Groundswell (22-23rd June 2022) started six years ago out of a sense of frustration that none of the larger agricultural shows were talking about soil health. Farmers John and Paul Cherry decided to start an ‘alternative’ event on their own farm in Hertfordshire to talk about their experiences of a no-till system.
So much has changed since then! No-till, conservation agriculture and regenerative systems are being adopted by more conventional farming and the ‘soil first’ approach has wide resonance.
Agri-tech for low input farming
There is a need for agri-tech to better understand the interactions between crops, livestock and the environment.
Particularly evident is the shortage of good metrics to provide evidence of the ‘additionality’ delivered by good practice. And 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.
We will have a presence at the show and will be curating a showcase of members with technology solutions of relevance to regenerative and other types of low input farming.
Join us for the ‘Agri-TechE Innovation Insights’ at Groundswell – Wednesday 22nd June at 4 – 5pm
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.
A number of Agri-TechE members will be appearing at Groundswell 2022:
AHDB
Barenbrug – Grass and herbal ley sponsor
Harvest Agri
CHAP
Safe Ag Systems
