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.
The ‘lowhighcovid’ tool is intended to highlight the potential impact of different control strategies on the rate of spread of COVID-19. It is designed as an educational tool, and is not intended to be used as a COVID-19 disease management or forecasting tool.
Digital environmental tools that can help track, understand and predict the effects of COVID-19 are to be developed by scientists across the world in a digital sprint organised by Cranfield University to offer a greener post-pandemic future.
John Royle Chief Livestock adviser, NFU, comments: “The recent crisis has shown the urgency of upgrading meat value-chains so they are fit for the 21st century … The online network developed by Breedr supports the NFU’s target to reach net zero by 2040. It is creating a virtual supply chain that builds confidence and trust between producers and processors…”
A technique developed and tested by Cranfield University for measuring the ripeness of avocados using vibrations could reduce waste by up to 10% and help fulfil consumer demand for ready-to-eat fruit.
SlugBot is an exciting new project that aims to develop an innovative robotic technology for autonomous slug monitoring and precision treatment of bio-molluscicides.
Results from a datalogger – the shape of a fruit – have unveiled how fresh produce is damaged on processing lines. Insights from ImpacTrack could help reduce the estimated 40 million tonnes of fresh produce that are being wasted each year in Europe; because it doesn’t meet strict quality control standards.
Hydroponics company Phytoponics has just completed a £500,000 equity financing round. The company specialises in Deep Water Culture systems, where plant growing modules are kept oxygenated by built in aerators and serviced by a computerised nutrient control system. A major produce grower, Edward Baarda Limited, has become the first commercial grower in the UK to deploy Phytoponics technology at scale.
Cambridge Consultants is one of five specialist medical device organisations, which as part of a Cambridge consortium, is to rapidly develop and manufacture ventilators in 6 weeks to meet increased hospital requirements, caused by COVID-19.
Around 10 percent of strawberry production goes to waste as it doesn’t meet the quality standards required for retail. To address this, biotechnology company MycoNourish has gained £150k of funding to develop its first two products that harnesses the power of beneficial microbes.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” according to Greek philosopher Plato, and never have we had more need of invention and innovation than in the middle of a global pandemic. Agri-TechE has long been an advocate of “open innovation” and this is fast-tracking a response to the challenges created by COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis has shown the fragility of food supply chains and accelerated the labour challenges for the agricultural industry – generating a sense of urgency for new methods of automating agricultural processes.
To help suppliers provide more accurate predictions of crop yield Mantle Labs, in collaboration with Agri-EPI Centre, is offering its unique ‘Geobotanics’ platform to retailers and others involved in the supply chain, free-of-charge for a period of three months.