Beet with AD potential fares well in UK trials
New varieties of high dry matter energy-dense beet now available in the UK are making the crop more viable as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion ( AD ).
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S o says Francis Dunne of Field Options , who points to the latest UK trials where new varieties have excelled and demonstrated their potential for the renewable energy sector . Independent fodder beet trials carried out in Cambridgeshire in 2017 compared the performance of 14 leading varieties from five different breeders , encompassing the full range of beet types from low dry matter ( fodder beet for grazing ) through to very high dry matter types .
“ Clean lifting , very high dry matter beet is one of the most efficient feedstocks available for AD ,” says Francis Dunne . “ Optimising yield of the crop further increases gas yield per hectare .
“ The variety Acker , bred in Germany by Strube , specifically for the AD market , is set to take greater market share . It stood out in both 2016 and 2017 trials , with top dry matter yield in 2017 producing 8.8t / ha more roots over the control variety , KWS Gerty . Dry matter percentage was almost identical .
“ These very high dry matter types do sit deeper in the soil than more traditional fodder beets , so root cleanliness is a key factor . In the case of Acker , it appears to have relatively clean lifting roots .
“ Establishment vigour of Acker is good and it develops good ground cover . Resistance to leaf disease was excellent in a season when disease pressure was high . It produces very large tops that also help to provide frost protection when harvesting late .”
Field Options provides expertise and access to varieties across the full range of beet , from low dry matter fodder beet for grazing through to very high dry matter energy beet for both livestock feed and AD plants .
Smaller in size than traditional fodder beet but producing more dry matter per hectare , new varieties such as Acker are an ideal feedstock for anaerobic digestors , says Francis Dunne .
Swedish start-up is launching a global satellite analysis to reduce fertilizer usage by 40 %
Vultus , a fast-growing Swedish start-up , is launching a satellite system , which aims to eliminate waste in farming and help farmers grow healthier plants at a lower cost .
T he new technology solves a problem that so many farmers around the world face – the over-fertilization of the crops . Satellite system provides precise information about the fertilization needs of the specific plants , which enables farmers to most efficiently cultivate their crops .
At the time of the launch , the system will be covering 5.5 million hectares and is estimated to save about 2.3 million tons of CO2 , which is the same amount of CO2 as 258,000 car trips from Sweden to South Africa .
The company , together with its partners from Russia , Ukraine , the UK , and India is launching a satellite system , which enables farmers to fertilize their crops with much greater precision and at a lower cost grow healthier plants . The global system is suitable for farmers of all sizes , ranging from small plot farmers in developing countries to farmers , who operate on a large industrial scale . Vultus technology will be launched on March 16th , 2018 .
The satellite system provides farmers with the precise information about the fertilization needs of their plants . Therefore , rather than spreading the fertilizers evenly across the field , Vultus solution lets farmers know which plants may need more or less fertilization . For a typical farmer , these up-to-date satellite recommendations could save up to 40 % of the fertilizers , whilst increasing yields and crop quality . For a medium sized farmer , who works in a field of 250 hectares , the system would save approximately 15,000 € per year . Eliminating waste in farming
The technology strives to save not just money , but also the environment . Vultus has an ambitious goal – to eliminate waste in farming . It is estimated that currently about 60 % of fertilizers go to waste due to the lack of knowledge of which plants need more or less fertilization . Even more daunting is the fact that over-fertilization contributes to approximately 7 % of CO2 emission in Sweden alone .
“ What really motivates us is the fact that farming was so inefficient , and we saw how it was being left behind by the technological revolution . 60 % waste of a primary input would be totally unacceptable in any other industry .” - William Håkansson , founder of Vultus .
Vultus was founded by William Håkansson ( 22 ) and Robert Schmitt ( 20 ) in 2016 . Since then the team has grown to 9 people and the technology has been used by farmers and seed developers , in Sweden , during two growing seasons .
www . farmingmonthly . co . uk February 2018 | Farming Monthly | 13