At REAP 2021 we heard first-hand from scientists about how they hope their research will make a difference in the industry. We asked all our speakers to share their discoveries, based around a specific date, time or event that has inspired their work.
Click the links below to read more about their work.
Breakfast:
A good breakfast sets you up for the day…
…it also provides energy in a timely manner, just like nutrient additives do for crops. But can the next generation of nutrient pellets also help us move toward net zero?
1978:
The summer of flares and disco glitz…
… also saw the first steps toward facial recognition for humans. Fast forward 30 years and researchers are applying this technology in sheep to better understand their behaviour and assess their health.
1660:
Newton’s prism was key…
…in his discovery of the colour spectrum, and went on to grace the cover of Pink Floyd’s classic album “the Dark Side of the Moon”. But can splitting light into its component colours also provided a spotlight into the production of high density salads?
1843:
A humble crop of wheat was drilled…
…in what was to become the world’s longest running field experiment, revealing the importance of nitrogen to crop development. Now AI and computer vision are revealing new insights to nitrogen use by plants for more efficient input application.
1970s:
A decade that saw the “Great British Heatwave”…
…as well as challenges in the availability of power and commodities such as sugar. Plant hormones were also discovered – and have now helped inspire a new approach to smart irrigation.
1982:
The year blackgrass herbicide resistance was first detected.
After 40 years of resistance to commercial herbicides, are there viable alternatives to manage this weed?
1950:
Sci-fi writer Aldous Huxley made a bold prediction…
…farming would be autonomous by the year 2000. So what is the latest for robotics and automation on farms and how close is it to widespread commercial reality?
1880:
The first electric train was tested…
…GMT was invented, the Gilbert and Sullivan classic “Pirates of Penzance” was first staged, and Charles Darwin published his seminal book on plant movement, where he first eluded to the notion that plants can sense time. How are these circadian rhythms today informing key activities in the farming calendar?
1980s:
Whilst the UK and Europe were dancing away…
…to the new sound of techno, a surprisingly different type of techno was emerging on the opposite side of the globe. How does intensive ‘Techo-Grazing’ compare to more conventional methods of livestock grazing?
Autumn:
Falling leaves look pretty…
…but as the climate changes, how are warmer autumns changing the patterns of disease transmission in crops such as oil seed rape?
Date Night:
With Tinder, Uber and Deliveroo…
…all of which have been enabled by satellite GPS. But how will advances in satellite applications enable tomorrow’s farmers to embrace precision agriculture?
Emerging Agri-Tech at REAP 2021 is sponsored by BBSRC.
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.