A recyclable drip tape system that reduces water, energy and labour while ensuring soil moisture levels at a critical time has been trialled by Norfolk farmers. Howseman Agriculture, with its sister company DripUK, is the first in the UK to offer Streamline X Re-Gen, a drip tape that can be recycled at the end of the season. The company will be discussing smart irrigation in the Innovation Hub at the Royal Norfolk Show.
Irrigation as a service
Andrew Howseman is Managing Director of Howseman Agriculture, leaders in the field of drip irrigation for potatoes and onions. He explains that the company is offering ‘irrigation as a service’ and has developed a circular system that reduces the cost of irrigation for farmers. He will be talking about the service in the Innovation Hub of the Royal Norfolk Show.
“One of our tape suppliers, Netafim, has developed a product called Streamline X Re-Gen that can use polymer extracted from drip tape. We have worked with Netafim to develop a tape retrieval system that removes the drip tape from the field so that it can recycled.
“We will supply 800 rolls of drip tape this year, sufficient for 200 hectares, which previously would have gone to landfill. The recycling route removes the problem for the grower and they have a certificate to show conformance to an assured produce scheme.”
Potato farmers will see the benefit
The new development is part of a commitment by Howseman Agriculture to invest in machinery that makes drip irrigation more cost-effective. The company can provide a complete service, including installation and removal, enabling irrigation systems to be installed in a timely manner.
Andrew says that growers of both pre-pack and process potatoes will benefit. He continues: “We can install the system almost immediately after planting. This gives growers the crop insurance they need to ensure soil moisture levels are exactly where they need to be at tuber initiation.
“We are very aware of changes to abstraction licences that are on the horizon and cannot emphasise enough to growers how important it is to start to look at our systems now.
“Our results are ongoing and not always conclusive, as a wet growing season can level out any gains we would normally see, but in a very dry year we can prove some very significant gains in yield and quality.
“The system offers potato and onion growers lots of benefits in addition to water – fertigation and even biological pest suppression are both areas that we are working hard on.”
Norfolk farmers pioneering new technology
Richard and Will Overton at H.A. Overton & Sons on Laurels Farm in Catfield, near Great Yarmouth, were among the first to trial the new drip irrigation system.
Richard Overton comments: “We saw a need to replace the ageing irrigation reels and saw drip irrigation as an opportunity to reduce the labour requirement and lower the water and energy usage ahead of the restrictions on licencing in this area. The trials have gone well and we are looking for a significant reduction in both the water and energy required to produce our pre-pack quality potatoes.”
Richard and Will trialled 12 acres last season and have increased to 30 acres for 2022.
Howseman Agriculture with DripUK will be participating in the Innovation Hub hosted by Agri-TechE in partnership with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA) and sponsored by BBRO, at the Royal Norfolk Show on the 29-30th June, as the show looks to come back bigger than ever for 2022.
More about Howseman Agriculture
