The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2019 - Issue 63 | Seite 5

FARM NEWS 5
• JUN/JUL 2019
Keeping Farms Moving
Today, Tomorrow
and into the Future
When running a farm, fuel management is just one
of many competing responsibilities. But without
the right solutions in place, farm operations risk
grinding to a complete halt. As a gold sponsor of
Cereals, Certas Energy is proud to offer a complete
range of stress-free fuel management solutions to
keep farms profitable and productive all year round.
Smooth operator
Any disruption caused
by equipment breakdowns
can be extremely costly and
have a significant impact on
productivity. Using the right
lubricant for off-road ma-
chinery helps prevent wear
and tear resulting in extend-
ed equipment life and less
spend on spare parts. Certas
Energy offers a wide range
of oils and greases from
leading global manufactur-
ers to keep farm machinery
running smoothly.
Fuelling farming’s
future
A reliable supply of road
diesel, red diesel and gas
oil is the lifeblood of a farm.
From a network of 150 de-
pots nationwide, Certas En-
ergy’s specialist local teams
work closely with arable
farmers to provide bespoke
solutions that meet changing
seasonal requirements.
Certas Energy is also
pioneering the use of gas-to-
liquid (GTL) fuel in farming
to reduce emissions and im-
prove local air quality. Shell
GTL Fuel is a cleaner-burning
alternative to diesel that is
approved by many OEMs
and can be used without
requiring modifications to
existing infrastructure or
equipment. to ensure farms never run
out of fuel. In-built telemetry
systems can monitor fuel
levels and alert to any sud-
den drops that may indicate
spillage or theft. When stocks
dip below a certain level, the
systems can automatically
trigger a delivery from a local
supplier – guaranteeing a
stress-free fuel supply.
More than just a fuel
supplier, Certas Energy’s
extensive product range has
been developed to meet the
demands of today, tomor-
row and into the future.
Staying topped up To find out more, download
the Certas Energy
agriculture brochure -
www.certasenergy.co.uk/
uploads/interactive/
CertasAgriBrochure/
Designed to control,
monitor and accommodate
efficient fuel storage, the lat-
est monitoring systems offer
total visibility and traceability
Horticulture
industry urged
to be vigilant for
signs of tree pest
Woodland managers, landowners, the forest industry
and tree nurseries are being urged to remain vigilant
after the Plant Health Service intercepted a finding
of Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) caterpillars on
trees recently imported from the Netherlands.
SWIFT action is being taken to eradicate
this finding in Hampshire, including surveil-
lance and tracing work. However, the case
highlights the need for continued vigilance
to protect the UK’s trees and forests against
pests and diseases.
OPM is an established pest in parts of
London and surrounding areas, but the rest
of the country is designated as a Protected
Zone (PZ).
OPM caterpillars feed on oak leaves and
can increase trees’ vulnerability to attack
by other pests and diseases, making them
less able to withstand adverse weather
conditions such as drought and floods.
The Forestry Commission, councils and
land managers tackle the pest with an an-
nual control programme of tree treatment.
If you suspect OPM, you should not at-
tempt to destroy or move infected material
‘ you should not attempt
to destroy or move
infected material yourself
’
yourself as the nests and caterpillars can
pose some risks to human health. Visit the
Forest Research website for more informa-
tion on how to identify OPM.
To report sightings of pests and diseases,
use the TreeAlert online portal.
Automated raspberry harvesting
could be a reality in five years
RASPBERRY growers con-
cerned about labour availability
could be using commercial robot
harvesters on farm in five to ten
years.
At AHDB’s recent SmartHort
conference, Dr Michael Stoelen
from the University of Plymouth,
discussed his team’s work on soft
robotics. They have built a proto-
type robotic arm which can pick a
raspberry without damaging it in
12 seconds, however they believe
once the robot is commercialised,
they can half the time it takes.
While human pickers will still be
required there could be significant
savings for growers once robotic
harvesting becomes a reality as
labour often makes up over 50%
of the cost.
Dr Stoelen said: “These initial
robots will not replace manual
labour. What we expect is that
they will be able to pick the more
accessible fruit with human pick-
ers there to pick the fruit which
the machine isn’t yet able too.
“The challenge with designing
robots such as these is not just in
the delicate nature of the rasp-
berry, but also ensuring they can
cope with having people around
them, as well as other complicat-
ing factors such as poles, sunlight
and complex foliage.”
Dr Stoelen’s team has focused
on human biology as the inspira-
tion for their robots, developing
an arm which mimics a human’s
ability to shift between being
robust and delicate when needs
be.
The Smarthort conference
is part of AHDB’s SmartHort
campaign which is designed to
help improve labour efficiencies
in horticulture through robotics
and automation, as well as la-
bour management techniques.
All the talks from the Smart-
Hort 2019 conference can be
viewed again on ahdb.org.uk/
smarthort.
www.ahdb.org.uk