Press releases, articles and stories from our members in the agri-tech cluster (see guidance) . This information is provided by third parties and published in good faith.
Clever cultivation can mean anything from not cultivating at all to subsoiling or ploughing where necessary.” says Ian Robertson, head of soil health at Hutchinsons. “As a general rule, never cultivate at the same depth every year and make sure whatever you do delivers what the soil actually needs.”
Pheromones, used by insects for communication, can be used to lure and trap pests. PheroSyn, a spin-out from Rothamsted Research, has been awarded an Innovate UK grant (£200k) to develop the supply chain for a new set of insect pheromones to tackle midges and weevils. It is working with PGRO on these major pests of beans.
A pest trap that uses image recognition to identify pests and beneficial insects is to be developed through a collaboration between BASF Digital Farming and Pessl Instruments. The two organisations have signed an agreement to collaborate globally on R&D activities to improve pest management in fruits and vegetables.
Antobot raises £1.2m for development of its fruit scouting robot, the company presented in the Start-Up Showcase REAP 2020
Hear about development of an improved diagnostic for bTB and Johne’s Disease on 6th July
The UK’s first factory to convert potatoes into functional protein for vegetarian and vegan foods is being made possible following the development of a new extraction process by B-hive Innovations in collaboration with potato suppliers Branston
The world’s first ‘per plant weeding’ service has been demonstrated by the Small Robot Company (SRC). Its first customer is the Lockerley Estate, where robots are a key part of a regenerative farming strategy.
Reforms would unlock the economic potential of CBD production for UK farmers, says George McBride of Hanway
The world’s first trust framework for the full food supply system is to be developed by a collaborative project funded by Innovate UK. The £2.8m Trusted Bytes project will use novel digital technology that connects the supply chain with central government and other critical partners to help facilitate the flow of goods across international borders and drive productivity within the UK food economy.
The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) is to lead the new UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (UKFS-CDT)
UKFS-CDT aims to produce a new type of doctoral graduate with the core capabilities and characteristics necessary to contribute to food system transformation in a constantly shifting landscape with emerging challenges.
The UKFS-CDT will train 60 researchers and champions and it is being led by The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich.
PBD Biotech gains £2.3m funding to take Actiphage through to OIE validation, a requirement for international adoption of this diagnostic for mycobacterial diseases including bTB, Johne’s Disease and human TB
Breedr has launch the world’s first smart, data-driven beef contract which sets a secure price 24 months ahead. It offers a new risk-free way to buy and sell livestock, based on lifetime animal data and weights. The Breedr live trading platform means producers can buy and sell through the free app with a price guarantee.