Agronomic Application

 

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Research into design and incorporation into farm energy budget

Newcastle University:

Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) is an open-access R&D centre based at the University of York, the BDC works at the interface between academia and industry at all points in the biorenewables supply chain. Specifically within the areas of crop and soil science, working with the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) they have strong capabilities in fast track plant breeding and molecular analysis of microbial plant pathogens. Wider facilities include a category II anaerobic digestion suite for pilot scale trials, pre- and post-digestion analysis

University of York:

Website: http://www.biorenewables.org/

Canopy Sensing (Vehicle Mounted)

All canopy sensor types provide an ability to measure ‘greenness’ in growth and drive variable rate fertiliser and agri-chem applications:

  • CropCircle 430 fixed wavelength multispectral sensor
  • CropCircle 470 adjustable multispectral sensor
  • N-sensor (Passive and ALS systems)
  • Greenseeker NDVI sensor
  • Pasturemeter+ – rapid on-the-go measurement of pasture height and prediction of dry matter content for feed

Newcastle University:

Bioinformatics, full systems biology, big data research, Multi-omics data integration, Statistical analysis and modelling, Machine learning, Pathway analysis and biomarker discovery, Protein structure modelling, Functional inference and redesign, custom bioinformatics pipelines, study design and power analysis

Liverpool:

University owned land available for dedicated research projects and trials

University of Leeds:

  • Website for University of Leeds Farm: http://foodhub.leeds.ac.uk/farm.php
  • Facilities: Situated between Leeds and York at an elevation of between 40-72m, the University of Leeds farm is used for agricultural, ecological, Earth and environmental research. The 317ha farm operates commercially, is predominantly arable but includes pasture used for sheep grazing, and agro-forestry. The farm is also home to the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL)’s leading pig research facility, a £10M investment featuring both indoor and outdoor production facilities.

Newcastle University, Cockle Park Farm:

  • Address: Cockle Park Farm, Ulgham, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3EA
  • Contact: Farm Director James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Outstations Manager Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Description: 307 hectare mixed farm situated 18 miles north of Newcastle. Arable – Full precision capability, including yield and protein monitoring, variable rate application and drilling, grass quality measurement at harvest, soil mapped.  RTK accuracy.  Full range of cultivation equipment. Environmental Stewardship Scheme in operation with floristically enhanced margins, clover leys and wild bird mixes. The farm comprises a rare combination of arable and animal resources, dedicated staff and modern conference and teaching facilities. It is one of the few facilities in the UK that encompasses the farming of pigs and dairy as well as a variety of arable cropping and grassland trials
  • General Facilities: Dedicated cabbed ATV for field experimental work; WiFi and eduroam connectivity around all farm buildings; Fibre optic connection from Cockle Park farm to University mainframe; On-farm clean and dirty labs for sample preparation and lab-level analysis; John Deere controllers for variable-rate activities
  • Field Diagnostics Facilities: Mobile Labs for on-farm diagnostics and solutions to crop health problems, Sub-Cell GT Cell, Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell, cs-45 Rapid Scan, HPEA Chlorophyll Fluorimeter, Cyclone Sampler, Nanodrop Lite, IBLOT 2 Gel Transfer Device, Thermal cycler 96ml*0.2ml (PCR), Roche Lightcycler 96 qPCR, Retsch Ball Mill, UVP GelDoc, Genie III (LAMP), Sartorius Ultra Pure Water System (Portable), QIA Cube, Thermal Image Camera, MinION, LFD Reader
  • Experimental Facilities: Lysimeters installed at USB in town; Experimental plot for synthetic soils for use in urban landscapes and to promote carbon capture; 120 yr cut hay/grazing trial with organic and conventional fertiliser treatments; 9 geo-hydrologiaclly isolated 0.25 ha plots with automated soil water sampling; Split field – plough, min till, direct drill comparison following the farms conversion to direct drilling in 2018

Newcastle University, Nafferton Farm:

  • Address: Nafferton Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7XD
  • Contact: Farm Director James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Outstations Manager Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Description: 498 hectares farm located 12 miles west of Newcastle, near Stocksfield in the Tyne Valley. Arable – Full precision capability, including yield and protein monitoring, variable rate application and drilling, grass quality measurement at harvest, soil mapped. RTK accuracy.  Full range of cultivation equipment
  • General Facilities: Dedicated cabbed ATV for field experimental work; On-farm clean and dirty labs at both farms for sample preparation and lab-level analysis; John Deere controllers for variable-rate activities
  • Field Diagnostics Facilities: Mobile Labs for on-farm diagnostics and solutions to crop health problems, Sub-Cell GT Cell, Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell, cs-45 Rapid Scan, HPEA Chlorophyll Fluorimeter, Cyclone Sampler, Nanodrop Lite, IBLOT 2 Gel Transfer Device, Thermal cycler 96ml*0.2ml (PCR), Roche Lightcycler 96 qPCR, Retsch Ball Mill, UVP GelDoc, Genie III (LAMP), Sartorius Ultra Pure Water System (Portable), QIA Cube, Thermal Image Camera, MinION, LFD Reader
  • Experimental Facilities: Long-term (12+ yrs) organic/conventional rotation trials in a split-plot design; Precision managed grazing platform; Mob Stocking Plot; Experimental plot for synthetic soils for use in urban landscapes and to promote carbon capture

University of Leeds:

  • Website: https://physicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/info/5/school_of_food_science_and_nutrition
  • Facilities: The Food Colloids and Processing  laboratories are equipped with state of the art equipment to investigate the colloidal nature of foods; from the macro- to the nanoscale; specialist equipment include interfacial rheometers; surface tension apparatus (static and oscillatory Wilhelmy plate and drop/bubble shape); contact angle; Langmuir troughs; controlled stress rheometers; texture analysers; tribometers; Foamscan and specialized bubble-forming rigs and pressure drop apparatus for foam stability measurements. The School is well equipped with microscopy facilities including light microscopy; Brewster angle microscopy; atomic force microscopy (AFM); confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and ultrasound microscopy. We have developed in vitro digestion systems to evaluate bioavailability of nutrients and combine these with cell culture facilities to investigate the mechanism by which food components affect metabolism and health. In Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, there is a range of analytical equipment to analyse food components and metabolites, including HPLC and GC analytical equipment (together with single or triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, fluorescence, diode array and coularray detectors), and a sophisticated protein purification set-up. We can also analyse a range of biopolymers using asymmetric flow field-flow-fractionation size exclusion chromatography with multi-detection (MALS-DRI-UV/VIS-DLS). We also have an electronic nose and headspace GC-MS to detect changes in food volatile profiles

Gas Flux Monitoring

A cutting-edge autochamber platform for unprecedented GHG analyser application in field experiments

University of York:

Next-Generation Mobile Isotope-Ratio Greenhouse Gas Laboratory (GasLab)

Mobile laboratory (Gladiss the GasLab) allows quantification at high precision of i) fluxes of the major greenhouse and trace gases (CO2 , CH4 , N2O and NH3 ) from land surfaces, ii) isotope ratios of both carbon and nitrogen (i.e. relative abundance of 13C and 15N) in CO2 , CH4 , and N2O fluxes, including isotopologues of CO2 and N2O, and iii) quantification of total carbon and 13C in liquids and solids, and iv) supporting key meteorological data. The 4×4 vehicle can operate remotely and is available for hire to the scientific community. The vehicle will be available for use by researchers and businesses alike for investigation and quantification of greenhouse gas fluxes from agri-ecosystems, forestry, and other land-use types

University of Manchester:

Soil Moisture and Soil Respiration Chambers

Lancaster University:

Newcastle University:

  • Contact: James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Facilities: TDR soil moisture probe – topsoil moisture (0-20cm) measurement; COSMOS-UK site on-farm – stationary wide area soil moisture sensor

 

Gamma Radiometer

Gamma radiometer (SoilOptix from Practical Precision Inc.) (Only known instrument in the UK to measure emissions of naturally occurring gamma radiation which is linked to soil type/genesis)

Newcastle University:

 

Electrical Conductivity of the Soil

DualEM-2s electromagnetic induction sensor – high resolution maps of the electrical conductivity of the soil at 4 different depths which relates to soil texture

Newcastle University:

GasLab

Mobile greenhouse gas laboratory (GasLab): a bespoke 4 x 4 vehicle with capacity to measure greenhouse gas (N2O, CH4, CO2) and trace gas (NH3) fluxes in situ, and analyse the isotopic composition of these gases

University of Manchester:

Newcastle University:

  • Contact: Farm Director James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Outstations Manager Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Facilities: 2 Fixed wing QUEST UAVs with thermal and multispectral imaging capabilities (high quality research projects); Photography drone- Phantom D

Newcastle University:

  • Contact: Farm Director James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Outstations Manager Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Facilities: Ground-based Syntheic Aperature Radar (NERC infrastructure), the only ground based SAR in the UK; High precision GPS equipment including ordnance survey site; Leica reference site and university carrier-phase GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) for high precision ground observations

Photosynthesis and phenotyping facilities

Lancaster University:

  • Contact: Ian Dodd; i.dodd@lancaster.ac.uk; +44 (0)1524 593809
  • Facilities: Eight Infrared Gas Analysers are used for medium and low throughput photosynthesis measurements in various experimental settings, including glasshouses, controlled CO2 cabinets, field and in parallel with online mass spectroscopy-linked growth facilities aimed at understanding plant-atmospheric chemistry interactions. One system is allocated to a whole plant gas exchange chamber that can regulate the evaporative demand the plants are exposed to (Jauregui et al. 2018; Plant Methods 14, 97). The photosynthesis systems are used to measure CO2 assimilation, transpiration, respiration, chlorophyll fluorescence, and provide a sampling platform for plant emitted VOCs.

Services including: Metabarcoding (e.g. for studies of eDNA, species diversity, diet analysis, parasite screening), SNP marker development and typing, Microsatellite marker development and typing, High-throughput DNA extraction, Quantitative PCR (including telomere length analysis) and Genotyping by sequencing

University of Sheffield:

Soil Physical Properties Analysis

Determination of physical properties of soil samples. Including particle size classification & distribution, saturated permeability of samples, grain size in aqueous suspension, raw fibre analysis & X-ray CT scanning

University of Leeds:

University of Manchester:

Lancaster University:

  • Website: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/research/research-facilities/
  • Contact: Prof Andrew Binley; a.binley@lancaster.ac.uk; +44 (0)1524 593927
  • Facility: X-ray CT (Computerised Tomography) creates 3D or 2D images of an object through X-ray attenuation. The non-invasive technique, widely used in medicine, is now commonly used for investigating and characterising materials in other fields. Our system is a Xtek CT 160Xi scanner, which is capable of up to 5-micron resolution and can image objects (with a lower resolution) up to 75 mm diameter and 150 mm in length. Mainly used for the characterisation of soil and rock samples to help understand the physical structures that control fluid and gas transport processes in these porous media.

University of Sheffield:

  • Facility: Sheffield Universities teams have a long history in assessing effects of crop and other land managements on soil function and soil health.  They deploy a wide range of techniques including traditional analyses for nutrients, metal contaminants, soil structure and biological activity measures allied to stable isotope and other soil functional assays and assessments of links to soil communities.
  • Contact: Duncan Cameron; d.cameron@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Contact: Jonathan Leake; j.r.leake@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Contact: Tim Daniell; t.j.daniell@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Contact: Gareth Phoenix; g.phoenix@sheffield.ac.uk

Soil & Water Chemical Properties Analysis

Determination of chemical properties of soil & water samples. Including analysis of nutrients, carbon, stable isotopes, anions & elemental analysis in liquid & solid samples

University of Leeds:

University of Manchester:

Lancaster University:

 

Soil Microbial Community Composition and Diversity Analysis

University of Manchester:

University of Sheffield:

  • Facility: Sheffield has a dedicated suite of labs for the assessment of microbial community dynamics linking with their associated soil functions and soil health.  This includes access to high throughput sample and sequence analyses and their associated bioinformatic demands and other low cost alternatives including real time PCR.
  • Contact: Duncan Cameron; d.cameron@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Contact: Tim Daniell; t.j.daniell@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Contact: Helen Hipperson; h.hipperson@sheffield.ac.uk

Smart Agri-Systems

Smart Agri-Systems provides innovative, multi-discipline, systems-based solutions to help industry navigate the complex future challenges for sustainable development of global food production. Smart Agri-Systems offers an integrated, solutions-focused approach to tackling multi-faceted challenges across the food system: from the farm, through the supply chain, to the consumer. Smart Agri-Systems combines data and expertise on supply chains and logistics, consumer behaviour, health outcomes, environmental monitoring, international law, trade and business to provide sustainable whole system solutions, from field to fork.

University of Leeds:

A greenhouse-based, purpose-built facility comprising 100-200 balances (different loads / greenhouse configurations are possible) across 2 independent greenhouses (with separate environmental regulation) that are continuously logging water consumption (Ryan et al. 2016; Plant Science 251, 101-109)

Lancaster University:

Weather stations with long term historic data collection based at N8 Universities

Newcastle University:

  • Met Office Station: Cockle Park
  • Contact: Farm Director James Standen; James.standen@ncl.ac.uk; +44(0) 191 2082288 or +44 (0) 1661 830222
  • Contact: Outstations Manager Teresa Jordon; nu.farms@newcastle.ac.uk; +44 (0) 191 2084689 or +44 (0) 7749 434121
  • Description: Founded in 1897. Both a meteorological enclosure and a phenological garden. Conducting the longest running grazing and hay cutting experiment in the world that was started in 1896, and has also researched the effects of climate change on hay yield.

Lancaster University: 

  • Met Office Station: Hazelrigg 
  • Website: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/research/research-facilities/
  • Description: Daily weather observations have been made at Lancaster University since 1966 providing a continuous, very high-quality record. This record is included in world climate reports and in the analysis of long terms trends by the World Meteorological Organisation
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