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Education
Hartpury agri-tech
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Hartpury pumps life into education and smart farming
A late March visit to Hartpury University and Hartpury College in Gloucestershire provided an opportunity to view both lecture facilities and the new Agri-Tech Centre. Mike Whiting reports.
Courses are targeted at the requirements of machinery dealers and manufacturers with Level 3 diplomas in land-based engineering and agricultural farm mechanisation. The integration of lecture rooms and workshop ensures students have a seamless transition between theory and practical sessions.
The dedicated welding section was alive with the sound of arcs striking up whilst groups of students huddled around dismantled engines in the workshop. It was one of those visits where I would have happily put on my overalls and got involved. Richard Rudge, Lecturer in Land-based Technology referred to capital expenditure plans which are in place to further enhance the facilities in line with industry requirements. Machinery manufacturers should take note of this, as the college seeks to develop relationships with the agricultural, horticultural and amenity sectors.
With a ‘can do’ approach Richard explained how through Covid they utilised handheld cameras and video streaming to give detail on engine components. This ensured that remote learning minimised the impact on students’ learning. Recent investment in the dairy unit with a 30/30 rapid exit parlour provides students with the all-important livestock experience, including some early morning starts! Access is via a purpose-built bio-secure building incorporating changing facilities.
Agri-Tech
The Hartpury Agri-Tech Centre focusses on improving awareness, access and training for current and future generation famers with the latest proven and available technologies. Working with businesses with commercially
Ben Thompson, Hartpury’s Agri-Tech Centre Manager
robust solutions or products which can support landowners and operators in their precision farming journeys. Ben Thompson, Hartpury’s Agri-Tech Centre Manager explains that farmers digital literacy varies tremendously which impacts on their ability to keep up and reap the benefits. This is evident with the wide range of farmers linked into their Digital Farming Network, including locally based high-profile Twitter user Jake Freestone.
Accelerator programme
Hartpury also provides its Tech Box Park accelerator programme, offering SME businesses dedicated, practical working space and support packages, access to the Hartpury’s commercial farm, Home Farm and an extended farming network for practical trials, feasibility testing, research and to help accelerate the development and launch of new products or enhance existing ones. This opens up all aspects of the food production sector including soil health, agronomists, and ways to reduce carbon footprint. The ability to tap into real time data from sensors located on farms reduces delays in processing information and making effective decisions. This will expand the network of businesses who can add to the mix. The links with the educational establishment mean that students are exposed to commercial activities making them much more appealing to future employers.
Ben Thompson is very keen to promote the opportunities for those who can bring ideas and solutions to the digital farm landscape. He quotes:
“What we do and how we operate is unique. It provides the framework to successful adoption and utilisation of the latest available technologies on farm. Whether this is through knowledge and skills transfer, hands-on experience and demonstration or disseminating outputs from industry impactful research, we are collectively serving industry through our Agri-Tech Centre, including current and active farming professionals but also the future generations as well.”
Hartpury College: Facts and Figures
Location On the A417 in Gloucestershire Number of students 2,300 students across undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Agri-Tech Centre Hartpury College 10-year 2030 Digital Innovation Farm Vision programme. £2M Agri-Tech centre phase 1 completed in early 2020. £2M Tech Box Park facility scheduled for completion 2022. https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/commercial/hartpury-agri-tech-centre/ https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/media/9517/digital-innovation-farm-tech-box-park-e-flyer.pdf
Farm size
400 hectares across five sites.
Farm produce customers
Muller, Sainsburys, Glencore
Industry links ADAS research plots for crop biodiversity. Southwest Promar International Milkminder award 2019. Engineering courses Level 3 extended Diploma land-based engineering. Level 3 foundation Diploma Agriculture (Farm mechanisation). Level 3 National extended Diploma Agriculture (Farm mechanisation). Equine Two international competition areas, four additional arenas. Stabling for 230 horses. Equine therapy centre. Sports facilities 1500m² sports hall Four football pitches Four rugby pitches Two 3G all-weather pitches Under-cover golf driving range with GASP video analysis Modern Pentathlon pistol range
Book Club
New book provides one stop shop for Conservation Agriculture
Farmers around the world are rapidly adopting Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices. A new book has collated extensive scientific research, field experience and technical advice into one place.
CA techniques - like cover crops and reduced tillage - have been gaining popularity as an alternative to conventional farming in recent years. But with so many options available it can be hard to know where to start, particularly given different agricultural landscapes and situations. Conservation Agriculture, Volume 3: Adoption and Spread, provides farmers, researchers and academics with key information on practices around the world, reflecting differing local knowledge and techniques. The area of arable land under CA has grown from two million hectares in 1970 to more than 205 million hectares in 102 countries by 2019. This growth has been driven largely by innovative farmers and machinery manufacturers, who have shared new approaches as they evolve.
“The more farmers that find CA can sustainably boost their incomes, the faster the pace will change,” says Amir Kassam, visiting professor at the University of Reading and editor of the book.
Research-led findings
Another important aspect explored in the book is that formal research has been important in developing new and more effective techniques and management approaches. This research has focussed on crop performance, soil health, ecosystem services, global warming and farm incomes. “These validation studies have helped to boost the case for policy and institutional support of CA,” says Professor Kassam.
This is particularly important as the popularity of CA has so far spread largely without explicit supportive government policies. “It seems certain that the rate of adoption could be accelerated by targeted incentives like finance for machinery and management practices to boost soil health and enhance water resources, for example,” he adds. Although international bodies like the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), have only invested relatively small resources in CA, they have played an important catalytic role. “The FAO has placed CA at the core of its vision for sustainable food and agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers,” says Professor Kassam.
The book is the third volume in the CA collection and deals with the challenges and opportunities of such practices. It complements the previous two volumes on Systems and Science, and Practice and Benefits.
“In each book, chapter authors review 100 to 200 journal articles on the latest CA research and synthesise that into 20 or 30 pages,” explains Rob Burleigh, managing director at Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. “Scientists, researchers, farmers and academics don’t have the time to read and synthesise all the latest research – so we have done all the hard work. We can signpost straight to the most appropriate book chapter – it’s a really useful shortcut.”
Qu Dongyu, director general of the FAO says: “These volumes are a timely celebration of the most progressive change in farming practices over the past 60 years, which is gathering momentum around the world at an extraordinary pace. “They will serve as an immensely valuable source of reference – and inspiration - for all those who are committed to putting the world’s food systems on a truly sustainable footing.” For more information about the book visit:
