What does the UK’s #agritech community hope the Modern Industrial Strategy will deliver on the ground? This week’s Friday round-up comes from @syngenta 's global R&D HQ, where we debated four potential pillars of growth – investment, scaling, partnerships and exporting.

Huge thanks to Gardin, RootWave, Tropic and AgriSound for candid sharing of the importance of these pillars for the growth of their businesses. Throw in a site tour, meeting the next generation of #robodogs for crop scouting, and a scene-set from George Freeman who – in this week of the UK Budget - stands ready to support agri-tech in his capacity as Trade Envoy and the engine behind the 30:50:50 strategy for innovation for agriculture and horticulture.

Plus it’s our year end where we reflect on the year that's passed and look forward to the year ahead. We can officially collapse in a heap now all our 2025 events are DONE – other than prepping for – er – the 2026 line-up. A big thank you to the amazing little Agri-TechE team for a year well delivered.

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

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From AI (in all its definitions) and IOT via the “AKIS” and learning from the Irish and New Zealand agri-food systems – with some big thoughts on UK horticulture.

This week we discovered:

• The power of AI in distilling complex content – Burleigh Dodds commissions publications from world experts on topics around agri-food, including regenerative agriculture. Their AgNetZero platform enables a quality referenced interrogation across all their content. You can have a 30 day free trial to have a play.

• The key elements of an effective Agriculture Knowledge Innovation System, at a workshop run by ADAS, hosted by NIAB.

• What could be the future priorities for pre-competitive research in UK horticulture?

• The current status of agriculture in New Zealand, and why it’s a good time to be a dairy farmer right now.

And we welcomed some new members, including Ladybird IOT by Forest Rock, using LoRaWAN agricultural sensors across a range of parameters, including temperature, humidity, nutrient sensing, and leaf wetness data – helping farmers assess real-time crop needs.

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

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Closing the week where we’ve seen the REAP2025 conference and the community come together around the 30:50:50 Summit for innovation in agriculture – our industry is only heading one way. And we ALL need to be part of the change.

Big love to everyone who was part of the REAP conference, one of our favourite reflections in the feedback was the noticeable positivity and “can-do” vibe among the farm businesses, innovators and researchers in the room.

Minette Batters DL set the tone for change with her excellent keynote address (there's a hot-off-the-press story about it in Farmers' Weekly).

The agritech start-ups revealed new solutions to combat soil compaction, molecular diagnostics for soil, plants and livestock and ways of detecting nitrogen use efficiency from space…and so much more (check out the story on the Agri-TechE website to meet them all!).

Scientists in our “Research Into Practice” session used Lego, a watering can and a cupcake to link their research to the real-world of farming.

Meanwhile……

The 30:50:50 Agri-Science Summit, hosted by George Freeman FRSA MP reflected on the ambition to reframe farm policy, and the regulatory and R&D agendas for UK agriculture.

George launched the vision at our Challenge Convention earlier this year, and it’s at the heart of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture. A great Summit, excellent talks and brilliant networking, all ably supported by Niab.

We are at a genuine crossroads for the industry in the UK, sure it’s a very challenging time, but if we are serious about the future of our industry, food production and environmental stewardship, I think we should view this week / month / year as a critical turning point.

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're so busy in the Agri-TechE team, this week's vlog was recorded on my way to the car from the office! We're in great shape for REAP Conference next week, last chance to register!

In other news:

💻 The Agri-Tech Week event blogs are coming in and we have a short (but snazzy) video summarising the Week's events.

🛰️ Giving a talk about the state of global agritech to the team at Lacuna Space - with some great questions and discussions about the state of soils, investor trends, the role of regulation and so much more.

🙌 A warm welcome to some new members this week:

- Waldersey Farms Ltd, a major grower business of 20,000 acres - innovation-led and data driven.

- STREETLY HALL FARM LIMITED, where technology development is meeting agricultural production.

- Grounded Research | Market Research and Strategic Development, your go-to partner for research and strategic insights into what people REALLY think around food, farming, agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Feat: Eric Hewitson; Mark Hall; Jack Smith; Chris Covey; Clare Otridge; Jan England.

Have a great weekend!

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we feel about an EU-wide framework for assessing and monitoring soils? The Council of the EU has just formally adopted a Soil Monitoring Directive, with the aim of achieving “healthy soils across Europe by 2050.” (As someone recently pointed out, 2050 will be quite the watershed year, if the many MANY aspirations are indeed achieved by then 🙂).

Anyway – given the challenge the UK has had trying to untangle the whole “healthy soils” agenda, let’s hope the EU can crack it. What do you think?

In other news:

On Monday we’re kicking off Agri-Tech Week 2025 – we’ll be criss-crossing the country, in person and online, with a host of events with a big clutch of BASIS Reg Ltd and NRoSO points up for grabs. #ATW2025.

And finally, a warm welcome to three of our newest Agri-TechE members:

• 🍓 Bitwise Agronomy – delivering the Holy Grail of predictive yield modelling for the berry sector (including 🫐 and more).

• 🌾 SporeSense – a spin-out from The University of Manchester providing advanced warning of the onset of yellow rust in wheat (seeking wheat farmers to help trial it – you will be paid!).

• 🚜 Agri-Sense UK – helping farmers in Yorkshire adopt new tools and practices in precision agriculture.

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

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Friday round up from Agri-TechE is in London – this week's vlog features a re-boot of some of our activities, a host of meetings and a reminder to book your hashtag#REAP2025 and hashtag#ATW2025 tickets!

In summary:

🤝 Meeting the (very) Great and (very) Good members of the esteemed Agricultural Forum to talk all things agri-tech.

💡 An Agricultural Productivity Group meeting, excellent chairing by David Exwood and meeting his new co-chair Rachel Bailey, who will be leading agri-growth, technology and trade within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

🗓️ Catching up with Syngenta to talk about our event at the end of November around businesses going global and scaling - and seeing hashtag#agritech in the wider scope of life sciences.

🚀 A re-boot of some of our activities – they’ll be bigger and better than ever before!

- Our “AG101” programme becomes “Agriculture for Innovators”

- We roll out our “Agri-Pathfinders” activities to support new tech, tools and service as they explore routes to market in agriculture and horticulture.

- The Farmer First Innovation Group getting a boost of energy - calling all our farmer and agronomy members.

And the team even found time to send out the Member Mail for the month!

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

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A sugar-y Friday round up from Agri-TechE, with new innovations for sugar beet production, a new policy report with all you need to know about the UK agri-food system, and welcoming two of our latest new members.

Great catch-up with Germains Seed Technology around beneficial microbes and nutrient-rich seed coatings for sugar beet and spinach seeds - and more!

A new report on the Future of the UK Food System by our members GK Strategy - read this and you will discover all you need to know (and we got a mention as well!). https://bit.ly/4mE0mcR

Talking maize harvesting and clamping with Future Biogas.

A warm welcome to 2 new members:

Downforce Technologies - for your soil health, soil organic carbon and biodiversity monitoring.

AgriTIERRA - forging agri-food links between the UK and Latin America.

News, trends, and breakthroughs shaping the future of farming, brought to you by Agri-TechE.

We are a not-for-profit, independent organisation for our members. We bring together forward-thinking farmers, researchers, technologists, and agri-businesses to foster collaboration and drive impactful solutions.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.