! I was up against some serious competition and I am absolutely delighted to have been named as winner in the Corporate Leader of the Year category. This achievement is great news, both for myself and my great team and I am proud to represent Rothamsted and women in business generally. The pandemic has been a hugely challenging time for us all and leading Rothamsted Enterprises – a hospitality business and innovation campus – during this time required huge focus, resilience and determination. It is a real honour to receive this award.”

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

Rothamsted Enterprises

Member News

World’s first ‘activated air’ seed sterilisation system to be launched at Agri-TechE event

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

The world’s first activated air seed sterilisation system is to be launched at the Agri-TechE event “Keeping it clean with agri-tech innovation” on 19th January 2021. The system provides a dry alternative to chemical treatment or washing and boosts germination.
It enables high-value seeds such as tomato or fast-growing seeds like rocket to be disinfected – many for the first time.
Register: “Keeping it clean with agri-tech innovation”

19 May 2025

ECIF

Early Career Innovators' Forum

The agri-tech sector and government relationship in 2021 and beyond

Member News

Agri-TechE

Now that the UK has left the EU, every UK business sector and investor will look to the Government for its strategic policy roadmap that addresses this historic event and the perceived opportunities that it presents. The Prime Minister has consistently argued that a key element of the UK’s departure is that it allows his Government to establish its own regulatory structures as a springboard to a globally competitive economy.
The now ratified Treaty entitled the “UK – EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement” provides the framework for the UK’s future trade relationship with the EU. Several commentators have characterised the Treaty as the end of the beginning of the new relationship as it requires the parties to enter into a wide variety of subsequent debates and agreements covering many important areas and details. The outcomes will be highly relevant to the UK’s relative prosperity over the longer term.
Notwithstanding the above and the ongoing challenges of the pandemic to the UK and world economies, the Government’s responsibility is to lay out its policy strategy for this new situation that facilitates the creation of an environment which encourages business investment and growth in our economy. In relation to the AGRI TECH sector the enactment of the Agriculture Act 2020 already provides the long term, post CAP framework for the farming sector as a whole. Understandably, considerable uncertainty remains in the absence of the under-pinning structures and regulations.
The AGRI TECH sector’s relative profile and importance to the UK economy and the Government (officials and politicians) has risen materially in recent times. It therefore has a clear opportunity to assist the Government’s policy task as it relates to the sector. The relevant Departments – DEFRA and BEIS being the most obvious – will both need and welcome sector inputs in order to produce the best strategy, policy and regulatory outcomes within which the sector can prosper.
Additionally, because the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the freedom to develop their own approaches in the agricultural sector, their policy developers will also be open to inputs.
The value of the sector’s opportunity is that players within it can, over time, become trusted voices and valued advisers to the Government and, in parallel, enhance their long term, competitive positions. Such players will certainly benefit from collaborating with their key stakeholders and partners, in particular academia, R&D centres and funders, such that their combined positions can be genuinely representative and of greater value.
To be successful and influential in policy and regulatory development there has to be an understanding of how to relate to and work with the key officials, whether at a national, regional or local level. A player needs to be clear about their own desired outcomes arising from creating a relationship with officials, and they must also have a good understanding of the issues, options and challenges confronting the officials. Possession of these basic facts will enable players to respond and assist officials in a constructive and positive way.
In summary, the Treaty opens a genuine opportunity for serious players within the AGRI TECH sector to create relationships with Government officials that are of long term mutual benefit. Policy makers at every level need trusted sector inputs to enable them to develop and operate sector relevant policies and structures.
TWENTYFIFTEEN understands this environment and how to work within it, and is open to conversations with fellow members of Agri-TechE at any time.
Contact Details – Richard Elsden, Director, TWENTYFIFTEEN ADVISORY LTD,
Email – Richard.elsden(@)twentyfifteen.co
Mobile – 07748 931372
www.twentyfifteen.co

This content has been contributed by TWENTYFIFTEEN; the views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this text belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of Agri-TechE .

7 June 2019

Agri-TechE Blog

Industry Trends

How do we design the future we really want?

Agri-TechE Blog

Agri-TechE

The future is foreign place – we’ll all do it differently there, to paraphrase the first line in L.P Hartley’s famous novel “The Go Between.” As we emerge into 2021, all eyes are looking forward and nurturing hopes, plans and ambitions that life will be better – healthier, happier, safer and more sustainable.
But how do we make the future we want a reality – and avoid ending up with the future we don’t want, by accident?
Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the whole of agriculture in England and Wales by 2040 is a huge ambitious goal set by the NFU. But what does this really mean for the food we eat, the way land, crops and livestock are managed, the options for consumers and the values that citizens and society consider are important.

Important questions

The entire agri-tech innovation ecosystem will be impacted by the route, direction and destination of this journey to a net zero future, raising important questions for everyone in the agri-tech ecosystem.

How will farmers change their practices – will it be carrot or stick – data driven or technology-enabled?
What scientific research will be needed to generate knowledge to inform the new future?
What new products, tools and services will emerge creating novel intellectual property, new business models and, indeed, entirely new companies?
How will consumers be informed of the contribution their food is making to greenhouse gas emission? What will be most important – ethical production, price, local provenance or planetary impact?
Development of these new innovations will also need to be financed – what will this look like? What will be the role of the banks, investors and asset finance groups? And what will be considered “valuable” in the net zero future? Carbon sequestration, management of biodiversity or increased yield? And at what cost?

Finally, how will the next zero future influence the way business is done? What will be the role of incubators, networks, collaboration, and how can they all play their role in the common target?

Journey to a net zero future

Agri-TechE members are invited to an exclusive workshop to explore these questions and help prepare their organisations for the trajectory towards a net zero future. Through the use of novel “artefacts from the future” we will navigate the routes, the pitfalls, the signposts, the research and the technologies we need to achieve it.
We will be supported by our global design consultancy member Method, through a unique opportunity to experience the power of future-scoping to enable our members build resilience and plan for their futures – and meet each other on the way.
Members will have the opportunity to reflect on not just how to reach net zero but how this new future could impact their own organisations – and the tools to start thinking about now to achieve it. We’ll learn new skills, gain fresh perspectives and have access to internationally-renowned advice and support which we do it.
Come and join us – be inspired.
Be challenged.
Be networked.
More information
Agri-TechE Member Event: Envisioning net zero futures for the Agri-Food sector
Thursday 4th February @ 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm Free
Keynote: Chris Brown, Head of Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing at Asda will set the scene and share some of the insights from one of the major retailers.

Post Overview

Industry Trends

Genomes for 15 globally important wheat varieties sequenced

Research Digest

Agri-TechE

The genomes for 15 important wheat varieties used in breeding programmes around the world have been sequenced; a landmark discovery for global wheat production. The results from the Wheat 10+ Genomes Project will enable plant scientists and breeders to much more quickly identify influential genes for improved yield, pest resistance and other important crop traits.
The research results, just published in the journal ‘Nature’, provide the most comprehensive atlas of wheat genome sequences ever reported.
Two species dominate current global wheat production: allotetraploid (AABB) durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum), which is used to make couscous and pasta9, and allohexaploid (AABBDD) bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), used for making bread and noodles.
The large genome size (16 Gb for bread wheat), high sequence similarity between subgenomes and abundance of repetitive elements (about 85% of the genome) have hampered early wheat genome-assembly efforts. So these new developments will equip researchers and breeders with the tools needed to improve bread wheat and meet future food demands.
Niab was part of a BBSRC funded team, led by Dr Matt Clark at the Natural History Museum, Dr Bernado Clavijo at the Earlham Institute, Professor Mike Bevan at the John Innes Centre and Dr James Cockram at Niab, that contributed by sequencing the globally important spring wheat variety ‘Weebill 1’.

Wheat genome sequenced, Dr Cockram Niab — Dr Cockram, Niab key role in sequencing important wheat genomes

Niab’s Dr James Cockram comments: “Weebill 1’ has good yield coupled with drought and leaf rust pathogen resistance, and is already used in breeding programmes worldwide. Its genome assembly, as part of this ‘pan-genome’ of multiple wheat genome sequences, will help breeders and researchers identify these useful, and possibly unique, genomic loci to incorporate into wheat breeding programmes.”
This was one of the five wheat varieties that groups within the UK contributed to the sequencing project, highlighting the UK’s strong commitment to international wheat research.
CDC’s wheat breeder and director and project leader Dr Curtis Pozniak said, “This mass sequencing project is like finding the missing pieces for your favourite puzzle that you have been working on for decades. By having many complete gene assemblies available, we can now help solve the huge puzzle that is the massive wheat pan-genome and usher in a new era for wheat discovery and breeding.”
Scientific groups across the global wheat community will use these new resources to identify genes linked to in-demand traits, so helping to accelerate breeding efficiency. It enables researchers to more precisely control breeding to increase the rate of wheat improvement for the benefit of farmers and consumers, and meet future food demands.
“Having multiple wheat genome sequences enables us to identify genetic differences between wheat lines that are important for breeding. We can now compare and contrast the full complement of the genetic differences that make each variety unique. For example, understanding a causal gene for say insect resistance is a game-changer for breeding because you can select for pest resistance more efficiently by using a simple DNA test than by manual field testing,” said Dr Pozniak.
The usefulness of the resources generated was demonstrated within the project with the identification of a gene controlling wheat resistance to an important insect pest of wheat, orange blossom midge, allowing genetic markers to be developed that allow beneficial natural variants at this gene to be efficiently tracked within breeding programmes.
“We expect researchers across the world to exploit these sequenced resources in similar ways, resulting in further insights and tools that will help the continued development of wheat varieties with improved performance,” explained Dr Keith Gardner, a co-investigator on the project at Niab.
Dr Cockram also highlights how such research breakthroughs are all part of the fight to mitigate climate change by increasing the resilience of crops across the world. “Improved plant varieties may have a better capacity to withstand pests and diseases, while using fewer resources. They could also offer stable yields in an unstable climate and improve productivity through efficient use of water, land and nutrients,” he finished.
The Wheat 10+ Genomes Project collaboration was led by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (USask CDC) in Canada and involved universities and institutes in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Israel, Australia, and the USA.
Publication:
Multiple wheat genomes reveal global variation in modern breeding, Nature (25 November 2020)
Landmark study generates first genomic atlas for global wheat improvement – press release from the USask Crop Development Centre (CDC)

3 November 2025

Member News

Crops, Varieties, Breeds, Rotations

Light Science Technologies wins Innovate UK funding for vertical farming sensor

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

Light Science Technologies (LST) has secured funding to develop an ‘all in one’ sensor for vertical farming. It will measure light, water, air, temperature, humidity, oxygen and soil to enable the monitoring and control of the growing environment; ensuring optimal plant productivity and yield.
The funding is through the Transforming Food Production (TFP) challenge, part of a £90 million government investment to support the UK’s most innovative technology to boost agricultural productivity and set food production systems towards net zero emissions by 2040.
The Controlled Environment Agricultural (CEA) market is growing fast at a CAGR of 21 per cent.
In partnership with Nottingham Trent University, the LST will be leading the project to develop a growing sensor and innovative transmission node for vertical farms. The sensor will form a vital part of its bespoke offering, reducing energy and saving costs using technology and real-time data.
LST is working with growers to provide an integrated, cost effective and low maintenance solution that can be used across different crops to achieve maximum yield, creating the full growing “recipe” of lighting, nutrient and environment.
The IoT precision data solution will help boost productivity and efficiency of vertical farming, reflecting the government’s drive to help the agricultural sector grow economically with less environmental impact.
LST is focused on becoming a technology driven trailblazer in vertical farming innovation and technology over the next four years.
Simon Deacon, CEO of Light Science Technologies added: “This is an especially important boost to our business. To be selected by Innovate UK is confirmation of the urgent need for more sustainable, productive and cost-effective solutions in farming. Investment in UK technology and innovation in this sector is crucial in achieving a better approach to agricultural production and reducing emissions.”
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org.
More information about LST.

Post Overview

Agri-TechE

Agri-TechE Article

15 May 2026

Member News

Soils and Water Management

Oxford Farming Conference 2021: Consultation on gene editing announced

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

Gene editing is a way of altering DNA in a cell, it can be used to turn genes on or off without altering their sequence and offers the potential for rapidly introducing beneficial traits within crop plant. It is also controversial and needs a strong ethical and regulatory framework if it is to be widely introduced. To reflect this the government has announced at the Oxford Farming Conference 2021 its intention to hold a consultation on gene editing.
Sir David Baulcombe, Regius Professor of Botany in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said:
“The overwhelming view in public sector scientists is that the Nobel Prize winning methods for gene editing can accelerate the availability of crops and livestock for sustainable, productive and profitable agriculture. I welcome the DEFRA consultation that will help with a broader assessment of gene editing as an appropriate technology in agriculture.”
The way that plants and animals grow is controlled by the information in their genes. For centuries, farmers and growers have carefully chosen to breed stronger, healthier individual animals or plants so that the next generation has these beneficial traits – but this is a slow process. Gene editing promises a way to accelerate this process.

Gene editing

Gene editing is different to genetic modification where DNA from one species is introduced to a different one. Gene edited organisms do not contain DNA from different species, and instead only produce changes that could be made slowly using traditional breeding methods. However, at the moment, due to a legal ruling from the European Court of Justice in 2018 gene editing is regulated in the same way as genetic modification.
So the consultation announced today will focus on looking at how certain gene editing organisms are regulated, so that modifications that could have been occurred naturally or through traditional breeding are not regulated in the same way as genetic modification.
This approach has already been adopted by a number of countries including Japan, Australia and Argentina.
Aside from gene editing, the consultation will also begin a longer-term project to gather evidence on updating the UK’s approach to genetic modification by gathering information on what controls are needed and how best to deliver them. To ensure regulations are in step with the current science and the knowledge gained from 30 years of existing regulation.

Highest food safety standards

In his speech Environment Secretary George Eustice said that the government will continue to work with farming and environmental groups to develop the right rules and ensure robust controls are in place to maintain the highest food safety standards while supporting the production of healthier food.
Professor Robin May, the Food Standards Agency’s Chief Scientific Advisor, welcomed the consultation and said:
“The UK prides itself in having the very highest standards of food safety, and there are strict controls on GM crops, seeds and food which the FSA will continue to apply moving forward.
“As with all novel foods, GE foods will only be permitted to be marketed if they are judged to not present a risk to health, not to mislead consumers, and not have lower nutritional value than existing equivalent foods. We will continue to put the consumer first and be transparent and open in our decision-making. Any possible change would be based on an appropriate risk assessment that looks at the best available science.”
Consulting with academia, environmental groups, the food and farming sectors and the public is the beginning of this process which, depending on the outcome, will require primary legislation scrutinised and approved by Parliament.

Consultation on gene editing

The consultation will run for ten weeks from Thursday 7th January to Weds 17 March at 23:59. The full consultation document will shortly be available on Citizen Space when published at 00:15 and applies to England only.
More information is available here https://consult.defra.gov.uk/agri-food-chain-directorate/the-regulation-of-genetic-technologies/

5 June 2023

Meet the Network

Crops, Varieties, Breeds, Rotations

Alternatives to chemicals for cleaning to be discussed

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

Alternatives to chemicals for sustaining the life span of fruit and vegetables, improving the quality of seed and reducing risk of contamination in food processing are to be discussed at the first Agri-TechE event “Keeping it clean with agri-tech innovation” 19th January.
Activated air, electrolysed water, free radicals – are among the innovations to be discussed for the first time.
Dr Belinda Clarke, director of Agri-TechE selected the topic as hygiene is at top of mind at the moment: “The use of water and chemicals for cleaning and decontamination is a major cost to the food industry at every stage from seed to sandwich; it is also an environmental cost. Within our innovation ecosystem we can see interesting alternatives emerging that work with natural processes to reduce the power of pathogens, offering a more effective and sustainable approach.”

Alternatives to chemicals

Speaker Debbie Rees of NRI, explains that unprocessed fruit, vegetables and root crops are essentially alive, her focus is reducing the amount of fresh produce that is wasted between field, supermarket and home:
“We are interested in anything that allows us to monitor and sustain the lifespan of fresh produce without harming it. Loss comes from biological changes and these can be measured, for example, the respiration rate of potatoes in storage or the stress created when apples stored at low temperature become short of oxygen. Chlorophyll fluorescence is another useful measure that can be used to understand ripening as vegetables lose their chlorophyll as they age and fruits cease photosynthesis.”
“Unripe strawberries have a host of defence mechanisms to prevent fungal pathogens, but as they ripen, they go soft and sugar levels increase, increasing risk of pathogen attack. So, you can reduce rotting either by reducing pathogenic contamination or by slowing down ripening.”
Debbie’s research has revealed strawberries often remain in the heat for four hours before reaching the packhouse, so cooling in the field is a possible intervention.
Another is the use of ozone, a very reactive chemical that can destroy viruses, as well as unicellular organisms such as bacteria, and then revert to oxygen. One experiment involves flushing punnets of strawberries with ozone before sealing in film. Ozone is not suitable for use with all produce, but under controlled conditions it offers many benefits as Debbie will explain.

Food-to-go

David Goosey of Ozo Innovations is focused on the Food-to-Go market – ready meals and pre-packed sandwiches – where processing equipment needs cleaning and decontamination from allergens such as nuts, as they switch between recipes.
David explains: “Hygiene accounts for up to 12% of the cost of food processing. Typically, food manufacturers use hot water at 40-60°C to sanitise equipment and then need to re-chill the environment before use. Our solution uses cold water and is effective at an ambient temperature, meaning Ozo can help to cut both energy usage and costs.”
The company’s technology uses hypochlorite, created by electrolysing a saline solution. It is an effective cleaner and disinfectant that reverts back to salt and water after use. It is currently being trialled with a major UK food manufacturer and David will share more about its capabilities at the event.

Seed treatment that boosts germination

The Agri-TechE event will also see the announcement of a new highly effective, additive free approach to seed sterilisation that offers a fourfold increase in the germination rate of wheat. The new approach which uses ‘activated air’ to destroy bacteria and fungi on seed also has potential for improving storage of high value seeds such as tomato and basil that are currently untreatable as they germinate on contact with water.
Agri-TechE xplore: Keeping it clean with agri-tech innovation, is being held virtually on Tuesday 19th January 2021 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.

Post Overview

Agri-TechE

Agri-TechE Article

Is your fertiliser reaching the plant?

3 October 2016

Soils and Water Management

ATW23: Heat and Drought – University of Essex

7 November 2023

Agri-TechE Article

Crops, Varieties, Breeds, Rotations

Howseman Agriculture’s ‘irrigation as a service’ reduces water and waste

26 May 2022

Meet the Network

Soils and Water Management

ATW 2025: You have to start somewhere

27 October 2025

Member News

Agri-TechE Week 2025

Water for Agriculture hot topic at Anglian Water event

13 October 2014

Agri-TechE Blog

Soils and Water Management

Building resilience to risk in the stretch zone

19 July 2023

Agri-TechE Article

Industry Trends

Well-beeing sounded out with BeeSecure

Agri-TechE Article

Agri-TechE

By tapping into vibrations in the hive, agri-tech start-up BeeSecure is able to listen into conversations ensuring that the bees are happy, healthy and performing well. Co-founder Roberto Pasi says the company can understand ten main topics, quickly identifying issues. The company was part of the Start-Up Showcase at Agri-TechE ’s 2020 REAP conference.
BeeSecure is based in Italy and supports thousands of beehives across mainland Europe. It is part of the EIT Food Accelerator Programme and has just started working with beekeeper associations and farmers in the UK. Its new product BeeSecure is changing the way bee services are rented on farm. By providing a ‘high-performance pollination service’ well-kept bees are able to significantly boost yields of insect pollinated crops. Hives can be rented by farmers as required but keepers are concerned about the pesticides that might be used and farmers have little knowledge of the health of the bees.
Co-founded by Roberto with CTO Gabriele Garavini, BeeSecure uses IoT devices such as sensors to monitor the temperature, humidity and sound, Roberto explains:
“We have a little microphone that is able to translate vibration within the bee hive; it can’t pick up the individual conversations, but just like sitting in Old Trafford watching Manchester United, if somebody scores a goal, you’re really going to hear it.
“At the moment we can understand the ten most important topics, from ‘the Queen is dead’ to ‘there are not enough flowers nearby’ and this is sufficient to determine a problem with the hive and understand the size of the colony.
“Additionally, bees maintain a constant temperature of 35˚C; if that suddenly changes that is a real alarm that something is wrong.”
Roberto Pasi inherited his passion for bees from his grandfather, who left him 20 hives a decade ago. “It started as a hobby, but then we got thinking ‘bees are so important so why is there no technology to support beekeepers? There has been a massive loss of bees in recent years and no one really knows the reason for this.” Hive theft is an increasing problem for beekeepers so BeeSecure also contains a GPS tracker, which provides an alert if the hive is moved.
Data from the hives can be viewed in real-time by the farmer and keeper via a secure app
“So now we have the way to create a trusting relationship between farmer and beekeeper – we can guarantee the farmer that the rented bees are performing well – and at the same time we can guarantee the bee keeper that the bees will be returned in a healthy condition.”
Roberto is keen to talk to UK farmers about the rental of beehives and the BeeSecure system and to find partners with specialist knowledge of bumblebees, which are used for undercover pollination.

Post Overview

Agri-TechE

Agri-TechE Article

Achieving the Potential of Insect Rearing

1 August 2024

Member News

Machinery, Robotics and AI

PBD Biotech gains funding from Canadian government to tackle Johne’s Disease

10 June 2020

Meet the Network

Livestock

Why a fodder budget is essential this winter

26 September 2024

Member News

Livestock

Bee Challenge raises awareness of plight of bees

30 July 2021

Agri-TechE Article

Livestock

Supporting innovation at REAP new test detects TB in cattle

8 November 2017

Livestock

Collaborative Effort by PIC®, Vetline, and AbacusBio Elevates Uganda’s Pig Farming

31 January 2024

Member News

Livestock

RIDDOR in the UK: A quick introduction

Member News

Agri-TechE

RIDDOR stands for Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. What a mouthful! This regulation is utilised in the United Kingdom. Let’s look at what you need to do and what you need to know.
Employers, self-employed and people in control of work premises are called ‘the responsible person’, and have a legal obligation to report certain work-related accidents under the Regulations. As soon as you become aware a work-related accident may be reportable under RIDDOR, you need to make the report.
Reporting is required for:

work-related accidents which cause death
work-related accidents that cause certain serious injuries
diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases
certain ‘dangerous occurrences’

So how do you know what to report? We’ll explore each of the components of RIDDOR in a little more detail to help explain things.

Let’s start with ‘work-related’.

Not every accident in the workplace is work-related. Here are the key things items that decide if the accident is work-related:

the way the work was carried out
any machinery, plant, substances or equipment used for the work, or
the condition of the site or premises where the accident happened

If none of these factors contributed to the accident, then it may not be work-related and a report isn’t required. It is only physical injuries caused by a work-related accident which are reportable. Mental health issues do not fall in to this category, and are not one of the listed occupational diseases so do not have to be reported.

Injuries

There are 4 types of injury categories which must be reported.
Death – all deaths of workers and non-workers must be reported if they arise from a work-related accident, including physical violence.
Specified injuries – these include:

a fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe
permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
crush injuries leading to internal organ damage
serious burns covering 10% or more of the body, or which damage the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
scalpings (separation of the skin from the head) which require hospital treatment
unconsciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space, which leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Over-Seven-Day injuries to workers are where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to perform their usual duties for more than 7 consecutive days. Day 1 is the day after the accident.
Injuries to people not at work are work-related accidents to members of the public if they are injured and are taken from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment of the injury. The injury need not be traumatic. It can be minor, such as an abrasion or small cut. Being taking to hospital as a precaution when no injury is apparent is not reportable.

Diseases

Certain diagnosed occupational diseases must be reported where they are likely to have been caused or made worse by work. These include:

carpal tunnel syndrome
severe cramp of the hand or forearm
occupational dermatitis
hand-arm vibration syndrome
occupational asthma
tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm
any occupational cancer
any disease attributable to occupational exposure to a biological agent (e.g. Hendra virus, avian influenza, Q-fever etc. from working with animals)

Dangerous Occurrences

Dangerous occurrences are certain near-miss events (incidents with the potential to cause harm). There are 27 different occurrences, many of which are relevant to agriculture and some not so much. Those most likely relevant to farming include:

Lifting equipment– collapse, overturn or failure of any load-bearing part (e.g. a forklift truck tips on its side)
Pressure system – any failure (other than a pipeline) which could cause death (e.g. an air compressor valve bursts)
Overhead power lines – direct contact or close proximity causing electrical discharge (e.g. the auger of a combine harvester gets close enough to overhead power lines to cause an arc)
Electrical incidents causing explosion or fire – if a short circuit or overload results in the plant being unusable for 24 hours, or causes significant risk of death (e.g. plugging a power tool in to a socket which overloads the circuit, resulting in a fire of the electrical switchboard which shuts a workshop down for more than 24 hours while it’s repaired)
Explosives – unintentional fire, explosion or ignition, misfire, injury caused, or projection of material beyond the danger zone (e.g. when clearing large rocks from land and the explosive misfired)
Biological agents – any release or potential release of biological agents (e.g. Hendra virus)
Breathing apparatus – any malfunction which does or could cause significant risk to health and safety (e.g. if used in confined space entry)
Collapse of scaffolding – complete or partial collapse of scaffold more than 5 metres in height, working platform falling from a slung or suspended scaffold, or any scaffold collapse that creates a significant risk of a person drowning if they fall from the scaffold (e.g. scaffolding used to reach the roof ridge-cap of a shed partially collapses)
Structural collapse – unintentional collapse (full or partial) of any structure involving a fall of more than 5 tonnes of material, any floor or wall of a workplace, any falsework (e.g. a barn collapse after a storm)
Explosion or fire – unintentional fire or explosion resulting in stoppage for more than 24 hours (e.g. a combine harvester catches fire and shuts down harvest for a few days)
Release of flammable liquids and gases – sudden, unintentional and uncontrolled release of large volumes (e.g. 500kg of a gas in the open air)
Hazardous escape of substances – unintentional release or escape of any substance which could cause injury other than via combustion of flammable liquids or gases (e.g. Revysol is spilled)

Phew – that’s a lot of information!
It’s important to understand what you may need to report, and how to report. Remember, only ‘responsible persons’ should submit reports under RIDDOR. Reporting is easy and should be done online, with different links for reporting an injury, dangerous occurrence, case of a disease, flammable gas incident or dangerous gas fitting.
For reporting a fatality or specified incident only, and you are located in the UK, telephone the HSE Incident Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923. The Centre is open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5pm. In certain circumstances HSE may need to respond out of hours. These include:

following a work-related death
following a serious incident where there have been multiple casualties
following an incident which has caused major disruption such as evacuation of people, closure of roads, large numbers of people going to hospital etc.

If an incident fits any of these descriptions, ring the duty officer in the UK on 0151 922 9235.
Best practice for any UK agribusiness is to have a policy for RIDDOR, including nominating who will contact HSE in the event of a work-related accident.
To find out more about RIDDOR go to https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm

This content has been contributed by SafeAg Systems; the views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this text belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of Agri-TechE .

4 June 2014

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