Innovation Hub 2024 at the Royal Norfolk Show
Agri-TechE A robot firing light beams to kill weeds, a smart bird scarer, a novel way to reduce lamb loss, new tools in the fight against viruses, and alternative crops and water management for wetlands. These are just a few of the technologies and ideas being discussed in the Agri-TechE Innovation Hub at the Royal Norfolk Show (26 and 27th June 2024).
The hub is sponsored by BBRO and curated by the membership and networking organisation Agri-TechE .
CLAWS robot accurately targets weeds with killer beam
– Earth Rover
Pulsed light is being used to spot and kill weeds in commercial trials of the Concentrated Light Autonomous Weeding and Scouting (CLAWS) robot from Earth Rover.
The lightweight robot uses 3D cameras and advanced AI to monitor the crop and identify and destroy weed seedlings at an early stage, without the need for chemicals.
Raising a ‘wall of yellow’ against sugar beet diseases
– BBRO
There could be a yield loss of 30-50% for sugar beet growers this year due to a resurgence in Virus Yellows, a disease spread by peach potato aphids.
BBRO will be discussing alternatives to neonicotinoid seed treatments and showing a ‘Wall of Yellow’ to demonstrate advances in seed breeding.
Reducing loss of lambs with genetic markers
– 3CR Bioscience
49 percent of lamb mortality occurs within the first 48 hours after birth, which is devastating for farmers and economically impactful. A new tool, developed by 3CR Bioscience, is making it easier for breeders to detect recessive gene variations that can be lethal when present in both parents.
Smart water management for food and the environment
– Broads Authority
As a record-breaking wet winter follows one of the hottest summers, the Broads Authority says smart water management could provide solutions.
Water tables remain high, creating difficulty for some crops, but with appropriate planning, permissions, and investment, this excess could be used as a supply for the dry summer periods.
There will be a discussion of the FibreBroads project. Read more.
Creating next-generation insulation from wetland crop plants
– Ponda
Ponda is a biomaterials company developing novel textiles from truly regenerative fibres.
Its first product, BioPuff®, is a warm and naturally water-repellent alternative to feather and synthetic fillers. It is created by extracting fibres from plants, such as Typha, that are grown on regenerated wetlands.
Smart scarer overcomes the curse of the woodpigeon
– Greenstalk
Woodpigeons cause a significant loss of yield. Gas cannons are widely used to scare pests but are time-consuming to check and maintain. Greenstalk has helped farming business Frederick Hiam Ltd to overcome this problem with a smart scarer that can be monitored remotely.
The Internet of Things solution enables data to be collected from tractors, sprayers, irrigation systems and water tanks and transmitted over the internet. This enables the farmer to monitor things in real-time via a smartphone and react quickly to problems.
Biodiversity net gain
– Harper Adams University
Harper Adams will be showing their work in paludiculture, biodiversity net gain, and sustainability focused agri-tech.
It is increasingly becoming possible for farmers to monetarise the ‘natural capital’ associated with their businesses. Harper Adams University is partnering with Cranfield University to looking at how advanced remote sensing and modelling could allow landowners to monetarise and manage both high and low water flows in a catchment. Read more.
In future a range of environmental services such as nutrient removal, flood mitigation, habitat creation or peat re-wetting will become an established enterprise on many farms. To achieve this requires good metrics to measure and manage these assets, such as those being developed by Harper Adams. Read more.
Genotyping solutions to achieve your goals faster, for less
– Eurofins AgriGenomics
Eurofins Agrigenomics is pleased to offer solutions for your breeding challenges, using genetic testing to enable you to reach your goals faster. Using state of the art technologies and mobile applications, they can help you shape your livestock for best meat or milk production, or your crop for greatest yield.
There is still a bit of space to squeeze in more exciting agri-tech so do contact us if you would like to participate.
Find out more about the Royal Norfolk Show 2024 – 26 and 27th June 2024, Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich, NR5 0TT.
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