So much has changed since Groundswell (22-23rd June 2022) started six years ago as an ‘alternative’ event to talk about about soil health.
Now no-till, conservation agriculture and regenerative systems are being adopted by more conventional farming and the ‘soil first’ approach has wide resonance, but there is a still a need for agri-tech to better understand the interactions between crops, livestock and the environment.
So we are hosting a showcase of members at Groundswell and running a drop in session on our stand MS7.
Technology for Elms
Particularly evident is the shortage of good metrics to provide evidence of the ‘additionality’ delivered by good practice. This has come to the fore with the introduction of the government’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme.
Our recent ‘Technology for Elms’ conference looked at the technologies available for measuring and monitoring carbon-sensitive farming and the gaps where opportunities exist for further innovation.
In discussions a number of challenges were identified:
- How can non-specialists accurately identify plant and insect species and report the outcomes in a meaningful way?
- How can the source of water pollution be identified and a whole watershed approach be adopted to improve water quality?
- How can we make crops less reliant on inorganic inputs?
- How can machinery become more fuel-efficient, lessen soil damage and require less labour?
- How can we increase woodland in the landscape and measure its value for carbon capture whilst still maintaining productivity?
- How can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and monitor the improvements?
We have summarised some of the thinking in this report and we are keen to continue the conversation at Groundswell.
See Agri-TechE on stand MS7 and enter our prize draw
Do stop by our stand MS7 in the Exhibition Marquee, where the team will be on hand to talk about innovation for regenerative agriculture, as well as all our upcoming activities and membership.
With thanks to the kind support of our members Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, you can also enter our free Prize Draw, with a chance to win all three volumes of Advances in Conservation Agriculture worth £450. It gives great insights into the science underpinning conservation agriculture (CA):
- Current research on the adoption of conservation agriculture principles in different regions around the world
- Highlights the emergence of CA as a key alternative to tillage-based agriculture
- Reviews the challenges of effective implementation of CA in different contexts
Join us for the ‘Agri-TechE Innovation Insights’ – Wednesday 22nd June at 4 – 5pm at Speakers’ Corner
This high power session, hosted by Agri-TechE director Dr Belinda Clarke, will offer a rapid overview of emerging agri-tech for regenerative farming and improving soil health. It will include a series of quick-fire sessions from across the Agri-TechE ecosystem.
In addition a number of Agri-TechE members will be exhibiting at Groundswell 2022:
Barenbrug – Grass and herbal ley sponsor
Harvest Agri
