How technology is reshaping farming

After one of the wettest winters on record, UK farms have struggled to cope with the heavy rain that continued through spring and long into the summer. Many farms were subject to flooding, which left crop fields under water and put the health of livestock at risk. The extreme weather, which is linked to climate change, has drastically reduced the yield of key crops such as wheat. 

Alongside these pressures, farmers are facing other competing demands, including developing more nature-friendly and sustainable practices, while also keeping costs down in a tricky economic climate. 

The previous Conservative government’s 2022 Food Strategy suggested that technology may have a role to play in helping farmers face such a challenge. As part of the programme, UK Research and Innovation launched a £270 million Farming Innovation Programme to support R&D projects that benefit farmers, growers and foresters in England. Examples of projects underway include new applications of satellite imagery and machine learning, as well as new vaccines for animals and biotechnologies to be used in livestock breeding. Robots, too, are making waves: along with their potential in filling in for the shortage of seasonal workers, new roles are appearing for them in pest management and targeted application of fertilisers.

However, not all farmers have embraced these new technologies yet, says Charlie Yorke of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU)’s primary insurer, NFU Mutual. Results of a survey by the organisation released in January 2024 show that less than 20% of farmers have invested or plan to invest in agritech and 62% have yet to even consider it. But getting started with technology doesn’t have to mean investing significant sums in robotics and automation. According to Yorke, lower-cost, accessible solutions, such as gate sensors, RFID eartags (which can be used to track animals) or the integration of an online data administration system, can still make a huge difference to productivity. “While some large farms have invested in complex and large-scale agritech such as self-driving vehicles, alternative fuels and data-driven sensors, it is important to remember agritech can be implemented at any scale, large or small,” he says.

Send in the robots

The University of Warwick is developing technologies that may give farmers the confidence to take the plunge. In 2023, the university launched Warwick Agri-Tech to combine the facilities and expertise of WMG at the University of Warwick and its School of Life Sciences. The new centre is exploring new technologies to address issues such as labour shortages, food insecurity and biodiversity loss. “It’s rare to have access to both the manufacturing facilities we have at WMG and the 220 hectares of farmland available through the School of Life Sciences, alongside the joint expertise,” says Alicia Feledziak, Business Development Manager at WMG, High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre. “Bringing together those two departments unlocks a massive amount of possibilities.” 

The initiative has its roots in the ‘Crombot’ crop monitoring robot – a WMG-led project that set out to address growers’ scepticism of new technology and, most importantly, its cost. “We understand the challenges that growers are facing,” explains Emilio Loo Monardez, Lead of Warwick Agri-Tech at WMG. “Our role is to derisk the technology and create solutions that are modular, scaleable and viable for growers to adopt.” 

Engineers developed a robot that could check for pests, diseases and crop ripeness – a repetitive and time-consuming but essential task. Crombot, a four-wheeled robot with a robotic arm-mounted camera, can autonomously navigate around a greenhouse to monitor crops, avoid human workers and even follow specific co-workers on command. Once strawberries and other crops are ripe, for example, the robot can also highlight which areas of the greenhouse are ready to be picked.

WMG engineers have also made use of ‘Spot’, the autonomous four-legged robot dog developed by Boston Dynamics that went viral in 2016, and have adapted it for use in agriculture and horticulture. Spot can walk up and down steps, over heating rails and other obstacles as well as tackle muddy fields with ease, which have all proved beneficial in handling a variety of greenhouse and outdoor environments. But Feledziak points out that – similar to Crombot – its main role was in inspection, with the team building algorithms to monitor variables such as pests or the ripeness of fruits. “The real research is happening in the brain of the robot and how that can be applied to different purposes in the agricultural space,” she explains.

Autonomous robots such as Crombot and Spot are central to a more data-led approach to improving crop yield. As well as using sophisticated cameras and image-processing technology to accurately monitor when fruit and vegetables are ready for harvest, they can reduce chemical use. Robots can identify the exact locations where herbicides and pesticides are needed – and when – so that growers can apply the products directly rather than spraying a whole crop and risking contamination. 

For example, engineers at Warwick are developing an AI-based weed-control robot that promises to cut the need for herbicides by over 90% while improving soil health and biodiversity. Currently, when growers apply herbicides, they are sprayed over everything – the run-off is absorbed into soil, killing biodiversity, and also washes into streams and rivers when it rains, polluting waterways and even ending up in drinking water. The APSA (Autonomous Smart Spot-Precision Application of Herbicide) project uses a platform with computer vision to look for weeds, using AI-enabled recognition to identify them. A robot can then distribute targeted doses of weedkiller where needed, so that there is no excess run-off. This approach can also encourage growers to use more sustainable bioherbicides and bioprotectants. These are more environmentally friendly but, because of their lower potency, need to be delivered more precisely to have  a comparable effect. “There is a 
huge amount of pressure to reduce chemical use in agriculture and make processes more sustainable,” adds Loo Monardez. “With this algorithm, we’ll start with herbicides and then it can be transferred to other weed-eliminating solutions such as laser and electric pulse.”

Another project at Warwick is using automated monitoring to tackle spider mites in tomato crops. As a robot travels along and inspects the rows of plants, a hyperspectral camera monitors the leaves. Hyperspectral imaging gathers detailed information about an object’s composition and characteristics, in this case picking up changes in how the leaves reflect light. Changes in reflection indicate damage caused by mites, which are small and hide on the underside of the leaves – extremely difficult for the human eye to see and not a viable position for a camera. The monitoring process continuously feeds data on pest levels to a system that ensures that a second line of defence – possibly in the form of a natural fungus-based bioprotectant – is brought into play at exactly the right time and applied only where required. 

Elsewhere, researchers at the University of Loughborough are also working on an AI-enabled navigation system for use in two projects that are aiming to improve the efficiency of fruit picking in the UK. The £4.5millon Precision Orchard Management for the Environment (POME) project is a four-year venture that will digitally examine and scan fruit trees in fine detail to generate precision-dosing maps for blossom, fruit thinning, fertiliser application, growth regulators, pest controls, and fungicides, while producing more accurate yield forecasts for growers. Its Area-H project has developed a navigation system to help support agricultural autonomous robots in the field. Both projects have received funding from DEFRA and Innovate UK. 

Reducing land use

Autonomous and AI-enabled technologies, like those emerging from Warwick and Loughborough, are designed to work within an environment that resembles a traditional farm. However, engineers have also developed approaches that are transforming the ways in which crops are grown. 

Often touted as a way to boost productivity while reducing land use and therefore environmental impact, vertical farms use soil-free growing techniques and stack crops in specially designed beds and trays. As well as minimising the need for water, fertiliser and pesticides, they make carefully controlled use of artificial lighting and climate control. 

Edinburgh-based Intelligent Growth Solutions’ (IGS) demonstration facility in Dundee is equipped with models of its Growth Tower fully automated platform. Its modular system of stacked trays is irrigated by a central mechanism that employs ebb and flow hydroponic technology – similar to tides rising and falling along coastal areas and estuaries – to pump recycled, nutrient-rich water to each plant. Meanwhile, LED light strips underneath each tray illuminate the plants on the tray below. And the whole system operates hand in hand with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) controls to achieve optimal humidity, with condensed water collected, captured, cleaned, and recycled.

The app-controlled environment can grow a broad range of crops, including salads, leafy greens, brassicas, edible flowers, and even fruiting crops such as chillies. IGS claims each unit can yield 20 tonnes of crop in just 40 square metres of floor space rather than an outdoor plot of a hectare or two – roughly the size of two rugby union pitches. Its technology has already been exported globally, to places such as the US, and the company’s ambitions continue growing. 

At the COP 28 UN climate change conference, IGS showcased a future ‘gigafarm’ that aims to incorporate hundreds of 12-metre-high Growth Towers. The plan is for the gigafarm to be built on an 87,000 square-metre site in Dubai, where it will grow more than 3,000 tonnes of produce per year. IGS says that it will be 98% more water efficient than growing crops in a field. The facility is expected to be fully functional by 2026 and will support the UAE’s move towards decarbonising food production.

IGS’s partner on the project is Dubai-based ReFarm – a group of companies that is driving forward the UAE’s first zero waste food security initiative. The gigafarm will also recycle more than 50,000 tonnes of food waste, turning it into a fertiliser and soil that can help crops grow in extreme climates. Onsite, black soldier fly larvae will convert food waste into a biomass that is rich in proteins and fat, and byproducts will include organic compost, animal feed for replacing unsustainable fish meal and soy oil, and water for use in the vertical farming towers. The onsite technologies will also recover up to 90% of ammonia sulphate from wastewater for use in plant fertilisers.

Closer to home, IGS is part of the V-FAST (Vertical Farms and Storage) consortium, a group of UK companies that has earmarked sites between Dumbarton and Dundee in Scotland for a series of vertical farms, powered by renewable energy. The low hills of the region are ideal for an approach that combines vertical farming with local renewable energy generation and energy storage, often within the same footprint and on lower quality land that is not suitable for traditional farming.

One of the main challenges – for all vertical farms – is the cost of energy. Co-located renewable generation helps, but intermittent availability of wind and solar power means some form of storage is needed to provide the 8 to 12 hours of backup required for vertical farming.

Part of the V-FAST solution is a high-density hydro storage system from partner RheEnergise that provides grid stability while meeting the predictable base energy demand of a vertical farm. The 10 megawatt and 50 megawatt systems operate on a similar principle to traditional pumped hydroelectric storage – where two water reservoirs at different levels generate power as water moves between them via a turbine. But RheEnergise’s system uses a fluid with a density two and a half times that of water, which means it can be installed on small hills rather than tall mountains. Fluid is pumped to the highest storage tank at times of low energy demand using power from renewables or cheap electricity from the grid. As conditions change, the fluid is released and passes through turbines as it descends, generating electricity. 

Subject to site investigations, planning and financing, the first V-FAST project could be completed within the next two to three years. With 10,000 cubic metres of vertical farming floor area and 80 megawatt hours of energy storage, it could produce 20 to 30 times as much food that could grow in open fields of the same size.

Security and sustainability

The use of robotics and AI in crop monitoring and the adoption of vertical farming techniques are a step in the right direction to addressing the pressing challenges of modern agriculture. The UN says that global food production from plants and animals must increase by 70% by 2050 to meet demand, but it is already responsible for nearly a third of carbon emissions as well as significant deforestation. 

As Monardez points out these challenges are “bigger than just engineering” but he suggests that multidisciplinary approaches, which combine engineering, plant science and biology, can help the agricultural sector enhance food production while adhering to sustainability goals. The pioneering efforts of UK engineering, demonstrated by initiatives such as Warwick Agri-Tech and IGS, already point to technology and innovation’s potential to lead the way.