Royal Norfolk Show will display latest agri-tech innovations

The Agri-TechE Innovation Hub, sponsored by the Norwich-based British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO), will return to the event at the Norfolk Showground on June 26-27.

Among the other new ideas on show will be a smart bird scarer, a novel way to reduce lamb losses, new tools in the fight against crop viruses, and water management for wetlands.

The hub is curated by Agri-TechE, a membership organisation which brings farmers together with scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs to create a global innovation network.

Dr Belinda Clarke is director of Agri-TechE (Image: Agri-TechE)

Director Dr Belinda Clarke said: "Sustainable production is a key feature this year, and to achieve this requires active collaboration.

"Farmers are at the heart of our membership organisation, and many of the technologies being shown at the Innovation Hub have been co-developed and tested in the field with end users.

“We look forward to hosting visitors over the two days of the Royal Norfolk Show and to gaining their input on the future direction of agri-tech.”

Exhibitors in the Innovation Hub include:

Robot targets weeds with killer beams

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 with "incredible speed and accuracy" - but without the need for chemicals.

Genetic tools to reduce lamb losses

Lamb mortality can be devastating for farmers as ell as economically damaging.

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.

A ‘wall of yellow’ against beet diseases

Sugar beet growers could see yield losses of up to 50pc this year due to a resurgence in virus yellows, a disease spread by aphids.

BBRO will be discussing alternatives to controversial neonicotinoid seed treatment pesticides and showing a "Wall of Yellow" to demonstrate advances in seed breeding.

Smart water management

As a record-breaking wet winter follows one of the hottest summers, the Broads Authority says smart water management and alternative crops could provide solutions.

High water tables create difficulty for some crops, but with appropriate planning, permissions and investment, excess could potentially be used as a supply for the dry summer periods. There will be a discussion of the FibreBroads project.

New uses for wetland crop plants

Ponda is a biomaterials company developing novel textiles from regenerative fibres - grown in wetland plants.

Its first product, named BioPuff, is a warm, 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.

Jamie Lockhart of Frederick Hiam with a gas gun bird scarer (Image: Frederick Hiam / Greenstalk)

Case study: Overcoming the "curse of the wood pigeon"

One of the Innovation Hub exhibitors will demonstrate how the interconnected "Internet of Things" can make farm equipment more smart - including solving the perennial pest problem of pigeons.

Wood pigeons are a major concern for farms, with some growers estimating a 10-40pc loss of yield in oilseed rape, peas and brassicas.

Gas cannons are widely used to scare pests but are time-consuming to check and maintain.

Now agri-tech company Greenstalk has helped Brandon-based vegetable producer Frederick Hiam to develop a "smart scarer" that can be monitored remotely.

The equipment is fitted with a weather station and can be linked to a soil probe and other sensors, enabling it to transmit data over the internet.

A farmer can then monitor all the information in real-time via a smartphone, allowing quick response to any problems. It also uses ten times less gas, so is kinder to the environment, says Greenstalk.

The smart scarer was born out of a conversation with Frederick Hiam managing director Jamie Lockhart, who was looking at ways to add functionality to existing farm equipment and collect data from "things" – such as tractors, sprayers, irrigation systems, water tanks and weighbridges.

Greenstalk first upgraded the farm’s WiFi with a superfast fibre connection across the entire site, and the project grew incrementally from this.

Mr Lockhart said: “Many farmers are nervous about investing in new technology, but Greenstalk’s Internet of Things approach makes existing machinery smarter and more efficient.

"It is something we can adapt to work with so many applications, which is what makes it so exciting.”

David Aarons of Greenstalk added: “Getting machinery, devices and sensors to talk to each other over the internet enables farmers to manage their operations more efficiently and make data-driven decisions.”