Public Funding for Berryworld Limited

AUTOPIC is a multi disciplinary project aimed at mechanising the harvesting of soft fruit through the use of autonomous vehicles and robotics. Partners include Harper Adams University, the Shadow Robot Company, Interface Devices Limited, BerryWorld and the National Physical Laboratory. The project is timely since the source of migrant seasonal fruit pickers is no longer supported by the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme and in general migration is being discouraged by government policy. This has had the net effect of creating a crisis of there not being sufficient workers to pick the soft fruit we take for granted in our supermarkets and potential increased reliance on imports. Further, labour issues are not confined to the UK so that if the project is successful there will be a significant export market for the project output. There are likely to be many benefits from the use of the AUTOPIC autonomous vehicle and its robotics and we believe that the new technology will be transformative for a new UK industry.

Control of soilborne pathogens such as Verticillium wilt has become a major problem in UK horticulture since withdrawal of the broad-spectrum chemical fumigant methyl bromide. A previous project involving the RTO's investigated biofumigant green crops as replacements for methyl bromide. Cultivation and incorporation of biofumigant crops proved difficult, but a brassica seed meal soil amendment and lavender byproducts were highly effective against Verticillium wilt in strawberry. Various isothiocyanates in the former and monoterpenoid compounds in the latter were identified as the active chemicals. This project will exploit this knowledge to develop novel biofumigant products for control of soilborne diseases, particularly Verticillium wilt in strawberry, but with potential application to a much wider range of crops including raspberry, potato and cotton. Firstly, microencapsulation technology will be adapted to develop a slow-release formulation of the biocidal terpenoid compounds in lavender and delivery systems appropriate for use by growers. Secondly, the possibility of producing a novel, pelletised formulation of lavender waste will be investigated as an alternative for organic growers. These and the brassica seed meal product will be evaluated in the laboratory and in several field sites for their efficacy against Verticillium wilt in strawberry, alone and in combination. Their effects on other soil-borne pathogens and non-target organisms will also be determined. The project will provide optimised strategies for using these new products in practice under different levels of pathogen inoculum and various soil moisture conditions.