The Farmers Mart Apr/May 2015 - Issue 39 | Page 79

Machinery Former MP gets Precision Farming lesson in East Yorkshire »»An East Yorkshire farm machinery importer shared his knowledge of innovative Precision Farming methods with The Rt Hon Michael Jack CBE at a recent Open Day at Stockbridge Technology Centre, Selby. Andrew Manfield of Sancton-based Manterra Ltd. invited the former Conservative MP to join him in the cab of his specially adapted tractor that features a seed drill which allows farmers to place seed with extreme accuracy. Before the in-cab lesson on new, costsaving agronomic techniques, Andrew and his colleague, Dr Chantel Davies of Stockbridge Technology Centre, shared details of a research project that they are undertaking with Cranfield University. During the three year Innovate UK-funded Tru-Nject project, the tri-partite group will research fertiliser placement technology that looks set to revolutionise and commercialise the way that farmers apply nutrients to a range of field vegetables and combinable crops. Michael Jack learned how Tru-Nject uses a variety of tools including soil data, satellite data, RTK-GPS auto steering and new proximal soil sensors to apply fertiliser below ground that create a resourceefficient way to apply nutrients while reducing the levels of nitrous oxide gas released from nitrogen fertilisers. Andrew Manfield is the applied farming research partner who supplies precision farm technology and agronomic expertise to the project. He said: “Tru-Nject is a very exciting project. We have the potential to vary the nutrients on crops metre by metre and bed by bed, with an accuracy that is previously unheard of on a commercial level of practice. He was genuinely interested in what we are trying to achieve and was particularly impressed with the potential to commercialise the technology.” Philip Ltd During the Open Day, Mr Manfield and Dr Davies were also interviewed for the BBC’s Radio 4 Farming Today programme about Soil. http://manterra.co.uk/ http://www.stockbridgetechnology.co.uk/ http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/ Hall Farm, Stainton, Nr. Rotherham, S. Yorkshire S66 7QY Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [email protected] www.philipwatkins.co.uk 2.4m Mounted TRI-TILL Also available 3m and 3.6m 5m QUAD-TILL Available 3m to 6m 3m Heavy Duty Stubble Cultivator Available mounted 3m, 3.5m and 4m Also available Trailed 4m to 12m 4.8m Incorporator www.farmers-mart.co.uk Apr/May 2015 79