INNOVATION WILL be the focus of the first ever Cereals LIVE event bringing new technologies to farmers through its online seminar programme.

Cereals 2020 has been cancelled due to Covid-19, but all of its planned content is still to go ahead with ambitions to bring headline speakers into farmers' homes on June 10 and 11.

“Whether farmers are looking to know more about data driven innovation, precision farming, plant breeding developments or sustainable crop health, Cereals Live has a range of webinars lined-up in its DIT theatre to inform and enlighten,” said event director Alli McEntyre.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) Innovation and technology theatre will be focussing on how the latest developments and advice can help producers to create more from less, boosting productivity with the most cutting-edge equipment and advice.

Agri-tech can help farmers produce more in a sustainable way, explained Elizabeth Warham, agri-tech lead at the DIT: “In the UK, academia and research centres work closely with agri-tech companies using scientific breakthroughs in nutrition, genetics, remote sensing, engineering, robotics and meteorology to develop and commercialise innovative technologies, with the potential to transform traditional agricultural practices.”

During the 'data and digital innovation' session, farmers will hear from Jack Wrangham at DroneAg who will demonstrate the Skippy Scout app which offers an economical solution to aid crop walking. He said: “It can take farmers less than five minutes to download the app and have their drone going. All farmers need to crop walk, but it can be time-consuming. However, using Skippy Scout the drone can fly to points in a field and take high resolution photos faster than they could walk – with images sent straight back to the user’s phone.”

Another seminar will look at developments in mechanical weeding technologies to progress spot spraying tools: “We have managed to make the technology work, but it’s expensive, so we need to work with manufacturers, growers, agronomists and chemical companies to make the technology more cost-effective,” Nick Tillett at Tillett and Hague Technology who will present during the 'precision farming' seminar.

For more information on what to expect during the programme visit www.cerealsevent.co.uk