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As part of our Innovate UK Smart Grant project to develop synthetic data solutions that can identify weeds within crops (in this case specifically blackgrass), we worked with the wonderful folks at Oxford Agricultural Trials (OAT). The OAT team undertook three trials for us across Oxfordshire; at Woodstock, Stratton Audley & Shillington. Celebrating their 40th anniversary…

The GRASP project is an innovative endeavour that seeks to develop alternative strategies to boost grassweed resilience. The project brings together a diverse group of experts to tackle the urgent issues confronting the farming sector and to contribute to the creation of resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. The GRASP project is spearheaded by BOFIN (British…

Crops are the backbone of human sustenance, providing us with food, feed, fibre, and fuel. They fall into six categories: food feed fibre oil ornamental industrial The world’s most popular food crops are grains such as corn, wheat, and rice.  Among these, wheat is one of the most widely grown crops globally. In 2021, the…

The human eye is an incredibly complex organ. It functions much like a camera, with the cornea, pupil, iris & retina working together to process an image that is sent directly to the brain via the optic nerve – all in the space of about 1/10th of a second! It can distinguish between 10 million…

A big part of my working life is spent looking at data sets – data that has been synthetically created, and it got me thinking about the evolution of all things synthetic… Synthetic products (or human-made) have a rich and intriguing history. The invention of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic, by Leo Baekeland in 1907…

Generally speaking, the subject of Annotation is not one that is common at parties (or most places for that matter), but in certain parts of the technology world, it’s not only common but absolutely critical. Most of us will know that annotation can be defined as ‘the act of adding extra information/comments to data that…

Farming is one of the oldest and most essential human activities, but it is facing many challenges in the 21st century. Population growth, urbanization, climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation to name but a few. Feeding the world is paramount but how can it be done without destroying the planet? Is it possible to…

Agriculture is the backbone of civilisation, providing sustenance and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide. At the heart of modern agricultural practices is the indispensable role of agronomists. These professionals play a crucial role in ensuring that crops thrive, soil remains fertile, and farming practices are sustainable. As we navigate the challenges of a changing…

The international grain trading market is a vital sector that connects the producers and consumers of grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, barley, and soybeans. According to the International Grains Council, the global trade volume of grains reached 427 million tonnes in 2020/21, accounting for about 19% of the world’s total grain production. The main…

What if crops could communicate the way we do? What would they say about current farming methods, how would they improve the process of farming, what would they like to protect, and how would they see the use of technology, AI, vision systems, and machine learning? These are some of the questions that I imagined…