Agri-Tech-E‬'s Director, Belinda Clarke, speaks with David Linton, Commercial Agriculture Manager at ‪Barenbrug‬, about the future of grassland management, sustainable farming and climate-resilient agriculture - and the often-overlooked role of grassland innovation and breeding in modern farming.

David explains why "grass is not just grass", exploring how modern plant breeding is developing drought-tolerant and deep-rooting grass species that can improve forage production, soil health, nutrient use efficiency and farm resilience.

David also discusses the impact of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), how it has encouraged farmers to think differently about what is happening below ground, the benefits of diverse grass mixtures including tall fescue, timothy and perennial ryegrass, and the growing importance of resilience in livestock and mixed farming systems.

The conversation also highlights the role of carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture and Barenbrug's new UK breeding centre in Knutsford, which is developing grass varieties specifically suited to British farming conditions. With increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, plant breeding is becoming a critical tool for developing grass varieties that can withstand both drought and flooding while supporting productive, sustainable agriculture.

Whether you're interested in livestock farming, grass breeding, climate adaptation or agricultural innovation, this discussion provides valuable insights into how innovation in grass breeding is helping farmers adapt to climate change, improve soil health, support carbon sequestration and build more resilient farming systems for the future.

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How should businesses actually prepare for the upcoming UK-EU SPS Agreement - the new strategic partnership regulating food, plant, and animal trade?

Part of 'resetting' our relationship with Europe means 'dynamically aligning' - ie adopting some of the rules of the EU. We might not have the final, comprehensive instructions from government yet, but we know where the changes are heading: if you grow arable crops, brassicas, or horticulture, or if you manage livestock and poultry, your daily practices are going to change. 🌾🥦🐔

We sat down with Sarah Evered from Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Business Readiness Unit to map out what you can do right now to prepare your business for the eventualities ahead. The advice is to keep tracking the latest Defra updates and keep your eyes, ears, and minds open. 👀

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Global events are putting pressure in supply chains for inputs vital to the agriculture industry. Should we be worried? How can we adapt to what is fast becoming a new normal? And what advice do AF have for farmers? Chief Agricultural Office John Barrett discusses.

AF is the UK’s largest agricultural purchasing co-operative and works with thousands of farmers across the UK.

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We're talking with Managing Director of De Sangosse Phil Carpenter this week on the R&D capabilities and needs for spray applications in the UK. With the closure of the Silsoe facilities, what's next for UK research in this area and why is it so important?

De Sangosse is a European leader in complementary chemistry and molluscicides providing growers with innovative new approaches to protecting crops against disease, pests and the effects of adverse weather from seed to harvest.

https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/civi_member/de-sangosse/

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"It's more than a trade deal - it's a negotiation of GB's agricultural policy". With the King’s Speech today signalling a focus on improved trading relations and reducing the burden of unnecessary regulation through innovation, we discuss the evolving UK–EU SPS agreement.

Belinda Clarke OBE Clarke spoke with Feodora Rayner, Head of Policy at CropLife UK, to unpack what has changed since the surprise May 2025 announcement, the widening - and still fluid - scope (including pesticides, biocides and seed variety rights), implications for precision‑bred/PBO crops, and new modelling on the potential cost of alignment for UK growers.

This is SPS 101: watch the vid and find out more in the background analysis from CropLife UK & The Andersons Centre here: https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/member-post/analysis-of-the-impact-on-uk-crop-production-of-gb-aligning-with-eu-on-ppps/

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Pioneering work by SEAD Artists could be about to unblock the bottlenecks impeding the use of drones in agriculture, allowing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight and the aerial application of key crop protection products. SEAD Artists is a consortium of like-minded drone experts supporting agricultural innovation using new technology and drones.

The members are Autospray Systems, Skypointe, Aerofirm and DronePrep. They have collaborated on several projects utilising drones in specific settings, like plaudiculture and forestry. Their work is now beginning to overcome the significant regulatory hurdles that have hampered drone use and adoption in the industry.

Join the webinar online on 14 July 2025: https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=27300

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This episode forms part of our Back to the Future project, for Agri-TechE's 10th birthday celebrations.

Belinda Clarke interviews Vicky Foster of British Beet Research Organisation, discussing the long term nature of research planning and predicting the challenges we'll face in the future so we can begin to resesarch solutions now.

As part of our “Back to the Future” project, we’re asking Agri-TechE members to reflect on how the agri-tech industry has evolved over the past decade and to share their vision for the next ten years. By compiling these insights, we aim to create a powerful outlook on the future of agriculture, a compelling call to arms for the industry driven by the diverse perspectives of our community.

Song: TVARI - Tokyo Cafe Video Link: • TVARI - Tokyo Cafe Vloggers Essential:- https://tvari.fanlink.to/ve

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How to approach the challenge of technology adoption? Agricultural technologies hold immense potential and promise for improvement, yet their adoption often involves striking a delicate balance of risk-taking and co-development between innovators and growers.

Frederick Hiam is cautious about being such early adopters they shoulder all the risk, yet they believe that waiting for fully developed solutions to simply be delivered to farmers is unlikely to hit the mark. Jamie Lockhart, Managing Director, discusses their approach. Collaborate with developers from the outset - “Start with the problem we need answering,” so that co-development benefits both parties— delivering tailored, practical solutions, while also advancing innovation in a meaningful, efficient way.

This episode forms part of our Back to the Future project, for Agri-TechE's 10th birthday celebrations.

Song: TVARI - Tokyo Cafe Video Link: • TVARI - Tokyo Cafe Vloggers Essential:- https://tvari.fanlink.to/ve

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