We explore how agri-tech enablers can help deliver environmental benefits alongside sustainable food production and the achievement of industry net zero targets. Farmers and advisors share learning points from trials and technologist and researchers discuss promising tools and techniques for supporting the transition to ELMs.
Soil testing should be considered an investment and included in future land valuations, according to Christian Murray, CEO of SOILWATER.”Soil testing is the best starting point data without a doubt, however it is important for a land manager to pick one service and stay with it – it needs to be consistent.”
“Understanding what is happening below the surface is critical to smart water management. We have developed a sophisticated monitoring system that can provide a detailed view of water infiltration, drainage, soil temperatures as well as root development.”
Miscanthus is a commercial crop due to its high biomass productivity and resilience. Research by the Earlham Institute has shown It grows well on marginal land in the UK, where yields might otherwise be limited by scorching summers and wet winters.
An in-depth international study into the impact of traffic and tillage on soil compaction has found agricultural machinery running low pressure tyres could boost farmers’ yields by four per cent. The study by Harper Adams University academics used one site at its campus in Newport as well as another site in the USA in conjunction with the University of Illinois, working with tractors fitted with low pressure Michelin tyres.
‘Soil health’ is a better criteria for the sustainable management of soil than ‘soil quality’, argues Mark Pawlett of Cranfield University
“Never has the health of our soils, its environmental and monetary value been higher on the agenda,” says Alex Bragg, Director of Food & Farming for Savills.
“The changes to soil health have been remarkably rapid”, says Dr Lydia Smith, Head of Innovation Farm & Innovation Hub NIAB, who is hosting one of the Agri-Tech Week 2020 events; many of which will discuss new findings.
“Carbon credits could provide an income stream for farmers based on societal value of carbon’, says David R Montgomery, keynote speaker at REAP 2020.
The Victorian-era switch from manure to artificial fertiliser has resulted in damage to the microbial communities that maintain soil structure, according to new work from Rothamsted Research. Andrew Neal, lead researcher of the study, says carbon is crucial for soil health and the microorganisms within it.
New strategies for soil phosphate management are being assessed against a 120-year-old experiment in Suffolk, led by NIAB. Strategies include cover crops, tillage and soil amendments…