An East Yorkshire farm machinery importer shared his knowledge of innovative Precision Farming methods with 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 unique seed drill which allows farmers to place seed with extreme accuracy.
Before the in-cab lesson on new, cost-saving agronomic techniques, Andrew and his colleague, Dr Chantel Davies of Stockbridge Technology Centre shared details of a unique 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 unique fertiliser placement technology that will revolutionise and commercialise the way that farmers apply nutrients to a range of field vegetables and combinable crops.
The Rt Hon Michael Jack learned how Tru-Nject uses a variety of tools including soil data, satellite data, RTK-GPS auto steering and revolutionary new proximal soil sensors to apply fertiliser below ground that create a resource efficient way to apply nutrients whilst 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: “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.
“Michael Jack was genuinely interested in what we are trying to achieve and was particularly impresses with the potential ability to commercialise the technology.”
During the Open Day, Mr Manfield and Dr Davies were also interviewed for the Radio 4 Farming Today programme about Soil that was broadcast last week. The podcast is available here.
Manterra Ltd was established by farmer and agronomist, Andrew Manfield in 2011 and has its foundations in a farming business that was established at the beginning of the last century. Manterra is also an authorised reseller for Trimble precision agriculture products and Duport spoke wheel injectors. In addition, Manterra is the key technology supplier to the Stockbridge Technology Centre SATS4CROPS project that has secured Innovate UK funding for a three year trial to commercialise innovative precision farming technology.
