Crop Health and Protection Limited Public Funding

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Over the next 25 years, agricultural productivity in the UK must increase by almost as much as it has over the previous 50 if it is to keep pace with the world's increasing demand for food. But it has plateaued. Meanwhile climate change demands reductions in agricultural GHG emissions, threatens food security, its nutritional quality and the distribution of pests and diseases that affect crops. It's unlikely plant breeding can meet the pace of change needed without delivering considerable technical advances to the marketplace. Those advances may exist within the glasshouses and laboratories of the UK's research organisations. The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 has allowed for them to be explored further. England is currently the only country in Europe where this novel material can be grown in farmers' fields. The technology promises to bring a step change in genetics. Wheat with health benefits, with bigger, bolder grain and energy-dense fodder delivering reductions in methane emissions are three examples. Pest and disease resistance, drought tolerance and high-iron flour are close behind. PROBITY is a three-year farmer-led project that multiplies up seeds with these novel properties to batch scale in just three years. It puts the seeds into farmers hands, guided by the scientists who developed them, to cultivate them and build the understanding of the crops that result, teasing out the true benefits for the whole supply chain. It processes the produce into iconic British brands that can be evaluated and so that consumers can judge for themselves what they deliver. PROBITY brings clarity where currently there is uncertainty. It engenders a trusted, transparent space to gather knowledge and understanding, to accelerate scientific progression and genetic advances while minimising the risk of unintended consequences. It gives the supply chain the confidence it needs to encourage their adoption. At the end of the project there will be three market-ready broadacre crops, precision-bred with proven gains for both farmers and society. There will be a farmer-led platform available as a service to help accelerate adoption of new genetic technologies in a safe and trusted environment, with a pipeline of promising traits. The cropping system that evolves and understanding that accrues bring clear commercial benefits in terms of market certainty. Moreover, applying PROBITY to novel crops will ensure a resilient farming system in which knowledge and technological progress advance together.

Mercury Environmental Systems Ltd. have developed an innovative and pioneering crop yield and carbon forecasting system in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. In trials conducted with wheat and barley growers in the UK, the system has enabled yield predictions 4-5 months prior to harvest within 10% of output yields, providing a data driven approach to improve crop management (e.g. nutrition) at the field and sub-field level (20m). Additionally, the system measures the full ecological exchange of carbon in the crop system. Building on this success, Mercury aims to expand their technology to enable a whole farm approach or 'Full Farm Assessment' of productivity, nutrient management and carbon measurement. This project will form the foundation for this, enabling further R&D to setup additional 'Crop Modules' within their platform for; Oilseed rape (OSR), Maize, spring sown cereals (e.g. Oats, Barley) and Sugar Beet/Root crops, facilitating a more joined up approach to productivity, nutrient and carbon management, both within season and across crop rotations. Each module will be tailored to the grower and end user/supply chain needs for each crop. For cereal crops (e.g. OSR, Wheat, Oats, Barley) this will focus on productivity and nutrient management, with the inclusion of a new 'Quality prediction' for bread making or malting, alongside the existing yield prediction. For Maize and Sugar Beet the key focus will be on measuring productivity to enable processors to forecast crop supply at harvest alongside carbon dynamics/measurement. The project will entail commercial development of new crop modules, technical development of satellite observation inputs, end-user engagement with a diverse set of farmers to validate and develop system outputs including ground-truthing and tramline trials, grower (end-users) workshops and subsequent platform development to deliver a commercial service.

'TomatoGuard' is a groundbreaking initiative to transform global crop production. This collaborative project combines the diverse expertise of Altered Carbon LTD (AC), UK Agri-Tech Centre (UK ATC), Fargro Ltd., and leading commercial tomato grower APS Group. The aim is to introduce a cutting-edge monitoring system that uses the power of AI to facilitate the early detection of crop stress. The technology at the heart of TomatoGuard consists of AC's pioneering AI-Assisted Digital Nose sensor system, which identifies potential agricultural issues around the plant. The Digital Nose, utilising AC's K9sense chip (a graphene-based sensor array), is designed to detect specific gaseous elements and vapours. It serves as an early warning system to identify biotic and abiotic crop stresses. Tomato growers suffer from a diverse range of agronomic challenges. To have maximum impact, the project will focus on stress induced by red spider mites and excessive nitrogen application, as well as general anomaly detection caused by various challenges that arise within a commercial tomato glasshouse setting. TomatoGuard uses a machine learning model, which promises to significantly innovate UK agriculture. Initially, 'TomatoGuard' will focus on tomato cultivation due to the crop's economic significance. However, the technology is designed to be versatile and scalable, with potential applications in other protected crops. 'TomatoGuard' bridges the gap between agronomic expertise, commercial expertise and state-of-the-art sensor technology. The consortium envisions this project as a tool to empower growers, facilitating a shift towards a more sustainable, efficient system for crop production."

**CHALLENGE**: c.85% of South Africa(SA)'s electricity is generated via burning coal, with SA being one of the largest global greenhouse-gas emitters. State-owned Eskom supplies 95% SA's electricity, but power stations are regularly broken/undergoing maintenance, leading to 'loadshedding'. **BIO-ENERGY**(=renewable energy) has a short life cycle with potential to replace fossil fuels. As biomass grows, it absorbs carbon from atmosphere, released when incinerated. This makes biomass=**carbon neutral.** **MARKET OPPORTUNITY:**SA has substantial bio-energy potential. Sugarcane (bio-energy=ethanol) offers massive economic/environmental rewards. In SA, sugarcane is grown in KwaZulu-Natal due to tropical climate. However, yields are impacted by pests (e.g., Stalk Borer), and land-use is under heavy scrutiny due to competing food/housing resources. **NET ZERO TRANSITION:**Project responds to bio-energy demand, and just/inclusive net zero transition, by utilising consortium's unique capabilities/innovations to increase yields of bio-energy crops, subsequently aiding energy generation, whilst not compromising land-use for food/housing. **AIM**: * Increase yields of sugarcane by adapting/deploying innovative acoustic monitoring technologies to track pests for actionable outcomes. * Investigate urban land areas (=Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal) for expanding bio-energy production that would otherwise be inappropriate for housing/food through introducing innovative hydroponic technologies. * Deliver inclusive/accessible training on aforementioned technologies. **TARGET GROUP:** Project targets Camperdown (KwaZulu-Natal), an urban settlement approx.60km northwest of Durban; 20km southeast of Pietermaritzburg. Camperdown is rapidly expanding but has: * Severe urban poverty. * Rising youth unemployment. * Lacks employment opportunities for women. **WIDER BENEFITS/IMPACT:** Project will boost bio-energy productivity/yields/reduced costs, whilst delivering economic development/jobs/education/training/equity/quality of life/public-empowerment/social inclusion to Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal **PROJECT OUTPUTS:** * Deployment of monitoring technologies to track pests within bio-energy crops(=sugarcane) to increase yields. * Demonstrate hydroponic technologies in Camperdown (KwaZulu-Natal) for bio-energy(=sugarcane) production that would otherwise be inappropriate for housing/food. * Market data. * Focus groups/training/workshops/GESI Champions. * Reports on deployment/engagement/training/calibration/data/algorithms. * Impact assessment. * Exploitation plan. * Literature/materials/social media. **COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:** * Improved yields(10%) of bio-energy crops from enhanced pest monitoring using low-cost AI/solar driven acoustic sensing unit(named=PollyTM) with results displayed as web app for improved decision-making. * Growing bio-energy crops in low-cost SMART hydroponic system (named=GYO Systems) in urban areas that would otherwise be inappropriate for housing/food. GYO System allows for larger/taller/heavier crops while <50% harvest time/eliminating soil-borne diseases. **PARTNERS:** * **AgriSound (Lead) (UK SME)**, (UK agri-tech start-up specialising in IoT solutions for insect pests), * **Crop Health and Protection (CHAP)(UK RTO)**, (Centre for Agricultural Innovation-key component of UK government's Agri-Tech strategy), * **GYO Systems (SA SMME),** (SA agri-tech specialising in hydroponic systems development, manufacture and installation).

This proposal builds on the work of the Regulatory Horizon Council, summarised in their 2023 report _Unlocking the potential of robotics in Agriculture and Horticulture,_ and follows the Government's Food Strategy (2022), Defra's Automation in Horticulture Review (2022), and Defra's _Independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain_ (2023). All these papers endorse the role of agri-robotics in the sustainability and resilience of the agricultural and horticultural sectors, and identify regulatory barriers to adoption, and potential future policy enablers. This proposed network for agri-robotics regulatory science and innovation will raise the sector's profile with regulators, delivering evidence to build progressive regulation and policy which will support the widespread adoption of agri-robotics technologies. A wide range of regulation, policy and standards impact agri-robotics development and deployment, leading to a complex landscape and uncertain path to adoption. The network will reflect a diverse and inclusive representation of farmers, technology developers, researchers, regulators and policy makers, and key enablers such as the finance sector, insurers and investors. This will ensure needs, requirements, and perspectives are well-represented to build a shared way forward. We will also seek to learn from other sectors such as manufacturing, automotive and construction, where similar challenges exist or have been overcome. This initial Discovery phase of work will lay the foundation for this network, engaging and securing support from across the agri-robotics sector and its stakeholders, scoping its remit and working collaboratively to develop the Implementation proposal. The consortium for the initial phase comprises two agri-tech centres and a leading academic centre for agri-robotics science, R&D and training. This gives us a strong basis for establishing this network with our extensive collective links in the sector, technical and market knowledge, and independence.

In order to address the dual challenges posed by a growing global population and the imperative to minimize the environmental footprint of agriculture, there is a pressing need for a substantial overhaul of crop production systems on a worldwide scale. The introduction of soil improvers to augment soil quality and bolster crop yields has garnered considerable attention among farmers and growers. Soil improvers contribute to the enhancement of soil quality through improvements in its structural integrity, heightened nutrient levels, enhanced water retention, stimulation of microbial activity, pH regulation, erosion prevention, and compaction mitigation. They foster a healthier and more fertile soil environment, thereby facilitating superior plant growth and ecological equilibrium. Globally, the soil improver market is anticipated to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.0%, ultimately reaching a market valuation of USD 6 billion by 2027\. In 2022, the global market had already reached USD 3.6 billion, underscoring the escalating demand for sustainable agricultural solutions. According to Technavio.com's "Soil Conditioners Global Market Report 2023," the market is projected to grow from USD 5.6 billion in 2022 to USD 5.93 billion in 2023, reflecting a CAGR of 5.9%. Despite the disruptions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the soil improver market is expected to surge to USD 8.21 billion by 2027, driven by an 8.5% CAGR. Unsustainable agricultural practices have resulted in environmental harm, encompassing issues such as nitrogen pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and water scarcity (The Future of Food and Farming Report,2011). This has prompted a rising demand for hydrogel-based soil improvers within agriculture, primarily for their ability to enhance water management and reduce fertilizer usage, as noted in a report by Allied Market. The aim of this project is to revolutionize traditional agricultural practices by restoring soil fertility through the application of Gelponic soil improver. In collaboration with our project partners at Crop Health & Protection (CHAP), AEH Innovation Hydrogel Ltd. will develop and showcase the innovative GelPonic soil improver, which is founded on cutting-edge hydrogel technology. Our hydrogel-based technology has demonstrated distinct advantages, most notably increased crop yields when compared to alternative soil improvers. Its lightweight nature, biodegradability, and user-friendly attributes render it readily adaptable and appealing to the majority of farmers and growers seeking sustainable and high-performance solutions. This milestone underscores the profound impact of GelPonic's innovation on the agriculture industry, not only by providing a more sustainable alternative but also by significantly enhancing crop productivity.

This project centres on the optimisation and evaluation of LettUs Grow's Advanced Aeroponic technology to reduce cost and improve energy efficiency, unlocking significant existing commercial interest in LettUs Grow's Aeroponic Rolling Bench products.

The consortium Crop Intellect , Barworth Research , University of Lincoln, CHAP, Dyson Farming and The Allerton Project (all UK based organisations) are focused on designing and testing a prototype combination of R-Leaf and nitrogen fixing bacteria (endophytes) to reduce synthetic nitrogen usage in crop production. Crop Intellect is the lead organisation, proprietor of R-Leaf technology and IP owner. R-Leaf is a disruptive innovation that is sprayed onto crop canopies, where it captures atmospheric nitrogen pollution (NOx) and converts it into nitrate using sunlight. This removes NOx pollution from the atmosphere as well as reducing the use of synthetic N-fertiliser in agriculture. It further, breaks down N2O into benign components resulting in reducing the incidence of climate change. Endophytes form symbiotic relationships with plants, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into ammonia, which is then supplied to the plant in exchange for nutrients. Plot trials on wheat have confirmed that combined applications of R-Leaf and endophytes can improve yield by 5% compared to applying the technologies individually. R-Leaf can replace 50 kg/ha of nitrogen fertiliser, whilst endophytes have been estimated to replace up to 70 kg/ha. The project aims to produce an R-Leaf/endophyte prototype that can combine the nitrogen-fixing benefits of both, capable of replacing an estimated 50% of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser applied to wheat under standard farming practice. Experiments undertaken at the University of Lincoln will validate combinations of R-Leaf and endophytes for yield benefits and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ensuring practicality of the prototype. The final prototype will then be utilised at Dyson Farming and The Allerton Project to perform field trials on wheat with reduced nitrogen fertiliser. These will determine the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser that can be replaced through application of a combination of R-Leaf and endophytes to wheat crop, and the dual environmental benefits stemming from the reduced synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use and the breakdown of the greenhouse gas N2O. The proposed combination however brings challenges since bacteria cannot be readily mixed in the spraying tank. The consortium brings the skills to overcome this challenge and enable ease of use aiming to facilitate wide adoption by growers. Benefits to growers include reduced input costs and improved soil health from reduced synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use. It will contribute directly towards net zero emissions in agriculture impacting positively the entire agri-food supply chain from farm to retailers and end consumers.

Fusarium basal rot (FBR) is a disease caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae (FOC) that infects the roots and basal plate of onions leading to severe pre- and postharvest losses. Onions can become infected with FOC at any time during crop growth, but the biggest losses occur after harvest when asymptomatic bulbs extensively rot in store. Entire stores can be lost if disease levels rise above \>10-15% since it is unfeasible to rogue out infected bulbs. FOC is an increasing problem for UK onion growers due to climate warming, with warmer wetter summers favouring disease development. Critically, there are no effective control options and annual UK crop losses are increasing, leading to contraction of the industry in terms of both land plated and grower numbers. The industry desperately needs ways to assess FBR risk and manage the disease at different production stages, and as early as possible, to reduce losses. We have assembled a multidisciplinary team to implement novel detection and control approaches to FBR. The team's expertise spans remote sensing, onion agronomy, laboratory science and fundamental biology, enabling us to follow a holistic approach that covers the onion production from soil to store. This affords maximum flexibility and adaptability to provide a range of solutions including: \*A molecular diagnostic tool to measure Fusarium levels in soil and assess the risk of FBR pre-planting. \*Enhanced knowledge of agronomic factors affecting FBR expression and field-level management options to control FBR. \*A vision system to early detect FBR-infected onions in the field and during harvest. \*Smell-based sensor technologies to detect FBR-infected onions in early stages of storage. We intend to provide UK onion growers with a suite of FBR monitoring and mitigation options with the potential to reduce the prevalence of FBR by 50%. The anticipated impact of our project will be reducing the \>£10M annual losses due to FBR, and hence substantially improve the long-term productivity and resilience of the sector. This will give growers confidence to expand planted area and, in turn, allow the UK to reduce reliance on some of the ~300,000 tonnes of bulb onions that are currently imported annually. Reducing waste from FBR-infected onions will also improve sustainability of the industry by ensuring that financially valuable and carbon-intensive inputs for onion production are not lost.

Healthy soils play an important role in food production, climate change mitigation, and maintaining biodiversity. However, what goes unrecognised is the role of the roots that weave their way through them, drawing nutrients, transferring carbon, providing life to the complex microbiome that lies unseen beneath our feet. Despite their importance, there are few tools available to farmers to reliably monitor, quantify, and improve either soil health or root development and it is challenging to understand how interventions may affect crop yield and quality. In addition, there are many desirable traits that rely on the interactions between crop and soil, such as drought tolerance, performance in marginal situations, soil pathogen tolerance, and soil carbon sequestration. A better understanding of the interactions would enable breeders to identify the genes responsible to incorporate into breeding lines and identification of bioproducts that consistently enhance performance. This project brings together the consortium's unique expertise in soil and root health, in sensor technology, wheat genetics, and farmer engagement to: * Develop a soil health sensor which provides in-field measurement of microbial diversity and fungal:bacterial ratio. * Deliver a platform comprising on-farm soil/root health testing tools and knowledge exchange community farmers can use to inform sustainable soil management (SSM) practices and test productivity improvements of novel genetics and bioproducts. The project outcomes will deliver farmers the tools they need to assess their crop roots and quantify the impact of their farming system on soil health. Support and inspiration will be delivered through a farmer-led community in which knowledge has true value. And a brand-new platform will empower farmers to quantify the effect on productivity of new genetics and bioproducts. Ultimately this will achieve the twin aims of boosting productivity while improving soil health. It will open a window on new opportunities to drive towards Net-Zero, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, and build the environmental benefits that accrue. This farmer-led platform will result in resilient farming systems, able to withstand the knocks as the effects of climate change take hold, with growers confident in continually improving levels of productivity, and trusted to maintain a global food supply.

Modern farming relies heavily on synthetic pesticides to secure crop yields. Synthetic fungicides come with environmental and health risks and are failing due to development of resistance. Treatment typically requires 1-5 applications per season, repeating at 10-14 day intervals during high risk periods. Potato late blight is the UK's most demanding plant pathogen requiring up to 20 treatments, resulting in 1.2 kilotonnes of product being sprayed on UK fields every year. Late blight is caused by _Phytophthora infestans_: an oomycete pathogen that thrives in wet conditions and is rapidly developing resistance against existing fungicide solutions. Today, all fungicides against the disease are either single-site active ingredients at risk of resistance build-up or multi-site agents at risk of regulator removal. New effective, safer and greener active ingredients are therefore urgently needed to build the future blight protection pipeline. At Bactobio, we use breakthroughs in next-generation sequencing, engineering biology, and machine learning to culture previously unculturable microbes and screen them for new solutions. Our bioactivity-guided approach is unique and differentiated from major competitors, accelerating our search for new fungicides. Our work against the wheat pathogen _Zymoseptoria tritici_ has already yielded hits with positive _in planta_ data. In this project we aim to exploit our exclusive access to a rich bioresource of unexplored microbes to discover new bio-derived fungicides against potato blight and test these for _in planta_ efficacy. Together, we aim to secure future food security, reduce environmental impact of disease management, slow the spread of disease resistance and protect the economic viability of potato farming in the UK.

The Challenge: To meet global and local climate targets, industries must radically transform to more efficient and sustainable ways of working. **GyroPlant is addressing some of the inefficiencies in Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) and has developed an innovation to deal with growing waste in indoor farms.** TCEA is the practice of growing crops where traditional soil is replaced with alternative substrates. This has advantages, such as growing food in less space, reliable year-round production, no use of chemicals or pesticides, water savings of up to 90% and food production much closer to the consumer. However currently, non-reusable growing substrates, such as pots or matting, are used to grow plants. These substrates are made of materials such as rockwool, a 'candy-floss' like sponge made from rock, and plastic pots, similar to those seen in garden centres. They are non-reusable and non-recyclable, which means once the plants are harvested these substrates are thrown away - making these growing practices less environmentally friendly. Some large farms can have millions of plants, which means millions of single-use substrate cubes thrown away - often weekly. Our response: The energy, transportation emissions, labour and disposal processes that go into substrates are far from sustainable. Some organic alternatives such as bark and coconut husk are available, however they are expensive, unreliable and allow contaminants to grow. At GyroPlant, we saw this as a rather large issue, similar to the issue of disposable coffee cups which has recently undergone public scrutiny. **GyroPlant has designed a patented novel reusable rubber cup, _GyroCup_, which replaces substrates and addresses the issue of growing substrate waste in agriculture.** Our technology is a simple silicone rubber plug that you place seeds in with some water based gel, compatible with most vertical farming set-ups. GyroPlant has been researching and testing GyroCup over the past year with assistance from Innovate UK and KTN through the Innovate UK Young Innovator, Continuation Fund and Design Foundations awards. The project: In this project, we are testing the potential of water-based growing substates, such as gels, in combination with GyroCup. These gels are only used in the germination stage and are a substantially cheaper and more sustainable alternative to the most commonly used substrates in the TCEA market. As a result of this project, **we aim to bring this new sustainable approach using gel-based media and GyroCup to the market, making the TCEA sector more self-sufficient and sustainable.**

This project addresses UK food security challenges amidst a climate crisis by offering a game-changing solution to **transform inefficient TCEA** (total controlled environment agriculture) operations into sustainable, **energy-efficient crop growing systems**. By collaborating to integrate innovative technologies, the project will characterise and demonstrate novel, responsive TCEA growing methods to optimise the efficiencies of environmental control including lighting, irrigation and nutrient supply to reduce the largest contributors responsible for high carbon footprint. The solution will also automate manual operations and improve the safety/consistency/quality/shelf-life of produce for retailers/consumers, by dynamically altering the growth environment. This innovative project will, for the first time, use the **measurement of crop physiological status**, measured using an **integrated spectral imaging system**, to **inform the illumination intensity/composition**, as well as the energy management (including renewables integration); ultimately using plant health to develop **greener production recipes** using advanced **responsive control** methodologies. The project's impact will be measured by changes to **crop yield versus operational impact** benchmarked over cost/benefit and compared to the existing state of the art. The key crop identified is the high-protein leaf crop Spinach, not only as a test crop to validate this integrated TCEA technology, but as an alternative protein crop to unlock new markets. The project is delivered by a highly competent consortium led by LettusGrow and including another two technology companies: Fotenix and Vertically Urban, an RTO: CHAP, an academic partner: Rothamsted Research and a vertical farm grower: Perfectly Fresh.

Along with water and sunlight, nitrogen is essential to the growth of plants and life on the planet Earth. Until the early 20th century, farmers were relying on manure as a scarce commodity to enrich their crops. The Haber-Bosch process enabled the production of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Agricultural productivity skyrocketed and food became more available and affordable. However, production, distribution and application of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers now account for 4.4% in total global CO2 equivalent emissions (2.6Gt CO2eq for 2021). Production heavily relies on fossil fuels leading to greenhouse gas emissions and it is centralized, while the consumption is dispersed globally. In fact, there are only about 200 fertiliser manufacturing facilities in the world. The fertilisers made in these facilities are distributed to five billion acres of agricultural land, so the need for transportation further increases emissions. We must fundamentally change the way we have been fertilizing soil (for more than a hundred years). Debye proposes to replace this centralized carbon-intensive process with a decentralized electricity-based one. In this process, farmers would not rely on resource and capital-intensive fertiliser factories and the associated high-cost distribution networks, instead produce their own fertiliser on site by the use of air, water and electricity. It has the advantage of integration with renewable energy making the production completely sustainable. This project aims to show the feasibility of a plasma-based mobile fertiliser machine that produces synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in a completely sustainable and affordable way using only air, water and electricity.

The INSPeCT project focuses on improving the nutritional quality of carrots and parsnips by developing new and innovative post-harvest storage practices, removing or minimising the need for in-field storage. Presently, the future sustainability of the sector is at risk from high crop wastage and production costs, coupled with a need to ensure carrots and parsnips remain affordable for consumers. Reducing the cost and quality losses associated with in-field storage would significantly contribute to this, whilst also leading to crop nutritional benefits. Our approach will encompass benchmarking of nutritional and aesthetic quality characteristics and how agronomy and processing methods impact on these. Utilising this information, we will optimise these steps to minimise degradation throughout production and processing. Alongside optimising current processes we will also explore new and novel technologies to improve post-harvest storage.

Strawberries are one of the most commercially important fruit crops in the UK and are good sources of nutrients including vitamin C. Insect pollination is vital to the production of commercial strawberries and is required to ensure a successful and marketable crop. Over or underpollination can lead to low quality and misshapen fruit that is not suitable for sale. Effective pollination can also increase the shelf-life of berries and is likely to influence their nutritional content. This project will further develop acoustic sensors to monitor pollinator activity in strawberry farms. These sensors will identify areas of over/underpollination, which will inform interventions to influence pollinator activity. Growers currently have few options for how to alter pollinator behaviour, therefore as part of this project an attractant/repellent for commercial bumblebee colonies will be developed to influence the foraging of bumblebees over the short-term, especially in young bumblebees. Trials will be done at NIAB to provide data for calibration of sensors with pollinator activity and fruit quality. It will also investigate whether lures affect pollinator activity on a larger scale than initial laboratory trials. Berries will be harvested from these experiments and the fruit quality, nutritional profile and shelf life will be measured to understand the impact of pollinator recruitment to open flowers on these characteristics. This project would have significant benefits for growers, retailers and consumers by: * Improving the nutritional content of strawberries (vitamin C/phenolics/antioxidants) * Increasing marketable yield of strawberries by reducing misshapes associated with under/overpollination * Improving shelf-life of strawberries, reducing in-shop/at-home wastage * Delivering technologies that can be used to improve yield/shelf-life/nutritional-content of other crops reliant on pollination.

The proposed industrial focused research project utilises the consortium's unique expertise and capabilities to develop **cost-effective digital autonomous slug monitoring, forecasting and precision treatment tools,** thus delivering on-farm game-changing solutions to benefit farmers across England. Slugs are major economic pests causing £43.5M crop damage/annum for wheat and oilseed rape in the UK. Traditionally, chemical slug management relied on metaldehyde/methiocarb, however, these actives were banned in the UK due to their impact on the environment. To date, ferric phosphate is the only remaining active chemical molluscicide, but certain pellet ingredients have been noted as impacting earthworms and, when consumed in large quantities, can poison pets. Bio-molluscicides are also available but are uneconomical for use in arable and oilseed systems. Without chemical molluscicides, AHDB estimates total average annual cost to UK crop production \>£100M. Therefore, enhanced stewardship and monitoring is essential. Current monitoring protocols use in-field refuge traps (e.g. plant saucer with bait). Farmers must examine traps regularly, conduct slug counts and compare to AHDB thresholds limits. However, many farmers are not carrying out this laboursome key practice, resulting in unnecessary chemical molluscicide applications. Therefore, precision services are needed to reliably reduce slug pellet usage and implement alternative, biological control in an economically viable way. The outputs of the project have the potential to have a significant impact on the UK economy by helping farms achieve increased yields, productivity, sustainability, net zero targets, environmental benefits and resilience, through enhanced digital autonomous slug monitoring, forecasting and control.

**Lupin is currently an under-utilised crop in the UK with a huge potential of transforming the UK protein market for both food and feed.** We are investigating the opportunity that lupin has to become a **sustainably produced farm-based protein crop in the UK**, to replace and overcome the need for importing soya for livestock feed due to lupins provide high quality/quantity of protein, equivalent to soya and outstripping peas/beans. This project would **transform the traditional farm-based lupin protein production by 2 parallel strategies for decarbonisation and improved sustainability** via regenerative agriculture and improved lupin traits, each with underpinning metrics and measurements. **Lupin production in the UK** is currently low due to the lack of food/feed market and **needs** evidence-based and informed **encouragement**. The project aims to achieve this via the knowledge-exchange/stakeholder-relations/dissemination activities. This should stimulate the market and give growers confidence in taking on lupin as a viable crop in their rotations and/or on-farm feed production. This should be enhanced by **the involvement of farmers in the field trials** enabling peer to peer learning. The project is delivered by a highly competent consortium, led by CHAP, partnered with SoyaUK and Phytoform Labs.

Wheat is one of the most commercially important crops in the UK, but yield is greatly constrained by fungal diseases and insect pests. The cereal aphids _Rhopalosiphum_ _padi_ and _Sitobion avenae_ are major pests of wheat and cause yield losses through direct feeding on crops and transmission of viruses including BYDV and CYDV. This can cause large economic losses, e.g. BYDV would cost the UK wheat industry £136M per year if left untreated. Current control methods rely on synthetic chemical pesticides, but with regulatory constraints and increasing levels of resistance, new solutions are urgently needed. This project aims to identify fungal strains that have activity against both insect and fungal pests. It will build on existing work being done by FA-Bio to develop novel biofungicides, by developing a dual-action biofungicide and bioinsecticide to target pests and diseases in UK cereals. A dual-action product would have significant benefits for farmers including reducing the costs associated with multiple applications of chemical pesticides, reducing mechanical damage from repeated spray applications and reducing crop yield losses. This project will carry out laboratory trials to identify fungal strains that cause mortality in _R. padi_ and _S. avenae_ which also have biofungicidal activity. The ability to scale-up production of these fungi will also be tested as will their shelf life properties, to ensure they are compatible with current industry production standards. The most promising fungal isolates from lab-based trials will be used in glasshouse trials to test their efficacy against aphids on wheat in a controlled environment. Following this, fungal isolates will be tested in field trials for their ability to protect wheat from insect pests (_R .padi_ and _S. avenae_) and fungal diseases (such as take-all and Fusarium head blight). Following these experiments, the best performing isolates will be selected for commercialisation.

Our project proposes the design of a novel greenhouse structure which maximises the incidence of natural light on the crop. The climate within the structure is managed by HVAC principles to deliver a climate around the crop which is very close to an outdoor climate in air temperature and humidity. The climate management process allows a very precise degree of control. The system is designed with sustainability and the need to minimise carbon emissions as core principles. Energy management systems are designed to be compatible with renewable sources. The system proposed therefore creates the opportunity to cultivate a number of crops under protection -- with the associated benefits for hygiene, productivity and resource efficiency -- which might otherwise preferentially be cultivated outdoors. The system is applicable to a wide range of crops, including leafy salads such as lettuce, herbs, alliums, root crops such as radish or beetroot, pharmaceutical crops, and crops in propagation.

Current consumption of meat is unsustainable for the planet and public health. Alternative protein sources are essential and **demand for plant-based protein is increasing**. Plant proteins used in UK food are mainly from imported soy and pea. The market is shifting away from soy due to deforestation and allergy concerns, and UK pea protein production remains low (4% arable land) due to perceptions of high-risk, low-yield and unprofitability. **CEA offers an alternative production space** and the advantage of enabling **new crops** to be grown in the UK that are incompatible with our climate, allowing a better diversification of our food-protein-sources. CEA systems are not yet commercially used in the production of plant-derived proteins, yet offer huge potential to **localise protein production** to food manufacturing sites, **reduce reliance on imports** and enable low water-use/agrochemical-free production. The economics of plant protein production and the uptake in the UK are significantly better than insect protein (nearest competitor) due to no feed-to-food conversion loss. A number of leafy crops including spinach, sunflower shoots and amaranth leaf **contain \>20% protein**. Amaranth has high lysine content (high-value amino acid to the vegan protein market), as well as health-promoting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. CEA offers economically viable production with short time to harvest, reduced resource use and reduced land footprint. Our project will access leaf-derived protein for the burgeoning alternative protein market. We will test new sources of leaf protein, as well as further develop varieties, production and downstream processing methods for amaranth to open up vertical farming to the alternative protein sector and enable localizing of protein production to sites of food manufacture. This work will help meet UK challenges of i) **Net Zero Carbon** by 2050 (landuse change - plant protein production requires far less land/kg than meat protein; CEA has high yield/m2 and doesn't require agricultural-quality land), ii) **tackling growing obesity** with associated NHS costs (consumption of plant protein is linked to improved health), and iii) **Green Recovery** (CEA enables reduced food-miles, low waste/environmental pollution).

Pests, diseases and extreme weather events are major constraints on the production of peas and beans in the UK. Current pest and disease control methods often rely on synthetic chemical pesticides which have negative impacts on the environment and human health. This project would **transform traditional farm protein production** by providing **sustainable/climate-resistant alternatives** for UK-grown legume farmers **by identifying new products** to stimulate plant growth and/or increase tolerance to abiotic stress (biostimulants) and help manage pests and diseases (biopesticides). These products will include natural products and living microorganisms which would reduce the dependency on synthetic inputs and increase resilience. This pre-farm gate project will have a huge impact on downstream industries such as food and feed manufacturers by intervening in an **early stage of the supply chain** to improve yield/health and quality of plant raw materials such as legumes (peas and Faba beans) that are playing a significant role in the shaping of a **healthier and more sustainable food system.** The project is delivered by a **highly competent consortium** led by CHAP and including CABI, University of Warwick, Agrii, Fargro and Russell Bio.

Due to the high irrigation and related energy load requirements of farmers growing horticulture crops, ability to analyse historical and future irrigation/energy demand is crucial to assess feasibility/develop mini-grids and monitor energy-demand fluctuations during implementation. This project will upscale SWIFT (Soil Water Index Forecasting Technology) to provide historical and future irrigation demand at 10m HR and 2meter depth via AI powered system and EO aided crop detection method to project energy demand, assess the applicable energy sources mix (hydro/solar/wind) and provided detailed mini-grid design. By producing a technology that will de-risk mini-grid developments via the reliable, affordable and efficient information it supplies, SWIFT will incentivise investors to enter the rural electrification energy market in sub-Sharan countries.

The intensity and frequency of potato cultivation operations are damaging to soil health and do not fit with the current drive towards Regenerative Agriculture and Net Zero. Deep, destoned seedbeds are judged as a necessity within the industry to avoid tuber damage. Whilst reduced tillage technologies are enabling regenerative agriculture in cereal systems, this technology has not been developed for root crop production, such as potatoes. It will be even more important in the future to rotate root crops across more farms to relieve pest/disease pressures, particularly in the absence of nematicides. Yet landlords/growers are increasingly averse to including them given the overall policy direction of regenerative agriculture across the rotation. Therefore, it is essential for supply chain stability and exports (\>£89M/yr) that innovation is progressed rapidly to de-risk future potato production. With potato production employing 8x more labour than cereals, it is also crucial to the rural economy. This project aims to quantify the effects on soil health and GHG emissions of current commercial best practice compared to novel, lower-intensity tillage machinery and sustainable cultivation techniques, in order to validate better production systems. The experienced consortium (comprising innovative SMEs, multi-national food companies and relevant academic expertise) wants to make one-pass, shallow-depth, regenerative potato cultivation possible and cost-effective. Once the environmental and business benefits have been proven by the project, this novel production system and cultivation machinery will transform the entire root vegetable sector and enable its effective transition towards a viable, Net Zero future. This will make the £824M potato sector resilient to rising costs and environmental change, ensuring its long-term success. The project will co-develop new cultivation equipment and systems with farmers and the wider supply chain, focusing on reducing the depth, intensity and number of operations required. A range of implements capable of integrating reduced intensity, zoned soil cultivation with planting in soils which do not require destoning will also be developed. The effects of cover crops on soil health will be quantified, however it is beyond the scope of the project to examine any confounding effects on pathology/pests. Significant KE will be conducted in the final year of the project to ensure that the innovative developments can be adopted with confidence by the industry, including developing physical and digital guides for growers to use on farm, demonstrating the technology direct to the wider sector, and developing new teaching materials for the next generation of growers.

Agriculture provides 61% of the raw materials for the wider UK agri-food industry which is worth ~£108bn of GVA to the national economy and provides \>3.7 million jobs. The agri-food sector generates ~£18bn of gross export earnings for the UK per year (NFU,2017). Agriculture accounts for 10% of total GHG emissions in the UK (CCC,2020). Globally, agriculture, forestry and land use accounts for 18% of GHG emissions. Organisations such as the NFU have set a goal for net-zero GHG emissions from agriculture in England and Wales by 2040 to support the UK's ambition of achieving net-zero by 2050 (NFU,2020). Farm Carbon Toolkit, Agrimetrics, Velcourt and Crop Health and Protection Limited (CHAP) fuse together expert agronomists and data scientists with global-leaders in farm GHG emissions to create Farm Carbon Connect. This Industrial Research project will exploit new ways to innovate and deliver an advanced carbon calculator for modelling the whole-farm carbon footprint as well as improving access to and interoperability of data between digital tools used by the agri-sector. The consortium's approach to developing meaningful, accurate and engaging farm carbon data, supports FCT's long-term goal of empowering and inspiring farmers and the wider food system to meet its net-zero goals, while building resilient, equitable businesses. This project is anticipated to deliver transformative effects for FCT by opening new markets, generating revenues and team growth through partnerships with farmers, agronomists, and businesses by providing innovative solutions that will benefit the UK economy.

Agricultural robots require effectively trained AI systems to carry out functions effectively. The agricultural sector is one of the most difficult in which to train AI systems to interpret agricultural scenes due to multiple layers of complexity: * **Plant/weed species:** huge species variances and multiple species both difficult to distinguish at early growth stages * **Occlusion:** In complex crop scenes many crop and weed plants overlap in a complex manner * **Physical changes:** Effects of pests/diseases, leaf/crop deformities and soil changes * **Different presentations:** Camera angles, scene lighting and backgrounds create variabilities and translucency effects * **Annotation:** Annotation of images at pixel level is almost impossible for humans to do accurately and at volume One of the most difficult and economically damaging problems for UK farmers is blackgrass, which threatens the viability of wheat crops. Blackgrass is difficult for an agricultural robot to detect/distinguish at the early stage which is required for effective elimination treatments as this requires a significant, varied, dataset which could take years to obtain. Such a robust AI solution does not exist today. During this project, we will develop an advanced synthetic image modelling engine capable of automatically producing high volumes of variable complex crop scene datasets at <10% of real-world costs. These can be used to effectively train AI solutions within days rather than months/years. This will enable agricultural robots to robustly detect blackgrass. Blackgrass is the first use case and further development within the project will enable other species to be classified in a wide range of conditions.

End-of-life apple orchards are currently managed using the environmentally unsustainable practice of grubbing and burning. In this project we will investigate the use of pyrolysis as an alternative more sustainable approach. Pyrolysis converts biomass to biochar in a clean, heat-generating process. This stabilises the carbon effectively removes CO2, avoiding the emissions associated with burning. The resulting biochar will be investigated as a soil improver for increased orchard yields and productivity. The potential of carbon credits as a new revenue stream opportunity for growers, and for carbon auditing within supply chains (off-setting and in-setting) will further improve the economic resilience of the apple growing sector. This will support the transition of the commercial apple growing sector towards Net Zero

Potato late blight is one of the most damaging diseases facing England's crops. Untreated, it can devastate crops within 2 weeks of infection. Each year the disease is estimated to cause £3.5Bn in direct losses and control costs, including £800Mn in EU and UK alone. Managing blight requires the most fungicide applications of any crop in the UK, with growers using an average of 10 or up to 20 treatments to ensure yield (vs 1-3 fungicide treatments used on other major crops). Such extensive use of synthetic chemicals is resulting in resistance build-up and widespread environmental damage. With all of today's solutions either at-risk of resistance build-up or regulator removal, new solutions are needed now to prevent the spread of resistant varieties, maintain future crop security and meet demands for improving agricultural efficiencies. Using a combination of cutting-edge synthetic biology, directed evolution, machine learning and bioinformatics approaches, we aim to analyse soil microbiomes from 10 UK potato farms and identify 5 novel bacterially-derived fungicides against _P. infestans._ Discovery of new fungicides against this major global pathogen will provide a compelling case for further investment from key global agricultural players. Overall, our aim is to provide growers with more effective, more sustainable options for crop protection against late blight and to safeguard England's potato industry into the future. This ambition aligns with UK Plant Science Research Strategy to develop better, greener soil management practices and will support farmers in achieving the UK's ambitions to boost productivity and reduce the environmental impact of farming for sustainable potato production.

Our collaborative project will develop a method for producing Sphagnum moss at scale for commercial processing into sustainable growing media, with a particular focus on producing quality sterile growing media for vegetable seedlings, hydroponics and vertical farming. Our growing media will enable the horticultural sector to achieve the Defra target of eliminating peat-based composts by 2030, and could also replace rockwool. We believe this is a disruptive, and ambitious idea leading to a new products and service. Micropropagation Services are the only supplier of sustainable micropropagated Sphagnum, which is significantly ahead of others in the field. With the collaboration of industry partners Melcourt Industries and FreshGro, with RTO Centre for Crop Health and Protection, we are well placed to engage with end users throughout this project to ensure rapid commercialisation.

The aim of this project is to improve on the current knowledge of "DeCyst" solanaceous trap crops, and how they are best utilized for PCN control by potato growers in England and the other potato growing regions of the UK. The project partners include Produce Solutions, CHAP, Harper Adams University, VCS (Potatoes) and five potato growers who are already growing trap crops as part of their integrated approach to PCN control. Current barriers to expansion of DeCyst trap cropping as a viable economic tool for PCN control include the increasing seed and establishment costs, coupled with challenging management required for crop establishment and grower knowledge of trap crops in the UK. In addition to improving establishment techniques, the project aims to look at the use of new species of DeCyst trap crops and the opportunity to grow them in between existing crops in the rotation without the need for substitution - thus unlocking the potential for use of trap crops as autumn and winter cover crops We aim to optimise crop establishment through understanding: * Seed rate * Sowing date (DeCyst-Podium) * Nutrition (Phosphate and Potassium) * Establishment method We will also develop cropping standards and generate comparison data for growers through examining: * Suitability of species/products for different farming systems * Intercrop drilling and date * Drilling (soil consolidation and nutrition) and weed control methods Together this will inform a new grower guide to DeCyst trap crops and how they fit best in an integrated approach to PCN control. This will provide evidence of best practice to achieve optimal levels of establishment and efficacy, alongside comparison to other non-chemical alternatives. This will enable growers to be confident in adopting trap crops as part of an integrated approach to PCN management and ensure UK potato production remains viable should it be in the unfortunate situation of losing any more valuable PCN control methods.

This project sets out to solve grower challenges of competing on cost with imported fresh produce and achieving net zero by demonstrating the feasibility of LettUs Grow's patent-pending Advanced Aeroponic system in large scale commercial greenhouses. LettUs Grow has demonstrated that their patent-pending, Advanced Aeroponic technology can increase growth rate and annual yields of fresh produce by between 20 and 200% compared to the incumbent Hydroponic technology used today. In a vertical farm this can increase the lifetime Return on Investment by up to 3x. Advanced Aeroponics is uniquely compatible with large scale greenhouse systems in a way the current state-of-the-art is not, unlocking global adoption of a fundamentally more efficient growing technique. The project will include the design and prototype manufacture of an Advanced Aeroponic rolling bench system. This system will be used for two trials set out to demonstrate productivity increase, flexibility of growing and the improved resource efficiency of Advanced Aeroponics (energy, labour, water, nutrients etc.). The trials will be as follows: * **Systems integration and performance trials:** Operated by CHAP at Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC) to demonstrate comparative performance by an independent 3rd party to LettUs Grow. (TRL 6) * **Commercial growth trials:** Operated by an independent grower to provide 'real-world' feedback on system performance, benefits and the ability to solve key grower challenges. The outcomes of development and trials will be published and presented across digital media channels, academic publications and industry specific conferences. The consortium will also host site visits for key external stakeholders.If you would like to learn more about the Advanced Aeroponic technology in this project then please get in contact through [**www.LettUsGrow.com**][0] [0]: http://www.lettusgrow.com

The RIPEHouse project aims to revolutionise Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) through the development of an innovative 'Natural Light Growing' solution which harnesses the full spectrum of natural daylight and optimises light-mediated processes in plants using biostimulants to produce high quality crops with enhanced nutritional and flavour characteristics. The project will create a step-change in the sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of domestic fruit and vegetable growing compared to conventional glasshouse production. By improving the resilience of the plants and optimising the natural light environment, the project will also extend the production season and remove the need for pesticides in production.

_Z. tritici_ is the most damaging wheat pathogen, responsible for yield losses of up to 50% annually. Farmers use up to 3 fungicide applications to manage this disease, but widespread use of chemical fungicides is causing pathogen resistance. We urgently need novel fungicides. This project will exploit Baccuico's library of natural compound-producing bacteria to target field samples of _Z. tritici_ provided by CHAP. We're developing a rapid and high-throughput screen to find 5 -- 10 active natural compounds before confirming their activity in plants in CHAPs industrial and environmentally controlled greenhouses as a safer, greener alternative to chemical fungicides.

Since their widespread commercialisation in the 1930's, the use of pesticides has driven increased yields in agriculture that have allowed us to feed an ever-growing human population. However, with raised awareness of the potentially negative environmental impacts of these products, future food production systems will need to continue to sustain our dietary needs whilst using fewer chemical inputs. This cannot currently be achieved by ceasing pesticide use however, as without the protection they offer global yields would be reduced 30-40% at a time when we must produce more food than ever before. Nevertheless, by utilising modern developments in 'agri-technology' it should be possible to reduce the amount of pesticide that we need to apply to protect our crops by applying it in a more targeted and well-timed manner. Many pesticides, and especially fungicides (that target crop diseases) are currently applied to crops using 'calendar-based' approaches as blanket applications. This means that whole fields are subject to fungicide treatment, regardless of whether crop diseases themselves are present, or only pose a risk in parts of the crop. More targeted 'variable rate' applications are currently used for other crop inputs such as fertilisers, allowing production to be maintained (or increased) using a fraction of the chemical input. However, it is not currently possible to emulate this 'variable rate' approach for fungicide use, as detecting and mapping crop disease is technologically more challenging than detecting and mapping crop nutrient stress. Accurately applying fungicides at different rates to small areas of a crop field is also a barrier, requiring 'smart' application technology. By combining recent advances in disease sensing technology, disease imaging capability, spray application science and autonomous robotics-based farm machinery development, it is now possible to envisage an end-to-end system capable of meeting the challenge and driving forward 'precision fungicide' application. The current project aims to develop and integrate available cutting-edge science and technology solutions in these areas to both realise this vision for current conventional crop chemistry, and review its future potential to deliver emerging crop protection products such as biopesticides.

This project demonstrates the recovery of nutrients from water, decreasing agriculture's dependence on the Haber process for nitrogen fertilisers and the Mannheim process for sulphate fertilisers, helping agriculture move towards net zero. This has the potential to revolutionise nitrate removal, which is carried out where nitrate levels are above safe levels. Nitrate pollution of ground water occurs in regions of intensive agriculture and treatment uses large quantities of salt, producing a brine nitrate waste stream which often has to be tankered to a large waste water treatment works. The salt regenerates the ion exchange resin used to remove nitrate, but the process is typically ~10% efficient. This is an expensive process: in the UK, the structure of the water industry enables the capital and operational costs of plants to be spread over a large customer base, but, in other parts of the world, the water industry is fragmented, prohibiting the wider use of nitrate removal. For example, in the Central Valley in California, over 200 small community water systems have consistently exceeded the maximum nitrate level for over a decade, without a single treatment system being installed. Most nitrate treatment sites have adjacent farmland - and the farmer applies potash fertiliser, potassium chloride, out of season so the chloride is washed away before the crops are planted. This project will demonstrate regeneration of the ion exchange resin at close to 100% efficiency, producing low-chloride fertigation products containing potassium, sulphate, nitrate, calcium and magnesium, as well as natural fulvic acids (scavenged by the ion exchange system) which improve soil condition and are involved in the transportation of trace minerals in soils. These could be used by a nearby farm in smart (variable rate fertilisation) irrigation, and could become a new product for existing fertiliser manufacturers, enabling them to ship solid complementary additions and make up the liquid products on the farm. By encouraging the uptake of smart irrigation in the UK, crop yield gains of 10% would be regularly achieved, along with more efficient use of both fertilisers and water. Irrigation use is increasing in the UK to ensure increased resilience to climate change, particularly where irrigation water storage is used, facilitating winter abstraction and the potential to use such facilities for flood mitigation. The amount of nitrate already present in the Vadose layer is substantial (BGS estimate 600 - 1,800M te) and is seen as a 'timebomb' for water sources. This project turns this problem into a sustainable solution. The products produced have a greater value than the raw material inputs, which enables the potential for exponential growth. Globally, 90 M te of potash is used annually in agriculture. If 10% of this were used to recover nutrients from water, this would reduce chloride inputs to soil and fresh water systems by over 20 M te and reduce CO2 emissions by over 30 M te, with nearly 1,000 M te of CO2 captured in additional crop production.

Agriculture produces 9% of the UK's greenhouse gases (GHG) and over 30% of GHG globally. With growing population and stark logistical limitations created by COVID-19 the nation needs greater agricultural independence and to reduce the sectors energy needs and carbon emissions. Large-scale commercial greenhouses, especially those with precision technologies (CEA), allow greater productivity of fresh produces and have potential to increase the UK domestic production, but these systems have a high initial capital investment and operations costs, which can result in variable economic return-on-investment and low margins. The Envirup insulation technology addresses the need for sustainable recovery with a novel design for energy-efficient cost-effective greenhouses. An initial assessment of the innovation was conducted by the University of Wolverhampton's Built Environment Climate Change Innovations (BECCI) initiative using software-based model (WUFI Plus). They concluded that the Envirup insulation system rate of heat-transfer (Uw value) of 2.7 compares significantly better than 5 for glass and 4.8 for multi-wall polycarbonate greenhouses. This could increase the growing season by 11% and reduce energy costs by 10%. The reduced running costs will increase economic return-on-investment in new greenhouses and leverage development and uptake of new precision-technologies increasingly being evaluated for use in this sector, and increase the range of crops grown in greenhouses. The rigid structure of the panel, made from easily recyclable polymers, requires significantly less of the aluminium framing required by glass and polycarbonate sheeting, the product allows in more light and reduced construction costs and more secure walling to withstand challenging weather conditions. This innovation could unlock the growth of low carbon, low energy, highly efficient large-scale greenhouse-based UK agriculture, including Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems. In addition to helping the UK to increase domestic production of fresh vegetables and fruits and reducing the seasonality of the sector, this innovation seeks help reduce the environmental footprint of greenhouse-based agriculture around world to tackle the sectors contribution to global CO2 emissions. Increasing local production will also reduce the need to transport fresh produces across the planet, and reduce emissions from cold storage and transportation too, as well as answering retailers and consumers concerns with food provenance and 'low food-miles' products. This project brings together the innovator, industry specialist, system manufacturers and consumer perspective to carry out detailed feasibility study, define attractive business model, technical design set, carry out further software modelling and set the foundations for a UK and international commercialisation plan.

From time-to-time a technology comes along that offers potential for significant change and disruptive economic benefit, CDs and smart-phones being cases in point. More modest, but never-the-less significant is the emergent technology based on ultra-fine bubbles (UFBs), also known as nanobubbles. These UFBs are less than a millionth or so of a centimetre in diameter (1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair), which in their stabilised form exhibit a range of remarkable properties, notably their longevity (the period of time they remain as bubbles), and importantly their capability for carrying, in aqueous media, gases of various kinds and bubble surface adherents. As a consequence, they are already realising ground-breaking applications in many aligned industries, including, cleansing-sterilisation, oil, gas, and mineral extraction processes, pharmaceutical, food-flavouring and cosmetic industry, with in-roads into medicine and cancer treatment; each with, or the potential for, £multi-million market values. That versatility in UFB properties, together with advances in UFB research are pointing to significant potential for purposely incorporating appropriately characterised bubbles into agricultural aqueous media, for spraying and irrigation purposes, and with a view to achieving more effective reductions in inputs (water, chemicals, etc.) more effective coverage, water usage, delivery of crop nutrients, pest-control agents and agents for control of plant diseases. The aim of this project is to establish the feasibility of integrating UFB and proven magnetic-assist technology in a generic platform that can be used to specify a wide-ranging modalities and applications, and the basis for new, economically viable and environmentally-friendly products and services. A successful outcome can also mean a significant step towards new UK enterprise and new employment opportunities. Appropriately managed the outcome can turn the £0.25million investment into a rolling agenda for enterprise, conceivably capable of achieving a 100-fold return-on-the investment within five years. The need for greater productivity in agriculture to meet food security challenge is without question, as is the need to do so with regard to environmental protection and climate change. UFB technology has the potential as a technological platform to contribute significantly to meeting these demands. But the benefits do not end there, effective land use and land reclamation are significant considerations in meeting the challenge, as are other planetary boundaries, including, emissions and climate change impact, land and water usage, bio-geo chemical flows and biodiversity.The risk in the investment is modest, the potential for substantive returns for the UK is enormous.

The proposed project is a feasibility study to develop an innovative biopesticide technology for the control of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB) in Oilseed Rape (OSR). The project is driven by demand from farmers and the OSR market which has decreased by 12.9% from 2018 to 2019, due, in part, to CSFB damage. This is a result of recent restrictions on neonicotinoid-treated seed and the development of Pyrethroid resistance. Preliminary work has been conducted by CAB International (CABI) using a fungal isolate which has shown 100% kill rate against CSFB after 4 days. Project outputs will be the development of biopesticide application methods that can target the CSFB at different stages of development. This project will also focus on end-user engagement through two knowledge transfer workshops. The first workshop will focus on the aim and objectives of the project, and the second will cover dissemination of results and technology adoption. In addition, end-user feedback will be gathered using a market survey to ensure the project is aligned to end-user needs. The business model, economic analysis and route to target will be assessed as part of the market development work package. The project will be led by CHAP, a UK-based research organisation aiming to increase crop productivity through the uptake of new technologies. CHAP will deliver the knowledge exchange workshops and project management. CABI will lead on the formulation development, with inputs from H&T Bioseeds Ltd and Russell Bio Solutions Ltd. The aforementioned industry partners will also lead on market development. The outputs of the project have the potential to have a significantly impact on the UK economy, by helping farms achieve increased yields through enhanced CSFB control. This project will also work towards achieving net zero emissions by 2040 through development of targeted biopesticides application systems, thus decreasing the number of machinery passes, reducing excess packaging due to reduced inputs and ultimately reducing toxic chemical inputs. The wider environmental/societal benefits of this project include less damage to the environment and human/animal health due to reduction of chemical inputs.

To meet both the demands of a growing population and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, there is an acute need to radically improve crop production systems globally. Vertical farming, where crops are produced in controlled environments with optimised growth mediums, water, air and nutrients, is a highly promising alternative to traditional agriculture especially in urban and/or water stressed environments. The vertical farming market is worth$3Bn globally and is predicted to reach $22Bn by 2026 (Forbes, 2018). Due to the micro-controlled environment, the resulting produce is of higher quality due to receiving the essential nutrients and water required for optimum growth and pesticide-free. The market is driven by out-of-season, year-round demand for fresh salad vegetables, especially tomatoes and leafy salad, the market value of which was £1.1bn in 2017. This project aims to revolutionise food production via controlled environment agriculture and make it globally accessible, including opening new markets in the developing world and capitalising on growing Middle Eastern vertical farming markets. In collaboration with project partners at Crop Health & Protection (CHAP) and Labman Automation Ltd, AEH Innovation Hydrogel Ltd will develop and demonstrate the novel GelPonic system based on an innovative graphene-based growth media that is affordable, long-lasting, re-usable, water-saving, conservative with respect to nutrients, and that filters out pathogens. The proposed vertical farming system will integrate the latest in renewable energy technologies, sensors and controls to significantly improve the precision, productivity and sustainability of controlled environment agriculture practices, whilst reducing carbon emissions to transform and decarbonise the industry.

The proposed project is a feasibility study to develop an innovative game-changing technology for autonomous slug monitoring and precision bio-molluscicide treatment system. Slugs are major pests in agricultural and horticultural crops, with current methods for control relying on chemical molluscicide pellets, containing either metaldehyde or Iron (Ferric) phosphate. Bio-molluscicides are also available as nematode based products, but these are not economical for use in arable and oilseed rape crops. Therefore, there has been an over reliance of metaldehyde which has led to a negative impact on UK water systems, as well as on non-target organisms. This has initiated a push to promote slug monitoring, however current methods are laboursome with many farmers not partaking in this key practice. Therefore, there continues to be unnecessary applications of chemical molluscicides leading to a market demand for an autonomous slug monitoring system, with data generated for the cost-effective precision treatment with bio-molluscicides. The outputs of the project have the potential to have a significantly impact on the UK economy by helping farms achieve increased yields through enhanced slug monitoring and control. The project also brings environmental benefits by opening a wider market for bio-molluscicides, thus reducing the reliance of metaldehyde. The project is initially targeted to the UK arable and oilseed rape market, with the aim of taking the technology international.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

Globally, potato has proved a valuable and nutritious staple crop driving both food security and GDP growth. In Kenya, potato ranks second in importance, after maize, and approximately 800,000 people benefit directly from potato production. However, to date, there are several challenges facing potato production, including potato cyst nematode (PCN). PCN are tiny cysts containing hundreds of eggs that hatch into juvenile nematodes that attack roots, causing up to 80% yield loss. A recent survey in Kenya showed that PCN is widespread in the main potato growing areas, so potato farmers urgently need better diagnostic tools to detect PCN. The proposed project aims to develop a PCN Assessment Tool, based on volatiles, that will then be compared to conventional and novel analyses of PCN levels, using morphological analysis, next-generation sequencing and Matrix-Assisted Laser-Desorption and Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy. The outputs of the project will be of great benefit for potato farmers in Kenya, providing a quick, easy and cost effective PCN Assessment Tool. On-farm detection of PCN would aid farmers in agronomic decision making, thus leading to increased potato productivity, and greater uptake of crop rotation, which is currently lacking in Kenya

"Vertical farming (VF) has the potential to revolutionise food production. The industry is experiencing enormous growth, propelled by the increased demand for pesticide-free foods, rising global populations, decreased availability of land and demand for year-round food production worldwide. It delivers numerous benefits versus traditional farming methods including lower water usage, reduced dependence on agrochemicals and the ability to produce high quality, consistent, year-round crop production. Developing the VF sector holds the promise of significant benefits to society and the farming industry. By growing an ever-increasing percentage of the food that we consume in VF systems, pressures on farmland will reduce, and year-round local food production can be enabled while improving the outlook for permanent jobs in the farming sector. However, the industry requires further innovations to reduce operational costs and improve yields to allow it to be commercially viable beyond the production of high-value, niche, crops. VF production systems bring together an array of different technologies, many of which have been adapted from the glasshouse-based horticultural industry. Currently, these technologies have reduced integration and are lacking optimisation for crop yield, quality and control. This project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of partners, representing a wide range of technologies and expertise, all of whom have significant experience in the VF market. The outcome of the project will be a fully optimised prototype VF growing system. It will offer a high-tech, turn-key solution that will reduce the complexity and costs of building, and adjusting and monitoring for optimal growth conditions in VF production systems. It will provide growers with better control, through data-driven information, and automate responses to changes detected, enabling them to deliver higher quality, higher yield produce, whilst better equipping them to adapt to market demand and reducing the risks of business failures. The technology will facilitate the transfer of scientific knowledge in crop production into benefits for growers. The system will include low-cost LED-lighting, that match ideal growing conditions throughout the plant growth cycle and improved nutrient control and delivery system, for increased plant yield and quality. We will evaluate the feasibility of incorporating vision sensing capabilities at large-scale which can provide valuable real-time feedback on crop health. This, in turn, will allow the development of a decision support system for the automated control of the atmospheric environment. Grower engagement in the development of a single user-friendly control system for control of all operations will be a central outcome."

Awaiting Public Project Summary