Landwards Autumn 2021
Editors Welcome
from technology. Now whilst these themes still run big through much of farming and surrounding industries, there is a much more subtle mood music nowadays. As government support pivots from production towards environmental benefits, and the emphasis shifts to measuring the industry’s impact and reducing its carbon footprint. Now seems like a good time to be considering this emerging thinking.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when your humble correspondent was pondering the ‘big challenges’ of society in general and agricultural engineering in particular. Let’s say 25 years ago, for instance. In the mid ‘90’s we were all about production, yield maximising, precision farming (anyone remember the MF yield mapping trailer at Silsoe?) and getting bang per buck
A recent lunchtime lecture from Severn Trent Water’s Alex Cooke gave a fascinating insight into how that organisation cleans water and works with landowners and farmers to use technology to prevent pollution(p20). This year’s IAgrE Landwards conference on Future Fuels (see preview p18) is as good a starting point as any to consider how carbon-based fuels will be replaced within agriculture. I would urge you to book your ticket now. Likewise, JCB has been quick off the blocks with a work-ready hydrogen engine, which Paul Hemingway had the
chance to see recently (Practice p34). Whilst Landwards does seem to spend a lot of time carping on about the internal combustion engine, it’s a fundamental tool for the land-based industries, alternatives have to be considered. If all this historical hydrocarbon-based talk is just too much, turn to Practice (p38) and spend some time in Scotland seeing how peat bogs ‘breathe’. I wish you well for the coming months and hope you find something which piques your agricultural engineering interest in this edition.
Andy Newbold Andy Newbold Editor andy@farm-smart.co.uk
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