Cereals

The UK Agri-Tech Centre has worked with agri-tech businesses to test and trial their technologies to address the challenges of water quality and management on-farm and across the agri-industry. Safe water production and protection are closely tied to soil health, which in turn underpins our food and energy systems. The UK Agri-Tech Centre has collaborated with a range of innovative partners on projects that address this challenge directly.Below are three initiatives working to safeguard and sustain safe water: STREAMS (Space Tech for River Environments & Agricultural Monitoring Sensors)Diffuse nutrient pollution remains one of the most significant pressures facing Welsh waterways, with well-known rivers such as the Teifi repeatedly falling short of phosphate standards. These pressures have lasting consequences for our landscapes, affecting biodiversity, land use and the long-term resilience of rural communities. Real-time water quality monitoring has the potential to speed up mitigation efforts, yet traditional sensors often carry prohibitive costs, and many rural locations lack the reliable connectivity required for automated data transfer. As a result, manual water sampling remains commonplace, which can miss short-term pollution spikes and delay timely intervention.The Innovate UK-funded STREAMS project aims to overcome these challenges, by making water-quality monitoring more affordable, reliable and continuous, even in the most remote areas of rural Wales. Project lead, Lacuna Space, is working with Aberystwyth University and the UK Agri-Tech Centre to combine three core innovations:A low-cost multiparameter sensor capable of measuring nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen, pH and other key indicators of river healthLacuna’s LoneWhisper® satellite-IoT Technology, enabling sensors to transmit data without the need for network connectivityA bilingual Welsh–English dashboard, co-designed with end users, delivering clear, real-time insights for farmers, land managers, community groups and environmental professionalsWorking alongside local authorities, environmental regulators, regional communities and land users, the project will host bilingual workshops and engagement events to co-develop tools, evaluate sensor performance, refine the dashboard and ensure STREAMS delivers tangible value in practice. While STREAMS is grounded in Wales, the challenges it addresses are global: many water challenges are due to poor connectivity, making monitoring impossible.But Lacuna’s connectivity is making monitoring possible anywhere in the world and the team is already in conversation with partners as far afield as Brazil, exploring how the technology could support freshwater quality improvement on a global scale. By demonstrating the model locally first, Wales is establishing itself as a leader in satellite-enabled environmental monitoring and contributing to cleaner, healthier rivers for communities around the world. Interested in getting involved? Watch this space for updates on upcoming engagement events across the Ceredigion region. NURSE (Nutrient Utilisation and Recovery through Supercritical Extraction)The NURSE project is led by a consortium including Kairos Carbon Limited (lead), Cranfield University, Royal Agricultural University and the UK Agri-Tech Centre, forming part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. The project seeks to develop an advanced hydrothermal technology for processing livestock waste — recovering the valuable nutrients it contains, producing a carbon-negative, non-leaching fertiliser, and separating carbon for permanent sequestration.The UK generates around 140 million tonnes of livestock waste each year, the majority of which is spread directly onto farmland. By stripping out carbon prior to land application, the project aims to deliver meaningful emissions reductions. Currently, less than 50% of applied nutrients, such as phosphorus, are taken up by crops when livestock waste is used as fertiliser.At the same time, fertiliser costs for farmers continue to rise while key resources, including phosphorus, face long-term depletion. By developing a non-leaching fertiliser that enables greater nutrient uptake by plants, the project aims to help keep costs manageable for farmers while reducing resource waste. Equipping farmers with new tools to recover and reuse valuable nutrients while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts is central to the project’s mission.The technology delivers direct benefits by recovering critical materials from livestock waste in a concentrated form, for use as a low-leaching, sustainable fertiliser that can lower input costs and improve yields. It also enables more effective waste management and processing, the breakdown of organic pollutants, and the extraction of carbon for capture and storage all within an energy-neutral system. Kairos aims to reduce emissions from UK agriculture while preventing pollutants and nutrients from entering watercourses, and to tackle air pollution arising from livestock waste and other agricultural sources. NTPlus2The NTPlus and NTPlus2 projects are led by Agua DB, specialists in ion exchange technology, in collaboration with the UK Agri-Tech Centre. The goal is to develop a modular, integrated solution for recovering nutrients from wastewater and removing the technical barriers standing in the way of commercialisation. The NTPlus technology generates high-nitrate irrigation water, low-nitrate drinking water, and converts potash into sulphate of potash, boosting crop resilience against drought, stress, disease and pests.Agua DB’s approach targets the so-called ‘Nitrate Timebomb’ by capturing nitrates that would otherwise leach into aquifers, transforming them into a valuable input for farmers. This process enhances water quality while also supporting more efficient irrigation and greenhouse growing practices, making agriculture better equipped to withstand the effects of climate change.NTPlus2 builds on this foundation by extending the recovery process to include phosphates at wastewater treatment plants. It will also trial the novel application of plasma technology to break down persistent organics, including herbicides and pesticides, while generating additional green nitrate in the output. The project’s overarching aim is to optimise the recovery of nitrate and phosphate from wastewater treatment plants, improve sludge properties and produce a liquid fertiliser that will be demonstrated and validated through crop trials. This will support commercial adoption and integration into the liquid fertiliser supply chain.Rebecca Lewis, Head of Bid Development at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: “These projects show just some of the range of exciting innovations that are being developed to help deliver more resilient and healthy water systems. Technology can play a key role in securing a sustainable water resource for farms, ecosystems and communities.”For more information about the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the agri-tech businesses and projects we support, get in touch at [email protected].To explore how water innovation can be advanced further, visit Innovate UK’s Cross-Sector Water Innovation Network at https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/cross-sector-water-innovation-network/.

20/03/2026 -

Growing an agri-tech business overseas takes more than a strong product. It requires market insight, trusted partnerships and the ability to demonstrate value in unfamiliar farming systems.On day four of our UK Agri-Tech Centre Growth Week, we explored what it takes to enter and succeed in international markets, focusing on Australia and New Zealand. Drawing on insights from AgriTech New Zealand, Agnition Ventures, UK Government trade teams and real-world experiences from UK agri-tech businesses, we unpacked how to navigate new ecosystems, build credibility and accelerate adoption abroad.We have recently launched the Global Growth Accelerator (GGA), a new programme designed to give UK businesses exactly this kind of support. Registrations are now open for businesses interested in getting involved in New Zealand’s dairy and livestock systems. Start with deep market understandingBoth Australia and New Zealand present major opportunities for UK agri‑tech: sophisticated farming systems, ambitious sustainability goals and high demand for practical, scalable innovation. But as our speakers emphasised, they are not the same as the UK.In New Zealand, agriculture is pasture-based, seasonal and subsidy-free. Farmers are commercially driven and highly pragmatic. As Wilson Wang of Agnition Ventures explained, “farmers often expect a 3:1 return on investment and they want proof.”In Australia, vast distances and state-level regulatory differences mean market entry requires careful targeting. As AgriTech NZ’s Brendan O’Connell noted, “if it can grow on the planet, it can grow in New Zealand, but you still need to understand the local system you’re entering.” What this means for UK innovatorsDon’t assume your home-market use case translates directlyShape your proposition to local farming methods, climatic conditions and regulationsExpect to provide clear ROI, verified locallyBuild extra time into your plan Work through trusted local partnersOne message came through repeatedly: credibility flows through trusted networks.Farmers in Australasia rely heavily on advisers, co-operatives and industry bodies. Agnition Ventures (Ravensdown’s innovation arm) outlined how their Farm Innovation Network acts as a bridge between innovators and early-adopter farmers, providing real-world trials, feedback loops and in-market validation. This type of local partnership is invaluable for reducing risk and accelerating trust.UK Government teams in Australia and New Zealand also play a major role, from connecting innovators with regulators to providing diplomatic platforms for launches, networking and profile-building.Leverage the networks that already exist: farmer groups, co-operatives, innovation hubs, research organisations and UK trade specialists. They open doors that cold outreach never will. Demonstrate value in real farming conditionsWhether it’s emissions reduction, productivity gains, water management or animal health, Australasia’s priorities mirror global trends, but the solutions must prove themselves locally.Our speakers were clear: field trial data is the currency that unlocks adoption.UK companies shared this first-hand from experience with a past project in Bahrain with relevance to the Australasia market:Ostara retrofitted a greenhouse with advanced environmental and irrigation automation, demonstrating how precision control reduces water use while boosting yields.PolySolar installed flexible solar panels on polytunnels, powering on-farm automation while increasing crop productivity — a critical gain in high-temperature climates.Zayndu deployed its seed-priming system to accelerate germination and improve crop resilience, then brought farmers in to see the results firsthand.These examples show the same pattern: test, trial, demonstrate — then scale. Key takeaways for global scalingAdapt your value proposition to local farming systems, economics and regulationsBuild credibility through partnersProve your impact with in‑market trials and real‑world dataBe patient and realisticUse the support available from the UK Agri-Tech Centre, Innovate UK and UK Government teams How the UK Agri-Tech Centre helps you go globalTo help UK agri-tech businesses build this evidence and enter new markets with confidence, we’ve launched the Global Growth Accelerator (GGA).Applications are now open for our New Zealand programme, built to fast-track technologies for dairy and livestock systems by validating them in New Zealand’s innovation-driven farming ecosystem.Delivered with Agnition Ventures (Ravensdown) and AgriTech NZ, the programme provides structured, in‑market support including:early adopter farmsfarmer feedback loopsthird‑party validationaccess to strategic partners and investorsWe’re seeking technologies that address:biosecurity, animal health and traceabilityfarm system productivityclimate volatility, drought and water security orenvironmental compliance and nutrient efficiency.Are you ready to go global with your agri-tech innovation? Get in touch today at [email protected]. Find out more and apply to GGA now.

17/03/2026 -

What agri-tech developers need to hear from the farmers who use their tools.Technology succeeds when it works reliably, affordably and without making someone’s job harder. That was the clear message that came out of day three of the UK Agri-Tech Centre Growth Week, where we sat down with Somerset farmers Rob Addicott and Jeremy Padfield, along with Dr Annie Rayner from FAI Farms, for an honest conversation about what it takes to make agri-tech work in the field.With decades of combined experience trialling, adopting and sometimes rejecting new tools across mixed farming systems, Rob and Jeremy offered the kind of perspective that no laboratory or product roadmap can replicate. Annie brought more than 20 years of scientific expertise and a deep understanding of regenerative systems to the conversation. Together, they gave us a vitally important discussion about what the industry too often misses. Start with the farmer, not the technologyWhen asked what ‘fit for farm’ means to them, the answers were immediate and practical.Relevance, said Rob. Technology that’s designed for the work being done on farm, not retrofitted from a research context.Reliability and affordability said Jeremy.User-centred design, said Annie. Tools shaped around the people and context they’re built for from the start.Rob captured a common frustration: “Often technology comes on the farm, and it’s been developed without thought for farmers and how they would use it. And obviously then people are going to be slow to take it up.”The key:Get on farm earlyAsk questionsInvolve another farmerAs Rob put it, farmers will always listen to other farmers. If they know a peer has been part of developing a tool, it carries weight that no research paper or pitch deck can match. The tech that sticks is the tech that disappears into the workflowWhen asked to name technology that had genuinely made a difference, Jeremy pointed to a cross-make vehicle telematics system that tracks all farm machinery in real time, now accessible via a phone app. It tells him where every trailer is during silage, tracks fuel efficiency and records jobs automatically, even when someone forgets to log them.Its strength isn’t the data. It’s the fact that nobody has to think about it; expecting all staff to manually log data is unrealistic.The technology that gets adopted is the kind that removes friction, not the kind that adds it. Rob echoed this principle through another example: automatic weighing platforms for beef cattle, positioned at their water drinkers. Animals are weighed multiple times a day without being run through a crush. Health alerts are flagged automatically, which gives farmers a level of daily insight that would previously have required significant time and stress for both the farmer and the animals. The three questions every farmer asksWhen new technology lands on farm, Rob and Jeremy described a set of questions running through their minds:Will it actually work for us?Can we afford it and will it pay back?Can our team, not just the tech-savvy ones, actually use it?“In order for it to roll out on mainstream agriculture, it needs to be able to stack up financially”, Jeremy said. This is often where promising ideas stall because the business case hasn’t been thought through with the end user in mind.Rob looks for value beyond the financial:Does it add to soil health?Does it support animal welfare?Does it improve the quality of life for him and for his team?These concerns are central to whether technology is adopted at a time when farms face significant pressure. The importance of interoperabilityOne of the most consistent frustrations was interoperability, or the lack thereof. Jeremy described a drone system that could identify individual weeds in a field with real precision, potentially allowing just 10% of a field to be sprayed rather than the whole area. Environmentally and economically, it was the right tool, but the drone software couldn’t talk to the sprayer. When they approached the sprayer manufacturer, the company decided they wanted to build the mapping function themselves rather than collaborate and the opportunity was lost.Annie named a related issue from the supply chain side: data collected by different technologies often can’t be compared or shared across different parts of the supply chain, even when everyone is theoretically reporting on the same thing. The result is that farmers end up navigating multiple platforms, relearning systems with each new machine and managing data that can’t flow where it needs to go.Rob’s wish for the year ahead is a piece of software that allows different technologies to talk to each other. It’s a deceptively simple ask, and one the industry hasn’t yet managed to deliver at scale. What good on-farm trials look likeWhen the conversation turned to on-farm trials and demos, Rob, Jeremy and Annie were aligned: short trials don’t build confidence.A month or two of testing tells you very little about how something will perform across seasons, soil types and weather patterns. Regenerative approaches in particular need to be evaluated over 12 months or more. Demonstrations also need to span a variety of farm types. Farmers watching a demo need to be able to see themselves in it. If the trial is on a completely different scale or soil type, the lesson doesn’t travel, if the technology looks complicated to operate, people walk away before they’ve given it a chance. Tools that help farmers thriveRob shared a compelling example of what technology can achieve when it’s genuinely designed around farming needs. During a difficult autumn last year, they trialled a product to improve soil microbial activity alongside crop establishment. Where the product was used, establishment was noticeably better, and on the trial plots nitrogen input was reduced by around 65%.For Annie, positive animal welfare is one of the most promising and underexplored areas for agri-tech innovation. Rather than framing welfare as harm reduction, the approach she described is about creating conditions for animals to genuinely flourish and finding technologies that support that holistically, alongside improvements to soil health, farmer wellbeing and environmental outcomes. It maps closely onto the regenerative principles that the whole group were working towards.Rob and Jeremy were clear that technology should be positioned as a complement to farming knowledge, not a replacement for it. When framed correctly, as something that frees the farmer to focus on the bigger picture, adoption follows far more naturally. Key takeaways for agri-tech developersInvolve farmers from day one as co-developers. Peer credibility drives adoption.Design for the whole team, not just the tech-savvy. If not everyone on farm can use it, it won’t be used.Be upfront about costs. Build a credible ROI case before you arrive on farm.Prioritise integration. Integration is not optional.Run long, diverse trials. Span farm types, soils and seasons.Communicate technology value as time and focus gained, not complexity added.How the UK Agri-Tech Centre helps you become farm-readyBecoming farm-ready takes real-world testing and honest farmer feedback. We support businesses across the agri-food supply chain to validate and scale with:Testbeds that reflect the diversity of UK farming systemsFarmer networks and end-user insight to shape genuine market fitData validation to ensure your evidence holds up to scrutinyProgrammes like FASTA and our Agri-Tech Solution Sprints to help businesses move from technical challenge to commercial opportunityListen to the full podcast If you’re building something with real potential and want to make sure it works where it matters most, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at [email protected].

10/03/2026 -

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