This year yet2 project leader Emma Chapelhow visited Lamma 2023, hosted in Birmingham UK, to learn more about the latest innovations in Agritech. Lamma is the UK’s premier farm machinery event, showcasing over 600 companies that provide cutting-edge machinery technology and equipment for the farming industry.
The halls were filled with the latest in farming machinery, with combines almost reaching the ceiling and tractors as far as the eye can see. But underneath the new paint shine of the machinery were two trends that stood out, ‘Soil and Carbon Restoration’ and ‘Digitisation and Robotics’.
As part of the shift towards more sustainable farming, efforts have been made to regenerate soils and carbon stocks. Emma spoke to companies who were shifting their focus onto monitoring soil health and soil communities, including innovations using molecular diagnostics, imagery, and AI. There was also an increase in services monitoring carbon stocks and innovative ways to convert carbon into value. yet2 have observed both an increase in scouting interest and upcoming new technologies in these areas.
Precision Farming has been an increasing focus in agriculture and tractors and machinery now come equipped with the latest in digital tech. But demonstrations of robots picking lettuces and drones assessing soil and crop health from the sky stole the show. These innovations are allowing farmers to generate more data and understanding of their lands leading to improved systems for both the farmer and the environment.
Agri-tech is a fascinating industry of innovation and we look forward to another year of watching it develop. Let us know if you would like to find out more about upcoming agricultural innovations and how they can help you.
