The Managing Editor of Biosystems Engineering, Dr Steve Parkin, has kindly summarised a selection of the papers published in the last Biosystems three issues which he thinks will be of interest to IAgrE members Biosystems Engineering Engineering Volume 151, November 2016, Pages 200–217 Review Mechanisms of natural ventilation in livestock buildings: Biosystems Engineering, owned by Perspectives on past achievements and future challenges IAgrE, and the Offi cial Scientifi c Journal Li Ronga, Bjarne Bjerg, Thomas Batzanas, Guoqiang Zhang Aarhus University, Denmark of EurAgEng, is published monthly with University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark occasional special issues. Institute of Research and Technology Thessaly, Volos, Greece Studies on the mechanisms of natural ventilation in livestock buildings are reviewed and infl uences on discharge and pressure coeffi cients are discussed. Compared industrial buildings and buildings for human occupation our understanding of the mechanisms involved in natural ventilation of livestock buildings is limited to the application of the orifi ce equation. It has been observed that the assumptions made for using the orifi ce equation are not valid for wind-induced cross ventilation through large openings. This review identifi es that the power balance model, the concept of stream tube and the local dynamic similarity model has helped in the fundamental understanding of wind-induced natural ventilation in buildings for human occupation and industrial buildings. These concepts have distinguished the fl ow through large openings from that of ‘cracks’, which is where the orifi ce equation is normally used for prediction of airfl ow rate. More fi eld measurements on the effect of wind turbulence on ventilation rate and research on bidirectional fl ow at openings are required.

Biosystems Engineering Volume 152, December 2016, Pages 41–50 Special Issue: Proximal Soil Sensing Microscope-based computer vision to characterise soil texture and soil organic matter Bharath Sudarsan, Wenjun Ji, Asim Biswas, Viacheslav Adamchuk McGill University, Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada Reduced subscriptions are available to Characterisation and quantifi cation of soil properties are important for the optimum use and management of soil. While soil texture members of IAgrE. is an important factor for decision making in agriculture, civil engineering and other industries, soil organic matter (SOM) is To view the full article list of the current the backbone of soil health and quality and also affects a range edition, visit: of other soil properties and processes. Traditional methods for estimating these soil properties are time consuming and www.sciencedirect.com/science/ laborious. This paper discloses the design and development of a journal/15375110 new cost effective in situ computer vision-based sensor system to estimate soil texture and SOM. A small and inexpensive hand-held microscope was used to develop an image acquisition system. For further details of the depth and breadth Images acquired in laboratory with variable texture and SOM were processed using means of geospatial data analysis based computer of articles accepted for publication in vision algorithm. Biosystems Engineering, visit: www.journals.elsevier.com/ Biosystems Engineering Volume 153, January 2017, Pages 63–69 biosystems-e engineering/ Early and non-intrusive lameness detection in dairy cows using 3-dimensional video K. Abdul Jabbar, Mark F. Hansen, Melvyn L. Smith, For details of the preferential rates for Lyndon N. Smith members for subscriptions to both the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, University of the West of England, paper and electronic versions of Biosystems Bristol, United Kingdom Engineering, visit the IAgrE website at: Lameness is a major issue in dairy herds and its early and automated detection offers animal welfare benefi ts together www.iagre.org/publications/bioeng with potentially high commercial savings for farmers. Current advancements in automated detection have not achieved a sensitive measure for classifying early lameness. A novel proxy for lameness using 3-dimensional (3D) depth video data to analyse the animal’s gait asymmetry is introduced. This dynamic proxy is derived from the height variations in the hip joint during walking. The video capture setup is completely covert and it facilitates an automated process. The animals are recorded using an overhead 3D depth camera as they walk freely in single fi le after the milking session. A 3D depth image of the cow’s body is used to automatically track key regions such as the hooks and the spine. The height movements are calculated from these regions to form the locomotion signals of this study, which are analysed using a Hilbert transform. Using a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) binary classifi cation model, the threshold achieved an accuracy of 95.7% with a 100% sensitivity (detecting lame cows) and 75% specifi city (detecting non-lame cows).

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LWSpring17_p2.indd 2 04/03/2017 07:00 Landwards Spring 2017

EDITORIAL: SOCIAL CHALLENGES

here are certain words and phrases alternative to both the threat of a that often defy logical analysis. diminishing labour force and the cost TImmigration is one, the National pressures in today’s competitive food Health Service another. market. To that you might add the word Robots, However, all those at the sharp-end particularly when Reform, a right-of- of research recognise that for many centre think-tank produced a report harvesting procedures, it is extremely earlier this year claiming that ‘250,000 difficult to replicate the skills and public sectors workers could lose their judgement of human involvement, jobs to robots over the next 15 years’. particularly for more delicate crops. Even that prediction was dwarfed by a As ever, integration is the key. The general CHRIS BIDDLE Editor forecast from Andy Haldane, the Bank of public have little appreciation of the sheer [email protected] England’s chief economist last November scale of robotics already embedded in our that ‘up to 15 million jobs were at risk of society - and probably won’t have until Landwards is published quarterly being lost to a new age of robots’. the day that the receptionist at a Premier by: IAgrE, The Bullock Building, Experience shows that such sweeping Inn fixes them with rather glassy stare and University Way, Cranfield, Bedford statements tend to be akin to earlier a jerky movement when handing over the MK43 0GH Telephone: + 44 (0) 1234 750876 predictions that computers would lead to key-card (come to think of it . . !). E-mail: [email protected] the ‘paper-less office’ and more leisure This month we focus (but hardly scratch time – or that the NHS would need the surface) of some of the current work President Dr Robert Merrall MIAgrE, Eng D less beds as the nation grew fitter and with robotics in agri-tech. healthier. However, it is clear that from the Chief Executive and Secretary The fact is that robotic technology warnings issued by the Bank of England Alastair Taylor IEng CEnv MIAgrE abounds in all strands of society. From and others that the long term impact of IAgrE is a founder member of EurAgEng, a licensed body of the Engineering Council voice-recognition telephone answering robots will be on the social fabric of our and a founder constituent of the Society to virtually every manufacturing process nations, rather than on technological for the Environment where robotics have long provided cost- challenges. effective solutions in mass production. Chris Biddle Within agriculture, it is accepted that Editor robotics will inevitably provide the [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE Volume 72, Number 1 2017

ENGINEERING COUNCIL LEARNING AT THE SHARP PLOTMECH 2017 New CEO and Chairman END New insight into Demo for field trials 4 appointed 10 agricultural engineering 12 professionals

OTHER FEATURES Biosystems Engineering...... 2 News ...... 3-8 CEO View...... 9 President’s Musings...... 11 NFU Feed the Future...... 14 ROBOTICS FEATURE...... 15-23 DBT Page...... 24 Last Word...... 25 Branch Reports...... 26-31 500 YEARS OF ROBOTS Membership ...... 32-33 New exhibition at Science BROCCOLI HARVESTING 16 Museum 18 Robotic trials at Lincoln Events...... 34-35

LANDWARDS PRODUCTION TEAM The views and opinions expressed in individual quoted or reported on condition that full credit is given contributions are not those necessarily those of IAgrE to Landwards and to the author together with the EDITOR: Chris Biddle or the Editor. date of publication and volume number. In the interest Tel: 44 (0) 7785 295625 The views and opinions expressed in individual of factual reporting, reference to trade names and [email protected] contributions are not those necessarily those of IAgrE proprietry products may be inevitable. No endorsement or the Editor. Landwards is compiled from information of the named products or manufacturers is intended DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: received by IAgrE, but no responsibility can be accepted and no adverse criticism is implied of similar products Martin Hebditch by the governing Council, the Publishers or the Editor which are not mentioned. in respect of any errors or omissions. The Editor does © Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) ISSN PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF IAgrE BY: reserve the right to edit any material sent to the journal 1363-8300 Company Registration # 648041 Charity Chris Biddle Media for publication. Material from this publication may be # 257303

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Contents.indd 3 06/03/2017 11:14 RAE reportcover LWSpring2017_News.indd 4 4 IAgrE News Spring 2017 it is for engineers it isforengineers I knowhowessential for overthree decades, infrastructure projects on international Having worked engineering profession. and promoting the work ofregulating organisation’s crucial and takeforward the Engineering Council delighted tojointhe He says:“Iam component. for thecivilengineering develop andwritethecoursematerial Speed RailinBirmingham,tohelp the newNationalCollegeforHigh completing aninterimassignmentfor join theEngineeringCouncilafter leaving attheendof2016.Hewill having commencedin2015and Director, SouthEast,atNetworkRail Alasdair wasRouteManaging Chemical Engineers. up asimilarrole attheInstitutionof replacing JonPrichard whohastaken step intotherole on13March 2017 new ChiefExecutiveOfficerandwill appointed theEngineeringCouncil’s CEng FICEMCIHTCMIOSHhasbeen Alasdair CoatesBEng(Hons)MSc Alastair Coatesreplaces JonPritchard NEW CEOFORENGINEERINGCOUNCIL the worldneed more foodtosurvive; solutions. Peopleinsomeparts of the appropriate interdisciplinary and biosystemsengineerstodiscover climate changerequire agricultural presented bypopulationboomand in afastmovingera.Thechallenges elected Fellows. Engineering (iAABEandcomposedof of AgriculturalandBiosystems Academy established theInternational world. entrepreneurs around the scientists, professors and contributions madebyour the mostsignificant lead toacknowledge engineering, takesthe agricultural andbiosystems strong impactinglobal technical sectionsanda membership, sevenprofessional academic organisationwithalarge Engineering (CIGR),asaglobal of AgriculturalandBiosystems Commission The International In astatementitsays“We are now For thispurpose,CIGRhas CIGR launches new International Academy of Agricultural AcademyofAgricultural CIGR launchesnewInternational and Biosystems Engineering. and BiosystemsEngineering. Halcrow &Partners.In2003hewas Engineers, thenwithSirWilliam and CompanyConsulting initially withHusband infrastructure projects implementation of management and the planning,design, 30 years’experiencein Alasdair hasmore than industries” of changeintoday’s particularly withthepace and improving theirskills, constantly developing be competentand and techniciansto Recognise • The focusofiAABEisto: elected president. Professor Da-Wen Sunbeingthefirst academy are CIGRFellows,with betterment ofglobaldevelopment” and equipmenttorealise its efficient resources needadvancedtechnology valuable energy;limitedwater need newtechnologytobecome urban garbageandindustrialwaste Alasdair agricultural and biosystems agricultural and biosystems contributions toadvance that havemadeexceptional the field.Theseare individuals entrepreneurial contributions to by thescientific,pr The foundingmembersofthe Coates of our life, and for the of ourlife,andforthe improvement ofthequality our professional lifeforthe manufacture. We devote and equipmentdesign advance technologyresearch share theresponsibility to biosystems engineers,we Therefore asagriculturaland utilisation andsustainability.

individuals before joiningNetwork Director, Transportation, Operations International Alasdair wasthe by CH2MIN2011, Group’s acquisition Following Halcrow Director forEurope. Regional Managing Board Director and years appointedGroup and overthefollowing for Halcrow Group Ltd Transportation Business Director ofthe appointed Managing ofessional and ofessional and

distinguished

Chris Atkin two years. than 20Fellowswillbeelected every nomination totheAcademy. Nomore of theAcademymustsponsor a Congress Conference. orInternational months leadinguptoaCIGRWorld Executive Councilduringthetwelve can besubmittedtotheAcademy’s Nominations forelectionasFellows for electionasaniAABEFellow. leadership inthedisciplineare eligible for theiraccomplishmentsand/or established anoutstandingreputation Persons recognised ashaving • Stimulate • • President untilMay2017. the Institution,includingasitscurrent has undertakenanumberofroles for the RoyalAeronautical Society and Trustees in2015. HeisaFellowof the EngineeringCouncil’s Board of City, University ofLondon,joined of Aeronautical Engineering at Professor Atkin,whoisProfessor in postfor6years. FIMarEST MIMAFREngwhohasbeen Admiral NigelGuildCBCEngFIET over from thecurrent ChairmanRear Meeting inJune2017andtakes the organisation’s AnnualGeneral Council. Hewillstepintotherole at next ChairmanoftheEngineering CEng FRAeshasbeenelectedasthe Foster • The CIGRPresidium oraFellow making atthehighestlevels. to policy, strategyanddecision competence thatcanpr Create and training. solution ofglobalproblems. engineering asacontributortothe Promote exchange ofinformation. and industry.and engineering inresearch, education Prof.

inter an

agricultural

international identifiable national Professor ChrisAtkin appointment, In afurther committee. local ICEmembership and memberofhis and Studentsection chair oftheGraduate having previously been Civil Engineers(ICE), of theInstitution and activemember Alasdair isaFellow Rail.

cooperation

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education ovide input ovide input

biosystems

of

04/03/2017 07:24

and

IAgrE News Spring 2017 5 04/03/2017 07:24

d tractors and

and 38 tonne

40

disadvantage to

Presentation of IVEL award for restrictions “Weight countries like Germany and France who benefit from limits respectively” DfT’s announcement has put vital DfT’s in jeopardy. on this regulation progress trailers in other countries far surpass put our own 31 tonne limit. We’re at a competitive decided in 2007 that it would be fitting for the Institution to celebrate the name of Dan Albone and the memory of the Ivel tractor by making using the Ivel name. an annual award should be for a new product or should be for a new product innovation which will have the most positive impact on the environment. The committee felt that this awar ector It is these

Prolan, an Prolan,

The NFU is calling on the DfT to board NFU combinable crops The IAgrE Awards committee The IAgrE Awards The judges said: the product has The judges said: the product Nigel Bottom managing dir consultation for over eight years, further trailer weight working towards as part of the ‘Phase 2’ of increases February on 3rd changes. However, 2017 the DfT announced that it will further with regulatory not proceed change. behind this and explain the reasoning with the farming engage transparently industry on the next steps for this important issue. chairman Mike Hambly said: “The has board, NFU, with the crops with the DfT for worked effectively many years on updating decades- on tractor and trailer old regulation weights and speeds, making progress in moving to 31 tonnes and 40kph. green credentials that got the product that got the product credentials green range shortlisted for this year’s in the LAMMA Innovation awards category.” environmental environmentally friendly, protective protective friendly, environmentally incredibly lubricant that provides rust and from long lasting protection corrosion. multi industry worldwide appreciation against rust, corrosion for protecting and galvanitic attack. Developed from an agricultural waste, researched and formulated it can be applied in a number of ways to a very wide range of equipment. is completely natural, said, “Prolan and non-toxic and non-carcinogenic so surpasses other petrochemical environmentally as a safer, products sustainable alternative. or environmental innovation or environmental called for a product have ) have C C Alastair Taylor o Alastair Taylor e ontractors (NAA C

esident Dr Robert Merrall were were esident Dr Robert Merrall LAMMA IAGRE AT AT IAGRE More than 40,000 visitors More and It was the first show since Brexit Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, group “After a couple of difficult years The Witham manufacturers Group, WEIGHT LIMIT INCREASE SHELVED NFU and Contractors Association ask DfT for explanation IVEL Award presented to presented IVEL Award for its Prolan Witham Group lubricant n 9 March 2015 the law on tractor n 9 March speed and weights changed. This ‘Phase 1’ of amendments increased the maximum combination weight of a tractor and single trailer from 24.39 tonnes to 31 tonnes. However, the maximum laden weight of trailers unchanged at 18.29 remained tonnes. The NFU and the NAA been involved in negotiations and O The National Farmers Union (NFU) and the National Association of Agricultural expressed disappointment at the expressed the Department for decision from (Dft) saying that they will Transport with ‘Phase 2’ of no longer proceed to the combination weight increases limits of agricultural tractors and trailers. descended on the East of Englanddescended on the East on 18-19 January to Showground the 900 exhibitors from view around farm machinery and equipment sector. reported organisers Briefing Media of cautious optimism an atmosphere among exhibitors and visitors, due to commodity prices as a the improved the vote. of result head of events for Briefing Media, delighted were commented: “We by the success of LAMMA 2017. able to see a number of Visitors were new launches at the show and our sponsors and exhibitors have fed back both by the impressed that they were number of visitors and also by the of the conversations positive nature held. many were in the market, there business instances of this, with real being done at the show.” of a huge range of commercial lubricants and paints won the new product for best Ivel Award out in force at this years’ LAMMA out in force busy proved show with a stand that the event. throughout IAGRE staff led by c IAGRE staff and Pr LWSpring2017_News.indd 5 LWSpring2017_News.indd 6 6 IAgrE News Spring 2017 ProVQ, whichcelebratesits 25 scheme, managedbytrainingprovider award winningapprenticeship the latestintakeforcompany’s technicians havebeenregistered in John Deere’s firstfemaleandforestry and sponsoring dealers attended an and sponsoringdealersattendedan John Deere Forestry inCarlisle. Coates andMatthewMcPhersonof Zoe ParkerofdealerBenBurgess apprenticeship programmes, including Parts Tech andTurf Tech advanced training inthework-basedAgTech, signed uptobegintheirfirstyearof anniversary thisyear. IAGRE SURVEY IAGRE SURVEY JOHN DEEREAPPRENTICEINTAKE First female and forestry registrants First femaleandforestry “There are someserious questions meet thischallenge. snapshot of how fit businesses are to questioning engineerstogeta Launched atLAMMA,IAgrEis now Agri-Tech systems develop.” opportunities thatwillariseasnew and manufacturingsupplychain is todeveloptheengineering looking athowready UKindustry CEO AlastairTaylor says“We willbe designed toanswerthisquestion. IAgrE haslaunchedasurvey funding? government’s Agri-Tech strategy ideas evolvingasaresult ofthe a positiontodeveloptheinnovative manufacturing companieswillbein How manyUKengineeringand The apprentices, theirfamilies A totalof34

apprentices have

th

at the sponsoring dealership, with at thesponsoringdealership,with deliver trainingintheworkplace, and turfmachineryprogramme to was thefirstland-basedagricultural dealer apprentices. specifically andsolelyforJohnDeere apprentice trainingfacility, designed industry’s firstandonlypurpose-built This istheBritishagriculture andturf Radcliffe-on-Trent inNottinghamshire. Apprentice Training Centre atnearby They alsovisitedthenewJohnDeere with thelatestGatorutilityvehicles. the branchandaride&drivesession headquarters andwere given atourof induction dayatJohnDeere’s Langar Innovate UK. departmentssuchas government opportunities availablefrom and usethegrantfunding whether companiesunderstand introducing newtechnologiesand engineers overcome anybarriersto of educationandtraininghow The surveywillalsocoveraspects robotics?” addedAlastair. 3D printing,novelsensorsand coding, electronics applications, such asrapidprototyping, computer they wellplacedtousetechnologies are comingoutofAgriTech. Are embracing theopportunitieswhich and manufacturingcompaniesare wonder howmanyengineering to beasked.Forexample,I John Deere’s apprenticeship scheme Embracing Agi-Tech opportunities

systems-survey www.iagre.org/agri-tech- The surveycanbeaccessedat security.” agriculture todeliverglobalfood – akeydisciplineenabling and called“AgriculturalEngineering Chief ScientificAdviserandothers discussions withtheGovernment‘s published in2012wasstimulatedby prepared bytheInstitution.Thefirst, This newreport isthesecondtobe Strategy. for Business,EnergyandIndustrial Department with thegovernment results willbeanalysedandshared agricultural engineeringindustry, the As wellasreporting tothe nationwide dealernetwork. and beenemployedinthecompany’s through allthetrainingprogrammes than 600apprentices have graduated first programme startedin 1992,more apprenticeship programme. Sincethe made toanagriculturalmachinery the endof1997,onlyoneever won aNationalTraining Award at to beintroduced intheUK and Centre. place atthenewApprentice Training Additional blockrelease training takes ProVQ’s teamofexpertassessors. assessment andguidancefrom Ag Tech wasthefirstsuchscheme

04/03/2017 07:24 IAgrE News Spring 2017 7 04/03/2017 07:24 on in the agriculture industry - do on in the agriculture something practical, get paid but also a qualification. At the end of receive will the apprentices the programme work for their dealerships. They will be trained as dealership technicians good - they could are and prospects be earning £40,000/£50,000 a year. ABOVE: James Booth receives Keith from BAGMA’s Award Christian AGCO Apprentices BELOW:

Duncan Russell

Commenting, NAAC ChairmanCommenting, NAAC National Sprayer Test Scheme, as Scheme, Test National Sprayer as Services role part of his previous Manager at The Agricultural (AEA). Engineers Association will beMartins Hays said, “Duncan with lots ofan asset to the NAAC, grass roots industry contacts and confident he are experience. We our will be capable of representing at the highest possible interests ourlevel, working alongside Jill Hewitt and Consultant, Technical Cox.” Louise Membership Officer, Tony Linfield, AGCO’s training Linfield, AGCO’s Tony development manager said, “We want to encourage youngsters to stay James Booth, based at B&B’s Tideswell James Booth, based at B&B’s picked up the depot in Derbyshire, of the Year Apprentice prestigious while his colleague Jonathan Award, head Cook, based at the company’s collected the Most depot in Warsop, of the Year Apprentice Improved Award. The other key winner on the day was Glasgow-based Matt Griffin, who was voted by his peers as the Apprentices’ of the Year. Apprentice The big winners on the day, B&B The big winners on the day, Nottinghamshire, of Warsop, Tractors comments. The echoed Mr Pullan’s Massey Ferguson, Challenger and Fendt dealership has four depots covering a customer base over eight pick counties, and saw apprentices at the up two of the key awards ceremony.

Duncan has a wealth of

NAAC APPOINT DUNCAN RUSSELL DUNCAN APPOINT NAAC The National Association ofThe National (NAAC) hasAgricultural Contractors Executive,appointed a new Chief from Duncan Russell, effective January 2017. Duncan will be In his new role, for driving the NAAC responsible and ensuring that the forward in role Association takes a proactive in thesensitive political negotiations contracting supporting coming year, to raisemembers and continuing profile. the Association’s agricultural experience after seventeen years running the

The importance of high service levels at agricultural dealerships is success of the crucial to the future and this is underpinned by industry, the emergence of newly qualified dealership technicians. That was message outlined at the the strong Awards AGCO Academy Apprentice held on 15 December 2016. ceremony AGCO Apprentices highlights opportunities Awards the key “New technicians are component to the success of our dealership networks, so we place huge investment in the as do our dealers. But apprenticeships, equally we get the returns in terms of the most skilled technicians coming out at the end of their training.” Freddie Pullan, AGCO’s technical AGCO’s Pullan, Freddie told the audience training manager, that the investment AGCO places scheme is in its apprenticeships plans, fundamental to its future particularly in the crucial UK and Irish markets. LWSpring2017_News.indd 7 LWSpring2017_News.indd 8 8 IAgrE News Spring 2017 customer baseforCLAASTractors. harvesters, andhasarapidlygrowing harvesters andself-propelled forage the marketleaderforbothcombine throughout theUKandIreland andis CLAAS UK. employers,” saysTrevor Tyrrell, CEOof where weare nowoneofthelargest in theUK,andalsotowestSuffolk their commitmenttobothCLAAS and theClaasfamilyhaveshown building, boththeCLAASGroup “By givinggo-aheadforthisnew prominent positionalongsidetheA14. agricultural industryandalsothesite’s importance ofCLAASwithintheUK building thatreflects boththe the constructionofanew, signature thiswillbe and MANNSsite.Within redevelopment oftheexisting CLAAS project willseethecomplete years, themulti-millionpound near BuryStEdmunds,Suffolk. Saxham ontheBusinessPark CLAAS UKandtheirdealerMANNSof of-the-art headquartersbuildingfor for theconstructionofanew, state- The CLAASGroup hasgiven approval year to158.3hp. to increase witha0.8%riselast The averagesizeofunitcontinues a year-on-year drop of9.8%. following afirsthalfthat recorded see asubstantialimprovement than adecadethesecondhalfdid lowest annualunittotalformore The AEAsayalthoughthisisthe of 13.4%to515units. month Decembershowedafall of theprevious year. Asasingle decrease of2.2%from thelevel reached 10,602unitsin2016,a agricultural tractors(over50hp) announced thatregistrations of Association (AEA)has The Lowest totalforadecade TRACTOR SALES Includes Technoparc machineryshowroom NEW CLAASHQPLANNED “When thecurrent buildingwas CLAAS UKemploysover400people Over thecourseofnextfive Agricultural Engineers Agricultural Engineers

Statistician and Daniel Fasham, Statistician andDanielFasham, Equipment, GrahamStannard, specialising inOutdoorPower Theodora Levanti-RoweasEconomist established economicsteamwith Horizon reports. Hejoinsan already the organisation’s highly-acclaimed of Brexit, includingcontributing to in AHDB’s workontheimplications Stephen hasbeencloselyinvolved covering bothdairyandarable. worked closelywithcolleagues in thered meatsectorsbuthehas specialism hasbeenmore recently Intelligence divisionoftheAHDB.His a halfyearsworkingintheMarket markets, havingspentthelast5and of knowledgeaboutagricultural Stephen bringswithhimawealth bodies. committeesand on severalexternal Council andwillrepresent theindustry secretariat totheFarmEquipment industry. Hewillalsobeproviding the intelligence forthefarmequipment economic analysisandmarket Stephen willbespecialisingin Economist. (AEA) teamasthenewAgricultural Agricultural EngineersAssociation Stephen Howarthhasjoinedthe Appointed AEAEconomist STEPHEN HOWARTH dealerships throughout the eastern dealerships throughout theeastern for theMANNSdealergroup withsix is atmaximumcapacity.” world,” statesTrevor Tyrrell. “Thesite receiving visitorsfrom around the the UKandIreland, inaddition to support todealershipsthroughout sales, service,partsandtraining for CLAASUK,itwouldbeproviding on siteandthatastheheadquarters now haveover100peopleworking imagined that50yearslaterwewould constructed, theywouldneverhave The site is also the headquarters The siteisalsotheheadquarters

for visitorstoCLAASUK. a strikingentranceandwelcomearea a displayarea forMANNS,butalsoas showroom, whichwillserve bothas is anewTechnoparc machinery expected in2020. take placeinphases,withcompletion The redevelopment ofthe site will customers everyyear. training daysfordealerpersonneland the site,whichprovides over 4,000 Academy trainingcentre is locatedon counties. Inaddition,theCLAAS organisation.” which wenowhaveinplaceatthe to theMarketInformationteam specialist knowledgeandstrength will addgreat valuebybringing Stephen hasdecidedtojoinus.He “We are delightedattheAEAthat Ruth Bailey, CEOoftheAEAsaid, career statistician. asagovernment Inspectorateandstartedhis Learning Midlands RegionalObservatory, Adult sector. HeworkedfortheWest economic research roles inthepublic a numberofstatisticalandsocio- Before joiningAHDB,Stephenheld Business Analyst. A centralfeature ofthedesign

04/03/2017 07:24

Refl ections on a changing world

LAMMA, LOOKING AND LEARNING Shortage of suitable staff and access to apprentices remain real concerns

must confess that I am no great fan of agricultural Alastair Taylor IEng CEnv MIAgrE shows. A show, outdoors, in January doesn’t really Iappeal too much. July any day (although I do recall how UK based Engineering and getting very, very wet at the old Royal Show on more Manufacturing is placed to move I certainly learnt than one occasion). All of this said, I confess to having things forward. really enjoying my two days at LAMMA in January this Those people I met were that I should never year. OK it was dull, and cold, and an 0530 start on two certainly keen to engage. stand between a consecutive days does take its toll. In short, IAgrE want to help IAgrE had joined forces with our friends in the by giving Government the manufacturer and Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) and the British information they need to target potential sale! Agriculture and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA) funding to best effect. We to have three stands in a row with a fourth stand are particularly interested in identifying where we do to promote the work of the Landbased Engineering have capacity as well as the barriers which need to be Training and Education addressed. The four key questions we asked were. Had I been a Committee. It was a great · What is your company’s capability to take on success and wonderful to see innovative AgriTech concepts and develop them to farmer looking so many IAgrE members and production and deployment? to buy a tractor friends calling by to say hello. I · What barriers exist to achieving the above aspiration? think the secretariat staff have · What appetite is there for the wider advanced and just about thawed out. high value manufacturing sectors to expand into Agri My normal attitude towards agricultural shows was Tech developments? changed by the fact that I had a reason to be there. · What training, development and support will be Having a stand is one thing but the opportunity to spend required to help your business overcome the challenge the time with the President meeting exhibitors was very of converting innovative ideas into manufacture and useful. Had I been a farmer looking to buy a tractor, I am production? sure there would have been plenty to choose from and the opportunity to see all things gathered together in I am looking forward to analysing the fi ndings of this one place is quite a rare opportunity. survey. One always commences a project like this with a thought that you might already know some of the My main purpose was to talk to the UK Engineers answers and I am sure there will be some areas where I and Manufacturers exhibiting at the show. This proved am accurate in my hypothesis. However I do hope there hard for a couple of reasons. Firstly, identifying them are new answers and solutions which we can share with was a little depressing. It was a case of taking the list our members and the wider audience. of exhibitors and highlighting those engineers and One common theme from the UK Engineers and manufacturers from the UK. Unfortunately, the list is not Manufactures I met was the shortage of skilled staff as long as you would hope but amongst them are some and a lack of access to apprentices in Performing very well established brands and some real history. The Manufacturing Operations (PMO) which is the name second challenge was to engage in conversation – not of the qualifi cation often followed by those looking to because they are shy but because they were very busy work in this area. There is a message for us here in that with customers. I certainly learnt that I should never all the work we have done to promote apprenticeship in stand between a manufacturer and potential sale! land based engineering and link this to the Land based The reason for the conversation was to tell them about Technician Accreditation Scheme (LTA) is all very well a survey which have been running. Our question is to but we have a new job on the agenda which is to help determine the challenges associated with developing and employers secure the people they need with the skills to implementing some of the new innovation coming out work in machine shops and with fabrication. of the Governments Agri-Tech strategy and in particular We have a big task on our hands.

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LWSpring16_CEO.indd 9 06/03/2017 10:02 LEARNING AT THE SHARP-END New scheme provides students with an insight into agricultural engineering Geoffrey Bond OBE DL

n 2016 I had the which specialise in engineering, one recently created is privilege of being called NUAST (Nottingham University Academy of Science Ithe President & Technology) which specialises in teaching young people of the Newark & all branches of engineering, who can choose to go into Nottinghamshire apprenticeships or on to University. We need more of these Agricultural Society ‘engineering-focused’ academies. which in May each In order to give young people an opportunity to consider year holds The a career in agricultural engineering we have set up a Nottinghamshire traineeship scheme in the East Midlands, in the counties County Show. In of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. (The preparation for my year Midlands Agricultural Engineering Traineeship and as President, I spent Apprenticeship Scheme) time in 2015 looking The Scheme gives youngsters time during their school at the agricultural holiday with an agricultural engineering company in Geoffrey Bond OBE DL is a retired engineering industry, the hope that they will realise what great opportunities lawyer and businessman who has which was a are presented by the industry. The summer of 2016 saw a longstanding and wide ranging completely new world a number of young people taking up such placement interest in the arts and heritage. He to me. opportunities. This year we will at least double the number was one of the original experts on I realised in on such courses. Discussions with, in particular, smaller the Antiques Roadshow. Amongst attending events agricultural engineering companies has shown great his many offi ces he has been Chair such as the Midlands support for the Scheme. I hope that other agricultural of MLA (Museums, Libraries & Machinery Show, that societies around the country will set up similar initiatives. Archives) London, Sheriff of the City there was a great In addition, on a more formal level, in cooperation of London 2003/4, Chairman of the need for more young with Bob Sheldon, Chairman of the Midlands Machinery Treasures of the Livery Companies people to know about Show and Charles Szabo of Riseholme College, we are Exhibition 2012, and founder of the careers in agricultural also supporting those students already on an agricultural Lord Mayor of London’s Cultural engineering. It is my engineering apprenticeship course by encouraging them to Scholarship Scheme for young opinion that many win one of our awards. This means that anyone who wins people. enthusiastic youngsters an award will have a toolkit supplied which is so important at school leaving for their work. These apprentices, usually on a day release age are simply not aware of your industry. This means to agricultural educational institutions combine working that many capable young people are lost to other sectors with study and the ability to earn money, and not as in the without ever exploring the opportunities provided by case of many students at University, building up a debt to agricultural engineering. be repaid on qualifi cation. I have learned of the Careers & Enterprise Company British farmers make a huge contribution to our economy created by Government in 2014, which provided for and work in an increasingly sophisticated technological ‘Enterprise Coordinators’ working with schools on career world, they make use of precision farming techniques with guidance. However, critics say aspects of the £70m GPS systems, robotics and even drones. The challenge is to scheme could be better spent on training teachers to deliver the message to more young people that there is a deliver guidance in the classrooms. It must be sensible fi rst class career to be had in agricultural engineering. for specialist careers advisors, teachers and employers to work together on advising and showing what careers are available for young people. In visiting schools with colleagues we realised there was little information for young people about agricultural engineering and among the things that we have done to improve knowledge of the industry is to attend School Careers events. We have received good support from schools by being allowed to talk to both students and parents about opportunities presented by apprenticeships. Also, we have been able to arrange for groups of students to attend major agricultural engineering companies such as John Deere, who very kindly host the students, explaining the nature of the industry and showing them agricultural farming machinery operating in the new computer-led world. I am pleased to say in the East Midlands there are schools Work experience Students (photo courtesy of Craven College)

Responses to Landwards Feedback to the Editor [email protected]

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in this year’s autumn conference, A NEW and am championing a theme of decarbonising agricultural GLOBAL production. I know many people have thought long and hard about OUTLOOK what “sustainable intensifi cation” might look like, and I think that Enhanced prospects for looking at this from a standpoint high impact innovation of reducing the carbon footprint of food production should give us some greater insight. If anyone has IAgrE President ideas for topics, speakers or projects Dr ROBERT MERRALL President’s that could contribute to this, I MIAgrE, Eng D know the team at the Secretariat would be very pleased to hear from There is a famous quote attributed Musings you. This theme, I hope, gives us to fi lm producer Samuel Goldwyn the opportunity to hear from our that seems to have particular members whose interests are in resonance right now. “The harder high impact, and collaborative machinery design and manufacture, I work, the luckier I seem to get” innovation. This is thrown up in as well as our members who are - something I’ve thought about sharp relief when we consider the more engaged with environment a great deal, and we work in an long term global food security and management. Hopefully we can industry made up of hard working sustainability issues we all face. achieve a balanced programme people, many of whom deserve to Our Chief Executive, Alastair with broad appeal to our current get luckier. Taylor is presently working on membership and beyond. I am writing this en route to join an interesting project which our I am hopeful that as an Institution a British Foreign & Commonwealth institution has been commissioned our trajectory can continue to Offi ce trade mission in Beijing, to undertake by Government: a be one of growing infl uence, as which gives me the opportunity survey to examine how ready our trusted counsel for those who to refl ect on the nature of industry is to capitalise on new are tasked with making policy the commercial and research agri-tech opportunities. Specifi cally decisions that impact on all of us. opportunities currently presented this is looking to identify strengths Not to take any particular political to those of us working in agri-tech. and potential gaps in our sector’s position, but rather to offer our There is the real prospect of strong manufacturing capacity. If you are collective expertise in order to growth and investment in our asked to support this work, I’d ask harness our sector’s capacity for sector over the next couple of years. that you look at it as an opportunity innovation in ways which leave us Brexit is encouraging an (even) to infl uence Government policy all in a stronger, more sustainable more global outlook and whilst I which might unlock further stimulus position. We are living through was never that keen on departing or help ensure what encouragement truly interesting times and I have a from the EU, I recognise that there is available is targeted as effectively feeling things will have moved on are signs that the emerging climate as possible. signifi cantly by the time I write this will be one which encourages piece for the next Landwards. commercial investment and SUSTAINABILITY Wishing all our members every enhances prospects for dynamic, I am keen to focus on sustainability success in their endeavours.

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PLOTMECH 2017 Rothamsted showcases event for latest equipment and techniques for fi eld trial professionals Report by Dr Chris Watts IEng CEnv FIAgrE Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems, Rothamsted Research e were delighted to welcome 150 delegates to • Plot combine WRothamsted Research on 3 February 2017 for Plotmech2017, a demonstration and discussions of the latest equipment and techniques for fi eld trial professionals. Thousands of fi eld trials are conducted by universities as well as many research organisations, both commercial and government supported. These trials support research looking at a whole range of activities ranging from improving crop production to the effects of agricultural management on the environment. This industry has developed a whole range of specialist equipment and novel techniques and the event was organised by Rothamsted Research and supported by APH and Haldrup. APH are a Peterborough engineering

fi eld research sector. seeds, come in a range of coulter The morning discussions, chaired types, working widths and capable of by Martin Powell General Manager precision placement of seeds as well of APH, included a welcome by as offering the possibility for quickly Achim Doberman, Director and changing row spacing. CEO, Rothamsted Research who Plot combines are built to customer emphasised the increasing need for specifi cations, offering a alternative fi eld trials work utilizing the latest header types and size, on board grain engineering techniques. Field trials (plot and sub-sample) weighing and have been conducted at Rothamsted moisture determination systems, plus since the mid-19th century and many options to weigh or chop straw. As of the statistical methodologies used well as fi eld machinery, the company in the design and analysis of fi eld manufactures a range of laboratory experiments were developed here. based devices such as laboratory • Multi-spectral threshers seed counters and dressers. cameras PLOT DRILLS AND COMBINES The range of fi eld experiments Anna Sprinzl, sales director of Haldrup carried out at the four Rothamsted company and the UK and Ireland reviewed the wide range of specialist sites were described by Chris dealer for Haldrup, the German-based trials equipment the company MacKay is Field Trials Co-ordinator manufacturer of specialist machinery provides. Their range of plot drills at Rothamsted. The small team run - including seeders, plot combines, are designed to work with cereals, more than 70 fi eld experiments, harvesters and lab machines - for the oilseeds, grasses and vegetable planting and harvesting between

• Trial plots at Rothamsted

• Delegates at Plotmech

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These sensors utilise access tubes installed to a depth of 1.5 m which remain in-situ throughout the season. These tubes (200 + in some fi eld experiments) are visited at regular intervals to measure crop related changes in water content. This group are working with a small engineering company (HF Bond, Woodbridge, Suffolk) to mechanise the installation and extraction of access tubes and the taking of soil and soil/root cores without disturbing the surrounding • Plot drill at work crop. The fi nal talk was by Andrew Riche also from Rothamsted, describing 13,000 and 15,000 plots/year with a included surface imaging techniques; automatic trials monitoring by UAVs. whole range of arable crops. Included electrical resistive tomography (ERT), Rothamsted run a number of UAV in this number are the classical fi eld electromagnetic imaging (EMI) and drones fi tted with a suite of different experiments which have been running Acoustic/Seismic techniques. These sensors including high defi nition continuously since 1843 as well as methodologies are non-invasive but RGB (red green blue – conventional the small number of GM fi eld trials. allow us to build up a picture of crop cameras), thermal imaging, near Additionally, there infrared and multi- are 18 long- spectral cameras. running energy The UAV’s can be crop experiments fl own manually with willow or pre-programed and miscanthus via geo located cropping. Chris waypoints and explained how in-house image planting and processing allows harvesting spatial and techniques have temporal analysis evolved over the of a range of crop years and the characteristics at the importance of small plot scale. mechanisation Crop height, as the numbers disease, abiotic of experiments stress including have increased compaction and staff numbers drought, excess have decreased. • Static display at Plotmech and inadequate N, senescence MONITORING and lodging SOIL DRYING water extraction from the soil profi le have all been monitored over time. From my role at Rothamsted, I during the growing system. However, Measurements taken a couple of was able to review some current there still remains a need for more times in a season, requiring large techniques for monitoring soil invasive techniques such as insertion groups can now be collected on a drying under growing crops and of soil moisture sensors (neutron weekly basis. phenotyping root activity. Techniques probes). Following the morning session, delegates moved to Rothamsted Farm for Plot combine at work lunch and to view a wide range of specialist plot machinery on display. Delegates also had the opportunity to have a guided tour Rothamsted Bee and insect radar workshop by Dr. Jason Lim and a tour of Rothamsted Farm and Field Experiments. There was a general view among delegates that it had been a really valuable day and that Plotmech should become a regular show. All images courtesy of Rothamsted Research

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NFU urges new investment in research Eight point priorities identifi ed

new report from the NFU entitled Competitiveness: Keeping comes real opportunities.” urges Government and Ahead of the Game saw NFU Vice Farmers across agriculture and Aresearch providers to invest in President Guy Smith and Head of horticulture have set out eight agricultural R&D and to enable British Robotics and Automation at Harper research priorities that would farmers to use the Adams University, boost the sector’s contribution to latest technologies. Professor Simon the economic and environmental The report, Feeding Blackmore assess performance of the UK food the Future, Four Years farming’s current production system. On, was launched and future use of The eight priorities are: at NFU Conference new, developing · Digital, data-driven and engineering in February and technologies. technologies identifi es several Commenting Mr · Crop and livestock genetics and innovation needs that Smith said: “Farming breeding technologies will enable British and agriculture is · Interactions between air, soil, water agriculture to boost already an incredibly and crop/animal processes within its competitiveness, innovative industry farming systems resilience and but it remains very · Integrated approaches to profi tability. The important that management of crop weeds, pests NFU is calling for farmers recognise and diseases decision-makers, new opportunities for · Integrated approaches to research funders and better returns, such management of animal disease providers to read as those developed within farming systems the report and help from the Agri-Tech · Evidence-based management and create a funding Strategy. The priorities valuation of ecosystem service and regulatory listed in this report provision from farming systems environment where new technologies show the desire to continue building · Skills, training and KE and innovative practices can be on what the industry already has. · Use of social and economic sciences adopted on farm as quickly as “In the current climate of political Feeding the Future, Four Years On is possible. uncertainty, there are many challenges available for download from the NFU The NFU Conference session out there for farmers, but with this website www.nfuonline.com

THE INSTITUTION OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS NOTICE OF MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Seventy-fi rst Annual General Meeting of the Institution will be held at John Deere, Langar, Nottingham on THE INSTITUTION OF Thursday 27th April 2017 at 10.30am. AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS

Agenda 1. To receive and confi rm the minutes of the seventieth AGM held on 28th April 2016. NOTICE OF MEETING 2. To propose as an Ordinary Resolution: “That the All members are invited to attend an Extraordinary Annual General Meeting authorises the Council of General Meeting on Thursday 27th April 2017 the Institution to review members’ subscriptions at 10.45am at the AGM venue to consider and if and to make such adjustment, if any, as may be agreed to pass the following motion: required with effect from 1 January 2018”. 3. To consider and adopt the Report of Council for the year ending 31 December 2016. To approve the amended Memorandum and 4. To receive and adopt the Accounts for the ending 31 Articles of Association which will take effect from December 2016. 1 May 2017. 5. To announce nominations for election to Council for the 2017/2018 Session. It is important in a democratic professional society, 6. To re-appoint Lander & Co, registered auditors, as where all members are part of a regulatory process, reporting accountants and to authorise Council to fi x to try to attend and participate in General Meetings their remuneration. so that as many of the members as possible By Order of Council contribute to the decisions of the society.

NB ALL PAPERS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE IAGRE WEBSITE

Alastair J Taylor, Chief Executive & Secretary

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Spring 2017 Landwards 500 YEARS OF ROBOTS A new exhibition at the Science Museum charts the rise of substitute humans Chris Biddle reports

ne evening in 1979, television load and sort stuff – without cigarette Museum, explores humanity’s 500- viewers who hadn’t gone to breaks, ‘sickies’, relative’s funerals, 24 year quest to reimagine ourselves Omake a cup of tea in the middle hours a day, seven days a week. – not through paintings or sculpture of News at Ten, saw something Robots can induce fascination – but as machines. very unusual, a commercial break and fear in equal measure. A recent This intriguing exhibition features a completely taken up by one ad. It was ‘think-tank’ predicted that the jobs unique collection of over 100 robots, a two-minute triumph showing a car of 250,000 public sector employees from a 16th-century mechanical being put together in a factory, with including 24,000 doctors, nurses and monk to robots from science fi ction not a dirty blue overall in sight. receptionists could be replaced by The advertising agency’s brief was robots in time. to create an ad This latest to promote the forecast came new Fiat Strada. Baxter’s offspring are on the heels of The producer a 2013 paper by recalled an item available to factory Oxford University from Tomorrow’s managers at around economists, Carl World about the Frey and Michael Fiat factory in £19,000 Osborne who Italy where cars calculated that were put together by robots. The ad about a third of the UK’s labour force contained no voiceovers, simply a was vulnerable to automation, with strong musical track, Rossini’s Figaro professionals no more secure than aria blue-collar workers. Ironically, when the production Now legislators are trying to team led by the director Hugh Hudson get their head around the status arrived at the Fiat factory in Turin of robots, particularly those of a to shoot the fi lm they had to run a humanoid nature. The European Parliament proposing to grant legal status to robots, categorising them as “electronic persons” and warning that new legislation is needed to Eric was originally built in 1928 focus on how the machines can be held responsible for their “acts or omissions”. and modern-day research labs. Set in The draft bill states current rules fi ve different times, Robots, explores are ‘insuffi cient’ for what it calls how religious belief, the industrial the ‘technological revolution’, and revolution, popular culture and suggests the EU should establish dreams about the future have all “basic ethical principles to avoid shaped society through the incredible potential pitfalls”. robots on display. The report suggests that robots Recent developments from robotics Baxter: a factory ‘employee’ and other manifestations of artifi cial research are also on show, with intelligence such as bots and visitors able to explore how and, androids are poised to “unleash a more importantly, why roboticists gauntlet of pickets and burning tyres new industrial revolution, which is are building robots that resemble us lit by workers protesting about robots likely to leave no stratum of society and interact in human-like ways. The taking their jobs! untouched”. exhibition encourages you to imagine Today, the use of robotic equipment “The more autonomous robots are, what a shared future with robots is widespread in manufacturing plants the less they can be considered simple would be like, with visitors able to see across the world. For operations tools in the hands of other actors the latest humanoid robots in action. such as welding, steel cutting, paint (such as the manufacturer, the owner, Ian Blatchford, Director of the spraying and assembly, robots have the user, etc.). This, in turn, makes the Science Museum Group said: ‘Visitors already established a fi rm toehold. ordinary rules on liability insuffi cient to Robots will see the greatest Take Baxter. An unassuming robot and calls for new rules which focus on collection of humanoids ever fi gure with unwieldy mechanical how a machine can be held – partly assembled. This stunning exhibition arms who might have been designed or entirely – responsible for its acts or explores the fascinating question by a child with imagination. He is omissions. of why, rather than how, we build programmed to pick random items, It becomes more and more urgent robots. To look through the eyes examine them closely and decided to address the fundamental question of those who built, commissioned what action to take from his on-board of whether robots should possess a or gazed upon these mesmerising electronic library. legal status.” mechanical creations over the past Yet Baxter’s ‘offsprings’ are today 500 years, reveals so much about available to factory managers at a SCIENCE MUSEUM humanity’s hopes, fears, dreams and cost of around £19,000, roughly the Opening on 8 February, Robots, a delusions.’ average workers annual salary. He will major new exhibition at the Science The fi rst robot visitors to the

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this treasured object for Robots and delighted that visitors will see the Swan on display in all its glory.’ Robots have been at the heart of popular culture since the word ‘robot’ was fi rst used in 1920. In the exhibition, visitors will come face-to- face with Eric, a modern recreation of the UK’s fi rst robot, as well as Cygan, a 1950s robot with a glamorous past, and a T800 Terminator used in the fi lm Terminator Salvation. The challenges of recreating human abilities, such as walking, in mechanical form is also explored, Visitors admire the 18th Century Silver Swan with visitors able to study the intricate mechanisms of the Bipedal Walker – rescued by curator Ben Russell from a exhibition will encounter is an heart of our long relationship with forgotten basement cupboard – and incredibly life-like mechanical human robots.’ Honda’s P2, two of the fi rst robots in baby, recently acquired for the Our understanding of ourselves the world to walk like humans. Museum’s new robotics collection. and our place in the universe has Visitors can watch as 16 mechanical Usually made for use on fi lm sets, often been expressed through forms spring to life and even interact this baby has no intelligence, making religious faith, and Robots begins by with some of the robots on display. only pre-programmed movements exploring both the heavens and the Inhka, once a receptionist at King’s (sneezing, breathing and moving human body. On display is a beautiful College London, will be answering its arms and Astrolabe, made questions and offering fashion advice, legs) yet many in France in about Zeno R25 replicates visitor’s facial visitors will feel “Coming face-to-face 1300 and the expressions and ROSA will move strong emotions with a mechanical oldest astronomical its camera ‘eye’ and head to watch towards it. instrument visitors as they move. Every twenty Ben Russell, human has always originating in minutes Kodomoroid, the most life- lead curator of western Europe. like android of its time, reads robot- Robots, said: been a disconcerting These clockwork related news bulletins. ‘Coming face experience” machines provoked to face with ideas about the a mechanical human has always human body as a machine, leading EXHIBITION DETAILS been a disconcerting experience. to the creation of the earliest robots. Robots is open daily until 3 Over the centuries, each generation Objects like the automaton monk – September 2017, with late has experienced this afresh as new built in around 1560 and one of only opening until 22.00 each Friday waves of technology heralded its own three in the world – were expressions (last entry 21.00) The Robots curiosity-inducing robots. That sense of faith, but also of our desire to exhibition is supported by the of unease, of something you cannot amaze, enthral and wield power. Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). quite put your fi nger on, goes to the Two new books have been SILVER SWAN published to accompany the new The incredible Silver Swan, a exhibition. Robots: The 500- life-size clockwork automaton year quest to make machines built in 1773, will be on display human, edited by curator Ben until 23 March 2017, on loan Russell, expands on the themes for the fi rst time ever from and stories explored in the the Bowes Museum in County Durham. As the only one of exhibition through a series of its kind in the world, the Swan newly commissioned essays with uniquely illustrates our endless photographs of key exhibition fascination with replicating objects. The Super-Intelligent living things in mechanical High-Tech Robot Book, form. Its performances have written by the Science Museum’s enchanted audiences for four Jon Milton and published by centuries and this will continue Macmillan Children’s Books, is a at the Science Museum as the fact-packed illustrated guide to Swan will play most weekday the world of robots. mornings at 10.25am. In late 2017 Robots will Lead curator Ben Russell embark on a fi ve-year UK and said: ‘The Silver Swan is an international tour, visiting the amazing evocation of life. Museum of Science and We are honoured that the Industry in Manchester to open Bowes Museum has loaned us the 2017 Manchester Science Festival, the Life Science Centre Model showing an in Newcastle (2018) and the articulation of the human National Museum of Scotland body based on a 1582 in Edinburgh (2019). drawing

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FARMING ROBOTICS GETTING TO HEART OF BROCCOLI

rowing up on the family farm or scientist beavering away in a in Lincolnshire, Simon Pearson’s Chris Biddle talks to laboratory or seat of learning. For a Gview from the house was Professor Simon start, the University of Lincoln is just dominated by fi elds of broccoli for just over 20 years old. Opened by the about as far as the eye could see. Pearson, the Founding Queen in 1996, it was a University So, it is somewhat apt that one of Director of the Lincoln forged by the will of the local the initial projects undertaken by the Institute of Agri-Food community, not by a government newly-formed Lincoln Institute of Agri- Technology about directive, and was the fi rst new city Food Technology (LIAT), where Simon harnessing the power and centre campus to be built in the UK was appointed Founding Director for decades. in February 2016, is to research the potential of robotics in Initially, the university had a strong harvesting of broccoli robotically. agriculture. arts and science basis, but the arrival “I suppose broccoli was always of vice-chancellor Mary Stuart resulted part of my upbringing” he says ”but in the establishment of the fi rst new like caulifl ower, it is one of the more over the next few years, particularly Engineering School to be created challenging vegetables to harvest for those sectors dependent on labour. in the UK for more than 20 years. effi ciently”. Despite the increased technological Much of this brought about by a LIAT was established by the sophistication of farm machinery in collaboration with Siemens (Lincoln’s University of Lincoln at the back-end recent years, most of the fruit and largest business employer) who now of 2015 to work in collaboration with vegetable harvesting equipment still rely on a regular fl ow engineering the university’s National Centre for need to be supplemented by manual graduates for its huge gas turbine Food Manufacturing (NCFM) based at labour. manufacturing facility in Lincoln. Holbeach, which provides part-time “Make no mistake” says Simon The university has brought a new training and qualifi cations for staff “todays farmers demand who are vibrancy to the cathedral city of working in the food industry. It also motivated and good at their job, and Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire works with employers, equipment that includes the huge workforce - a county where more than 1 in suppliers and partners to innovate fl owing from the EU. These are 10 people are currently employed food production and advanced not itinerant workers drifting from in food and farming according to automation. job to job, they are a highly skilled a recent report (The Value of Food As with so much in business, workforce. So any automated and Farming in Lincolnshire by the planning and timing is everything. machine has to replicate the personal Lincolnshire Research Observatory). Planning and timing is absolutely touch, but at the same time meet the The report also says that the food crucial for the economic harvesting of harsh economics of providing food at and farming sector contributes nearly crops. External factors are less easy to the right price and at the right time 13% of the country’s GVA, equating plan or control – like weather and the to ever-demanding food retailers and to more than £1 billion a year. This economic climate. consumers” compares to 3% for the national With the referendum vote in average. June 2016 in favour of leaving EU, Lincolnshire farming Lincolnshire is the single largest the farming and food production Professor Simon Pearson is far from landscape is likely to alter dramatically your typical image of an academic Lincolnshire Wolds

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1992, he stayed on as a lecturer in investment. Almost certainly the Horticulture before taking up a post biggest jump in funding within with Marks and Spencer, based at its the ag sector since the start of the Baker Street headquarters in London mechanisation revolution in the where he was part of the team 1920s, and the capital required to sourcing the supply and quality of cut reboot food production post war in fl owers and plants. the 1940s and 1950s. One report After 7 years with M&S, he by US analyst WinterGreen Research joined Winchester Growers, forecasts that the market will grow Europe’s largest grower of fresh from the $817m (£655m) in 2013 to fl owers, as Commercial Director, $16.3bn (£13n) in 2020. later becoming Managing Director. All around the world ag-technicians When the company merged with are working feverishly, developing Belgian subsidiary, UNIVEG, and machines that automate farming in the Winchester Growers operations a way that will transform an industry relocated to Cornwall, Simon joined faced with producing more food Lincoln University as a Senior Lecturer from diminishing resources at a time in Fresh Produce. At the same time, when climate change could see yields Simon also became involved with falling. Marie Curie Cancer Care where he “But” says Simon Pearson “the brought his expertise in the cut fl ower, future success for automated farming food and drink sector to help develop will only come about if we recognise campaign such as the Caring Cuppa the cross-disciplinary skills required Professor Pearson fund-raising initiative. by today’s farmer. As scientists we It was this commercial experience, cannot work in isolation. The products coupled with a strong academic we design and eventually bring to county producer of cereals and background that presumably made market will have to complement horticulture, and in the case of bulbs Simon an ideal person to tackle the the long-established principles and and fl owers, provides more than much wider challenges facing the practices of food production. Yes, we a third of the land use in the UK – agri-food sector where networking can (and always should) think ‘outside principally because of the quality of and collaboration with external bodies the box’, but there is a limit to the the soil and the level terrain. and funders is equally important industry’s capacity to build and then But despite the scale, the economics to the internal role of developing adopt new technology. This has to are changing. A recent report by the solutions. be evolution rather than revolution NFU found that since 1998, food This is, arguably, a pivotal era – and the pace of change has to be prices had risen by 8.5% (compared for the agri-tech industry. Largely sustainable” with an increase of 22% in retail), disappearing is the rush to build whilst prices to farmers had fallen by bigger and bigger tractors and Camera technology 9% over the same period. harvesting machinery. Smarter rather For the newly formed LIAT, the robotic In Lincolnshire, the number of than bigger is the watchword. people employed in food and farming That means investment, serious Thorvald, robotic fi eld assistant stood at 51,000 in 1981. That fi gure dropped to 32,000 in 2006 and is estimated to fall further to 21,000 in 2020. So a ‘perfect storm’ faces the farming community, particularly in counties like Lincolnshire. Continuing pressure on farm prices, falling labour availability and the prospect of subsidies being reduced as a result of the UK leaving Europe. Paradoxically, given the importance of agriculture to Lincolnshire, the county recorded some of the highest votes to Leave, with Boston voting 75.6% in favour (the highest in the UK), the bulb growing area of South Holland 73.6% and the city of Lincoln itself 56.9%. Commercial focus Simon Pearson says that he is concerned for the farming economy of Lincolnshire if the supply of labour dries up signifi cantly. But he is a pragmatist – and also has the commercial experience to know that solutions have to be found to meet changing conditions. After gaining a PhD in crop forecasting at Reading University in

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revolution has started by finding an probably two years away from coming soil quality assessment, crop yield automated solution to the harvesting up with a working machine that can prediction, in-field logistics and of one of our staple vegetables, be deployed in the industry transportation” broccoli. Our benchmark is to be at least There is little doubt that advances “We are at the first stages of 95% as efficient at harvesting crops in robotics in agriculture is starting identifying broccoli crops,” says as when humans are involved, and to grab the nation’s attention. Both Professor Pearson. “Then we can early indications are that the robotic the robotic broccoli harvester and move onto crops with cluster fruits harvester will do the work previously the Thorvald robot have featured such as tomatoes while the third level requiring six people” prominently on BBC TV’s flagship is with plants that cannot be seen The development work is co- Countryfile programme. immediately such as cauliflowers. ordinated by Simon and his staff of 5 “There is little doubt that ag-tech This also involves precision based at Lincoln University’s Riseholme is starting to electrify the industry – robotic weeding and and that in turn will create the creation of 3D interest and excitement for mapping techniques to young people who may not improve the precision have previously considered of agricultural sprayers agriculture as a career enabling only those option” plants which need spraying to receive the RGB-D images of spray. broccoli plants are But there are analysed for identifying limitations involved head locations using 3D since some crops are recognition more suitable for robotic weeding and harvesting than others. For example, Simon Pearson is the the presence of leaves first to recognise that the around cauliflowers current agri-tech research makes it harder for programmes undertaken robots to identify the around the world are a cauliflower and to weed bit like ‘holding a tiger by around it, and harvest it the tail’. “We know the We have been focusing on the site, but the team have just been challenges. The science behind the creation of systems to enable joined by new ‘staff member’. robotic technology exists and is fairly robots to see and identify products, A robot, dubbed Thorvald, well proven. What we need to perfect followed by cutting, harvesting and developed in collaboration with the is the engineering aspect”. packing. 3D cameras give robots Norwegian University of Life Sciences Last question to Professor Pearson. the co-ordinates to identify where is becoming an indispensable aid. Aside from robotics, what are a product is. The problem is that “In much of our agri-tech research, the great unsolved challenges in most 3D cameras have been used the fields we use are our laboratory, agriculture today? “The responsible indoors in a controlled environment. which brings its own technical and use of water continues to be a huge It is a different matter outside with logistical challenges with certain issue, but looking at tractors and varying weather conditions and light experiments. machinery and their power source . . . levels. It can be very light and sunny, “The Thorvald robot will be a the battery company that can develop then cloudy and this affects the light welcome addition. It will be our own a power pack to replace to replicate levels. We had to investigate different roaming, robotic lab assistant and the performance of a diesel engine. cameras to explore what could be capable of supporting a wide variety Now that would be some ‘huge step used outdoors so as to develop the of research activities. The robot will for mankind’!” necessary algorithms“ support research on autonomous He continues: “We think we have outdoor navigation and mapping, Robotic broccoli harvester the camera technology and are now in trials working on the next stage of the project combining camera technology and harvesting techniques. We are

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(J) Robots.indd 20 04/03/2017 07:33 Landwards Spring 2017

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY HANDS FREE HECTARE PROJECT: UPDATE Farming a hectare of spring barley exclusively using autonomous vehicles

he ‘Hands Free Hectare’ project, which will see a crop exclusively Tfarmed by robots for the first time in the world, is well under-way, with the team having already selected the key machinery required to reach their goal. The team of three engineers aims to grow and harvest a hectare of spring barley without setting foot into the field. Since the project launch in October, the team have been busy determining the specifications for the equipment, along with purchasing. Jonathan Gill, researcher at Harper Adams University, said: “We’ve created a prototype and tested the automation system on an electric all-terrain vehicle in the field. We’ve proved that it can drive up and down in a consistent straight line; this is between vines to help the soil retain robots whilst working. what we aim to achieve during our nutrients. The coulters and seed Due to the popularity of the first task of planting the crop.” metering mechanism are identical to project, the engineering department The next steps are to incorporate those used on conventional versions are helping the project by providing of the drill and so it suits our a camera that will be fixed to the application perfectly. outside of mission control. Here they Jonathan Gill (l) and “The spray system that are hoping to ‘live-stream’ important Martin Abell we’ve selected is not only events in the field. They anticipate appropriate for the tractor, that they can use renewables to giving sufficient capacity to power the cameras. cover the area, but also works Jonathan commented: “We’ve had with common agricultural more in-kind sponsors join the project practices. since we started in October. They are “We’re going to use very excited to be a part of this project a conventional sprayer and have been incredibly generous. controller, the same system We’re very thankful for their help.” that can be bought by a Martin added, “It’s great to see farmer. This means the sprayer more people believing in, and wanting will be a self-contained unit, to support the project. Now that we looking after itself while the are a quarter of the way through, I tractor navigates the hectare. feel that people can really see we have “We’ve also turned our the momentum behind us to make attention to safety. It is this project work.” incredibly important that we have safety systems Follow the team’s progress on their this system onto the Iseki tractor that enabled in the unlikely situation that website (www.handsfreehectare. will be used by the team for drilling something goes wrong. The machines com), via social media – Twitter and spraying. will not be radio-controlled but act (@FreeHectare), Facebook (@ Jonathan added: “The project, autonomously. We’ve found laser HandsFreeHectare), YouTube (Hands and engineering as a whole, comes scanners which will monitor the front Free Hectare HFH) down to specifications and this is of the tractor and stop it should definitely true with this project. The anything be too close. requirements of the entire system “It’s been a challenge to find need to account for the crop row systems that work with our vehicles in spacing, even the shape of the field, conditions that robots aren’t normally to coordinate with the tractor and put in. For example, actuators machinery available.” supplied by Linak, help to control the Martin Abell, from Precision transmission and other functions in Decisions, the project’s industry tough environments.” partner, said: “The selection process Alongside preparing the tractor for has been very important and time drilling in a couple of months’ time, consuming. the team are also focusing on creating “The drill that we’ll be using is a a mission control. This will provide a vineyard drill which is normally used platform to see the field in real-time to add green manure (cover crops) and supplement feedback from the

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(J) Robots.indd 21 04/03/2017 07:33 Spring 2017 Landwards

MAN VS MACHINE The economic and technical challenges of replacing human labour with a robotic ‘strawberry-picker’

“Picking and packing soft fruits · The estimate was that that some such as strawberries and raspberries 1,500 AUTOPICs would be needed autonomously is a huge challenge. to replace some 60% of the human Let’s face it, humans are rather good labour picking strawberries at it, so a robotic solution has to be The AUTOPIC project was launched even better” says Stephen Pattenden, against a background of a decreasing who has been involved in developing pool of reliable labour and the the AUTOPIC Project for the past two prospect that the Seasonal Agriculture years. Workers Scheme which guaranteed Working with a number of partners the availability of more than 22,000 such as Harper Adams University, from the EU might be withdrawn. the National Physical Laboratory, The technical challenges were Shadow Robot Company, BerryWorld immediate. The system had to fi nd and Telemetry Associated, AUTOPIC and identify ripe strawberries growing aims to come up with a system in a polytunnel. It had to grip the stem that can successfully identify and fi rmly without damaging the fruit – pick strawberries in a polytunnel every three seconds. using a robotic arm mounted on The vehicle could be no wider an autonomous vehicle that was as than the gaps between rows in the effi cient and cost-effective as human polytunnel, it had to navigate without labour. damaging the fruit or the polytunnel; The project is supported by Innovate it had to be safe, reliable and capable UK and BBSRC of continuous operation irrespective “Our challenges were clear” says of ambient light. Stephen. “None of this was easy to achieve” ABOVE: AUTOPIC’s Stephen · A strawberry had to be picked every say Stephen “particularly in the area Pattenden speaking at 2016 IAgrE 3 seconds of fruit identifi cation”. Conference · It had to fi nd every strawberry, even “For instance, we found that stereo behind leaves cameras worked but had limited · The robot is too big to go through · Handle them carefully without application. We put much effort into some rows in typical poly tunnels bruising or damage “point cloud” techniques and for · The picking head only picks berries · Put them in a punnet size, shape and orientation we tried that hang down. · Place the punnet in a tray “convoluted neural networks” · But in laboratory conditions we can · Put the tray on a trolley We could also fi nd and pick pick a berry every 3 seconds · All day long. strawberries in the lab if they were “So now we need to make the The economic challenges were equally single hanging down, but we could vision systems much better at fi nding as clear not deal with occlusion, nor could we all the berries. This implies multiple · Using human pickers, the cost per deal with clusters stereo cameras to build up a complete punnet picked is about 25 pence But our fi ndings recognised how picture. Multiple stereo cameras · Human pickers cost around £10 per this can be done and identifi ed what implies advanced mathematics. hour and pick about 25kg of berries additional research was needed” We need to be able to focus on (one berry every 4 seconds) · We had converted a vehicle to each berry we fi nd and evaluate its · An AUTOPIC robotic picker with 2 carry the robot and this was now ripeness so we only pick perfectly robots could pick around 25kg of capable of working in poly tunnels ripe berries, making sure the berry is berries per hour but can work for autonomously not damaged, diseased, infected or twice as long every day. So could · We had a robot solution that is infested. replace 2 humans quick and accurate Then we need to sequence our · Brexit and the falling £ puts at risk · We had a picking head that holds picking so that we pick the berries in the 65,000 migrant population the fruit and cuts the peduncle an order that avoids touching other working in soft fruit (about half on However berries strawberries) because the UK is now · We don’t have an “agriculture Oh, a nice touch would be for the less attractive. hardened” robot or picking head last few berries for a punnet to make

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(J) Robots.indd 22 04/03/2017 07:33 Landwards Spring 2017

an exact weight for that punnet, eg “I believe we have proved that the exactly 400 gms” AUTOPIC concept is feasible, but we Summarising, Stephen Pattenden need to validate the market need “Robots says “The AUTOPIC project has for a vehicle at the right price and reached a stage where its potential performance” he adds should pay can be shown, however many “Our ambition is perfect grade 1 issues remain to be resolved before strawberries from “plant to plate” tax” says significant further funding can be untouched by human hand” attracted Bill Gates Robots should be taxed at the same level as the people they replace, to help fund better social services and education, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. “Governments rather than businesses need to take the lead on managing the robotics revolution and ensuring there’s a plan to deal with the unemployed workers it creates over the next 20 years” says Gates in an interview to Quartz magazine. “Right now, if a human worker does $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed. If a robot comes in to do the same thing, you’d think we’d tax the robot at a similar level,” he said. Gates argues that governments should raise taxes on robot capital to slow down adoption and provide the time needed to MODERN DAY ‘COWBOY’ devise programmes that create a net benefit from this excess labour. Besides a direct robot s this the modern day cowboy? other surprise terrain without toppling tax, he added that some taxes Swagbot is the University of Sydney’s over. According to University of could come from profits made by Iautonomous, cattle-herding robot Sydney professor Salah Sukkarieh, labour-saving efficiency. prototype. his team plans to enhance SwagBot “People should be figuring The technology has been developed with sensors that allow the robot to it out. It’s really bad if people to operate on Australia’s outback monitor the condition of cows in the overall have more fear about farmsteads, which are remote and field on a regular basis. what innovation is going to do enormous. SwagBot is able to keep It’s not fully clear yet how farmers than they have enthusiasm. That tabs on cattle (and potentially sheep) will be able to control or program means they won’t shape it for on its own and navigate bumpy SwagBot in the future, but the GPS the positive things it can do. And, terrain with ease, helping to guide the boundaries of the land will probably you know, taxation is certainly a cows towards pastures and away from need to be plugged in or outlined on better way to handle it than just potential hazards. a map. Quite likely, it would have an banning some elements of it,” SwagBot’s movements may be interface that could be accessed via he said. deliberate and awkward-looking a computer or tablet, letting farmers Ultimately, Mr Gates believes at times, but that slow and steady tweak SwagBot’s directives before that people whose jobs are approach helps the robot overcome letting it loose into the fields. displaced by robots will go on to swamps, logs, sudden drops, and work in services that require the skills that robots cannot provide.

ABOVE: Bill Gates with Agr-EPI CEO Dave Ross

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(J) Robots.indd 23 04/03/2017 07:33 The Douglas Bomford Trust, The Bullock Building, University Way, Cranfi eld, Bedford MK43 0GH Telephone: +44 (0)1234 750876 www.dbt.org.uk [email protected] Secretary: Paul Miller DOUGLAS BOMFORD TRUST Administrator: Elizabeth Stephens

STUDENTSHIPS A total of fi fteen applications for Douglas Bomford Trust scholarships were received from students at Harper Adams University and shortlisted candidates were interviewed by a panel comprising Nick August and David White as trustees and the secretary Paul Miller on 17th November 2016. The standard of the written applications and presentations at the interviews was again very high and as a result of the selection process, fi ve studentship awards were made to the students at Harper Adams University. These were presented at a special event at the University on ABOVE: Recipients of Douglas Bomford Trust scholarships at Harper 15th February 2017 where scholarships Adams University with Trust secretary Paul Miller and trustee David from more than fi fty sponsoring White (from L to R - Joe Robinson, Henry Thorpe, Alan Mobbs, Paul Miller, organisations were also presented. Chaunce Barrett-Crosdil, James Shaw and David White).

RESEARCH PROJECTS AND SPONSORED PHD’S TRAVEL AWARDS The Trust has recently supported Aspects of work sponsored by The shallow tillage practices. Controlled the following travel arrangements Trust featured at the Crop Production traffi c farming with a 30% traffi cked for two small groups of students in Southern Britain conference that area produced signifi cantly higher from Harper Adams University: th was held in Peterborough on the 15 yields than random conventional th and 16th February. The conference pressure traffi c for the winter wheat · Six 5 year MEng students was organised by the Association and spring oats. enrolled on the Emerging of Applied Biologists (AAB) in · Agnese Mancini who described Engineering Technologies module conjunction with the British Crop her PhD project work at Cranfi eld travelled to the EIMA exhibition Production Council (BCPC) and the University that is investigating the role in Bologna, Italy in November agricultural chemical company Adama of different cover crops in reducing 2016 accompanied by Agricultural and covered a wide range of topics runoff and soil erosion from maize Engineering Lecturer Kit Franklin. relevant fi eld crop production with crops. An eight-month fi eld trial The students reported that the the proceedings being published in was described whereby runoff was opportunity to see machinery a volume of the Aspects of Applied collected from bounded erosion manufactured in Europe but Biology. plots. Treatments comprised four not widely available in the UK, seed mixtures and a control with particularly relating to the growing The Trust supported papers presented no cover crop. The experiment was and harvesting of grapes and by: divided into three blocks according forestry, as being a particular · Professor Dick Godwin who to in-fi eld topography. Mean runoff highlight of the visit. The students reported the results of studies that was 1.8 times greater, and soil loss were also surprised by the quantity were part of two PhD projects at double, in control plots as compared and range of sub-systems that Harper Adams University supported to those with cover crops. However, could be purchased “off-the- by The Trust – those undertaken by this difference was not signifi cant shelf”- an observation that may Emily Smith and Anthony Millington. due to the high variability within each infl uence their future design work. These considered the effects of treatment caused by changes in plot · Five students studying deep, shallow and zero tillage with micro-topography, which was evident Agricultural Engineering with random conventional and low tyre from a different runoff fl ow direction Marketing and Management infl ation pressures and controlled between blocks. were funded to travel to three traffi c systems on the yield of winter events in the UK (The Precision wheat, winter barley and spring oats. Farming event on 18 October The results showed that crop yields 2016; Crop Tech on 29 November for zero tillage were signifi cantly less 2016 and LAMMA on 19 January than deep and shallow tillage for all 2017) as part of a study to “Fully crops with an overall reduction of 1.0 investigate and compile a detailed t/ha below the mean of the deep and and comprehensive industry market on the current European row crop planter market”. The report from the students indicated that the contacts gained with manufacturers and the opportunity to see machines at Professor Dick Godwin (left) and fi rst hand, particularly at LAMMA, (above) Agnese Mancini on the had been very useful in their platform at the Crop Production in project work. Southern Britain conference

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LWSpring17_DBT.indd 24 06/03/2017 10:07 Random thoughts by The Engineer

MARCH OF THE ROBOTS

was struck by a headline in my local a surge towards artifi cial intelligence, nation of the growing march of the paper “Robots are coming and even lawyers, accountants, insurance robot. Whilst acknowledging that is a Ithey’re taking our jobs”. The point broker’s, teachers, and even doctors fair question, I defl ected it by making the article went on to make was are in the fi ring line. There is always the point that the real challenge is the thought that “it is all very well the chance the IAgrE can replace the in raising the expectations of those negotiating trade deals and drawing current CEO with a robot when he being replaced - so that they became up plans to protect national industry chooses to retire then! the future engineers who design, by imposing import duties to stop Of course this has happened before install, service, and programme the jobs going abroad” but “what about and any student of the industrial robot. all the thousands of jobs already revolution will no doubt quote the The journalist understood my point disappearing thanks to the march of Luddite uprising. and we had a useful debate. the machines?”. All I am fascinated It would be wrong to suggest that of this was around by the development for every job replaced by a robot a the time when A robot is not some of robots and new, high quality job is created for Donald Trump and sort of “Frankenstein” automation. Our those who engineer the robots but Theresa May were industry is becoming it would certainly be interesting to meeting to initiate monster as advanced as many understand the economics of this. I trade talks. in this respect and also believe there some “hearts and The same article went on to share to be frank, I can’t see it going in minds” work to be done to help the some startling facts. For example in any other direction, particularly with consumer understand that a robot 1970 over half a million people were the ongoing debates about migrant is not some sort of “Frankenstein” directly employed making cars whilst workers and the real question as monster. The less a robot looks and today, with a similar number of cars to where their replacements might acts like a human, the better in my being produced, the fi gure is around come from. After all, the lowest paid view. 170,000 people. Over the past 45 of workers is on that social mobility On the latter point, I heard the years productivity has gone from 3.2 ladder and is looking to move up a tail of a consumer who was worried cars per employee per year to around rung or two. that a cow milking robot presented ten. Impressive by any measure and As an engineer, I can only see the an animal welfare concern. It is easy any trip to a manufacturing plant will benefi t of robots. to see how such an show similar productivity gains with The engineering The real challenge assumption may the use of robots at the fore. excellence and “take a life of its For those who like to say that UK ingenuity required is in raising the own”, when the doesn’t make anything anymore, I say to build them expectations of those opposite is probably rubbish! never ceases to true. After all what The real point is that we no longer impress me. The being replaced worse sight is there employ as many people making opportunity for than the dairy herd things. We still make loads of things them to be introduced and embedded limping across the road, dribbling though. The things we make are often into a wider range of agricultural milk from an udder which should very high tech and ultra-high value. applications and systems is something have been milked much earlier had Our arm chair economists need to get which I watch with intrigue. the animal had instant access to an their facts right. But there is that social question automated system? This “rose tinted” and one which I had to address only view of the jolly old farmer and their Another point made was that the other day. I took a phone call dairy herd needs to be replaced by the Oxford University believes that 35 from a journal which leans to the left uncomfortable truth that automation per cent of all jobs could disappear of centre. The question I was asked and robots can actually be a better within the next 20 years and that with concerned the social cost to the thing for all concerned.

LAST WORD Views expressed are those of the author and not of IAgrE. The aim of Last Word is to present original, contentious or provocative opinion by IAgrE members on an industry-related topic. Authorship will be credited if requested or appear under the nom-de-plume of The Engineer. Copy for consideration should be around 750 words and be sent to the Editor ([email protected])

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Last Word.indd 25 06/03/2017 10:08 MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES IAgrE The Bullock Building, University Way, Cranfield, Membership Bedford MK43 0GH Telephone 44 (0) 1234 750876 Fax: 44 (0) 1234 751319 Matters e-mail: [email protected] www.iagre.org UPDATE TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION Message to members from President Robert Merrell and CEO Alastair Taylor

Last year it was agreed by the IAgrE revised Memorandum and Articles of normal practice across institutions and Executive Committee that it was Association this means that the new Articles of time to take a look at the Institution’s · The Associate of IAgrE (AIAgrE) Association are now much shorter. Memorandum and Articles of grade will become Affiliate to make Both a Memorandum of Association with the expectation that it clearer to which grade each Association and Articles of Association a major overhaul was well overdue belongs and to avoid confusion are required for a company formed to reflect 21st century law and best with the Associate Member in the UK under the Companies Act practice. (AMIAgrE) grade. We will be 2006 and previous Companies Acts. Through the Engineering Council, encouraging Associates to upgrade The Memorandum of Association we engaged the professional services to Associate Member. is the document that sets up of Keith Lawrey, a lawyer working · A new Technician grade will the company and the Articles of as Professional Societies’ Liaison be created between Affiliate Association set out how the company Officer for the Foundation of Science and Associate Member to give is run, governed and owned. The and Technology, of which IAgrE is a technicians greater recognition for Articles of Association include the member. We were pleasantly surprised their achievements. responsibilities and powers of the to discover that minimal changes · The Associate Member now Trustees and the means by which the were needed to bring us up to date becomes a corporate (voting) members exert control over the board with language and law. In fact the grade to better reflect the persons of directors. original documents dating back to the influence and qualifications. These changes are a “once in a 1960’s were remarkably accurate in · Firming up the role of the IAgrE generation” opportunity to future their interpretation of the Agricultural Advisory Council and the Trustees proof the important legal status of Engineering discipline. who go on to form the Executive the Institution. This exercise has involved updating Committee. The latter have the Those members eligible to vote and simplifying the wording for ease legal responsibilities associated with (Members, Fellows and Honorary of interpretation and to reflect current Company law. Fellows) of the Institution are Company and Charity practices. The other key change is that everyday urged to attend the EGM and References to out-of-date government areas of the Articles have been moved make their positive view known. organisations and trade bodies have to Regulations. This will allow the We look forward to seeing been removed with the new language Executive Committee to update and as many of you as possible designed to be more future proofed. alter them without having to call an on 27 April at John Deere UK There are a few key changes in the Extra General Meeting (EGM). This is headquarters at Langar COUNCIL MEETING Held at the Toro Hayter HQ, Spellbrook on 9 February A lively and constructive Council been arranged by Executive Meeting under the chairmanship of Member Ian Sumpter, who President Dr Robert Merrall was held organised a tour of the plant at the iconic Toro Hayter mower after lunch. manufacturing plant at Spellbrook, The factory sits on the Bishops Stortford. A substantial part site where in 1946, Douglas of the discussion within Council Hayter made his first surrounded ideas and initiatives for lawnmower, initially for the increasing IAgrE membership. commercial market, branching The visit to Spellbrook had post war into the fast growing homeowner market leading mowers for both the market with famous Hayter and Toro model range. models such as the Hayterette and Hayter Harrier, the latter still a consumer favourite today. Hayter was purchased by international turfcare manufacturer, Toro in 2005 and today, just over 70 years after Doug Hayter made his first mower, the Spellbrook factory manufacturers

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Membership pages.indd 26 06/03/2017 10:12 WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH

NORTH KOREA AND THE EU TRACTOR part of the outside EU support. been transferred several times into dirty AID PROGRAM They have many examples of a robust tanks and also they local people are not Report by William Waddilove on locally made Chollima tractor, these are used to having sealed coolant systems with meeting held on 7 February 2017 owned by the government are need to antifreeze so that they drain the engines be returned every night to prevent frost damage and The EU has a every winter for refuel with fresh water in the morning. This policy of overseas overhaul. Some removes the antifreeze and anti-corrosion aid aimed at of the need of properties so leading to internal engine developing overhaul is due corrosion. agricultural to the very poor The impression we got was of a country self-suffi ciency. quality of fuel with great agricultural potential but the Through a German and oil. top of the government being very out of consultancy There have been touch with the grass roots and some of the company David several projects to EU support, although useful it could have Williams has provide tractors been focussed to be more effectively.. made three trips and related to North Korea equipment to report on but from the Chollima tractor progress. North procurement Korea is country procedures of of contrasts and the EU each as has been said support campaign elsewhere it is not starts afresh. For a normal country. example one You will be aware project provided the country is led a number of by members of the naturally aspirated Kim dynasty and diesel tractors but it is clear on visiting the next project was that the people are very loyal followers with ‘newer’ tractor with turbocharges. of their leader. The leadership dictate However the oil that is available is of very guidance from the top and have produced low quality, the diesel fuel is also very poor a number of ‘manuals’ giving instructions and usually contaminated due to having as to how things should be done. For instance it is said that the land should be ‘deep ploughed’ if asked the farmers say they do. However David did observe several instances where there had been no ploughing! Some ploughs that had never been used and some not used because the shares were completely worn out. It has been dictated that the country should be ‘self-suffi cient’, this has the effect that spares are diffi cult to obtain from outside the county and often even local made components are not available. The existence of these manuals also means that David Williams it is very diffi cult to introduce change as a

ASSIST DRIVE TECHNOLOGY about going on the roads? The drive and other heavy going applications. We . . for when the going gets tough can incorporate a free wheel device so didn’t get detail of the cost range but Report by William Waddilove on it could allow you at least the maximum if it is designed into the equipment and meeting held on 6 December 2016 permitted road speed for tractors. enables the use of a smaller tractor then We were shown how the hydraulic the advantages could clearly be seen. What do you do if you are a wheel motors worked and some of the The picture shows a typical application a manufacturer and have designed a large equipment using their motors in forestry trailed harvester made by Standens. piece of trailed equipment? One option is to ask the customer to buy a bigger tractor. Another option is to ask them only to use the equipment when the ground is hard and dry. There is another option and it is to use power from the tractor to power the wheels on the trailed equipment. If you want to do this you need to speak to someone like Mark Cheetham of Linde Hydraulics who came to speak to the West Midlands Branch in December. By using the PTO to drive a hydraulic pump you can power the wheels on the trailer. The tow bar can sense the power needed and adjust the wheel speed to the towing vehicle. And what

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Membership pages.indd 27 06/03/2017 10:12 WESTERN BRANCH

JIM WILKIE FILM EVENING as the projector started up and the film schedules required for a spitfire. It Report by Mike Whiting commenced. Just for good measure the reminded us the humble grease nipple has On the 8th of February we were treated speed had to be adjusted, and the picture a role to play in all engineering disciplines. to a selection of machiney manufacturer’s focused, all with Jim’s knowledge and Jim has well over 1000 films on reels, promotional films by Jim Wilkie. Jim is the expertise. many of which he hasn’t actually seen founder of the Old Sodbury sort out, which There was a selection of films available, himself before. His sources are from far is effectively an emporium of 2nd hand and we all had the opportunity to pick our and wide, with somebody once saying, off road vehicle, Landrover and tractor favourites. Richard Robinson kicked off “We’ve a dustbin full of films”, and they spares. Visitors from far and wide, and the evening by choosing promotional films were literally delivered in a bin! As a back- even overseas visit the Sodbury sort out to by Caterpillar, produced sometime in the up, Jim is gradually transferring material find that essential component which will late 1950’s. With the iconic voice typical of over to more modern presentation media. resurrect their vintage vehicle, when OEM’s the World War II Pathé news presenters, It would be interesting to know how much have long stopped supporting the spares the film explained in great detail the film archive that Jim has for which the market. advantages of choosing Caterpillar global manufacturers have no clue still equipment. From agriculture through exists. to construction, power generation The venue, The Greyhound Pub at and marine engineering, almost every Bromham provided us with a tasty hot type of machine was depicted. In the evening meal and drinks. A thoroughly cycle of engineering development, enjoyable evening for all members and the film demonstrated the use of visitors, and certainly we’ll welcome Jim 1950’s manufacturing techniques back for a repeat evening’s entertainment. which are often refined and displayed as ground breaking in current times. Following on we chose films from Massey Ferguson with the iconic 1200 series with the diamond plough and other primary cultivation equipment. In addition we couldn’t resist the reels labelled “Harry Fergusons What made the evening so entertaining 3 point linkage”, and the late was watching Jim taking on the role of the 1960’s and 1970’s era of the David cinematographer as he wound the reel of Brown tractor production years. film through the projector, requested the Just for a bit of variety we watched lights were dimmed, and then the clatter the maintenance and inspection

Reflections on 60 year wheel (akin to robotics!) Certificate Since then I have continued Alan Chadborn to teach blacksmithing in Agricultural Engineer in the Inner adult education in the London City Borough of Newham, and to I was delighted to receive the certificate do maintenance work on the marking my 60 years of membership. complex building of a youth Your President kindly invited me to send club in Bermondsey. in a paragraph or two for the journal. I also take part as a volunteer I worked in rural Africa for 19 years, with the Surrey Docks particularly with animal draft and Farm which enables inner- appropriate technology, and taught at city children and adults to craft level at Otley, Suffolk for 8 years. In experience livestock and crops, Africa I learnt to plough with donkeys, with Christian Engineers in and got shot at by rebels. At Otley I Development (ced.org.uk) Surrey Docks Farm learnt to reverse a tractor and trailer by which offers professional help remote control with a student at the to rural communities in Africa and Pakistan, often with water projects, and with a local expression of Men In CED Water Project Sheds. The young men I trained in Uganda still correspond with me, particularly about tools. This involves Tools With A Mission (TWAM). On their behalf I am also working on the design of single wheel trailers for bicycles. Recently I have been commissioned to make treadle lathes for work with inner city men and boys. I read Landwards with interest, particularly about small scale equipment for Conservation Agriculture in Africa, as this has great potential for food production. The broad training I received through IAgrE enables me to adapt to a range of current challenges and I have always been grateful for it.

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VISIT TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF LINCOLN UNIVERSITY Report by Philip Spencer MIAgrE Twenty members of the East Midlands Branch met on 13 December in the Issac Newton Building of Lincoln University, which is a newly built modern campus right in the heart of the city. The Engineering Department combines state of the art research and development, with an up to date training facility.Hosted by Professor Ron Bickerton, we were briefed on how, with collaboration with Siemens UK, the department were able to offer B Eng Honours in Mechanical Engineering and provides links with their Electrical Engineering programmes. In association with Siemens Apprenticeship programmes, students undertake operational, maintenance and research activities. Siemens UK currently employs over 6000 people in power generator fuel efficiency when powering grid The University concentrates on the industries. generators. electrical power generator sector and The first part of our tour was an With words ringing in our ears from our have a fully operational simulator room opportunity to get up close to a number of host about safety, (losing fingers in the where students can train how to initiate training aids, namely jet turbine engines. closely fitting sharp precision components start up, monitor its’ output and diagnose Studies included operational processes, is a real risk), we set about examining faults. We were treated to a working plus design and research into improving stripped out engine parts. We could demonstration and a briefing on how differentiate everything was programmed. between the The department also had a 360 virtual different types reality car simulator, used to test the risks of blades and of using mobile phones, drink driving or observe the lack of attention at the wheel. movement of Over a final cup of coffee, members fuel and air in were also updated on the work of the a range of gas Universities Agricultural Food Technology turbine engines. Department (LIAT) by Isobel Wright, Senior There was still a Lecturer, operating both from Lincoln real temptation City University and also their Riseholme to spin the highly campus. It was explained the ongoing balanced turbines research with plant growth, irrigation, on a Rolls Royce drones, robotics and driverless machinery, RB211 jet engine. this in collaboration with a range of This currently industrial bodies. powers you over The University has a great future, driven the Atlantic on by highly skilled and motivated staff which a jumbo jet, or was evident to see during the evening. supplies power Further information can be easily found on to your home. their websites.

VISIT TO AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION In addition the AEA sits on committees relating to industries not Report by Richard Trevarthen directly applicable to agricultural equipment. This was necessary The visit to AEA on 10 January 2017 was hosted by Keith as their standards may have impact on Agricultural equipment. Hawken and entitled ‘The work of the AEA’. The evening began Our thanks to Keith and the AEA for a most informative evening. with a most welcome buffet supper followed by an extensive Further details about Keith’s career and the work he is involved and comprehensive talk about the role of the AEA, it’s role and in can be found in Landwards Vol. 71 No. 4 ‘Keeping Up the services it provides to its industry members. Standards’. The AEA is one of the oldest trade associations in the UK, founded by Sir Bernhard Samuelson in 1875. For its members Official opening of AEA HQ it provides support in the following areas; Economic data and forecasts, Export support, Legal and Technical. In addition the AEA runs two events (Scotgrass and Tillage) and administers the NSTS (National Sprayer Testing Scheme). It also provides links to the European Trade Associations, organises training for businesses, has voting rights for standards with both BSI and CEN and chairs various standard committees After an overview of the above Keith took us a whirlwind tour of the world of standards covering BSI, EU and ISO. This included an overview of all the stakeholders including the chair, the working groups and other organisations required to agree a standard. He paid particular attention the improvement in safety and accident reduction that had been brought about by the implementation of standards in the industry. What surprised many was the sheer quantity of documents that required reviewing on an annual basis to keep abreast with all the ongoing standard and the size of the AEA’s library of standards.

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Membership pages.indd 29 06/03/2017 10:12 WESTERN BRANCH WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH TALK BY RAY CLAY (JCB) to Bedford trucks, and worked on the Report by Rupert Caplat B.Eng(Hons) introduction of tapered leaf spring TRACTOR DEVELOPMENT AT CEng MIAgrE suspension various aspects of trucks, BANNER LANE On 23 November 2016 members and including disc brakes. Ian Moore. guests of the IAgrE Western Branch were In 1986, GM Truck and Bus, as it had As everyone must know by now, present at Lackham College to listen to Ray become, was transferred to Detroit. He 2016 was the 70th anniversary of Clay give a talk about his life and times as and his colleagues were told to expect the production of the first Ferguson an engineer. Ray is most well known for a big announcement at 9am and then TE20 tractor at the Massey Ferguson being one of the main engineers on the one hour later he received a call from Banner Lane factory in Coventry. So JCB Fastrac project from its very start. a selection agency asking for a chassis the West Midlands Branch thought it Ray was born and raised in Sheffield, the engineer. The initial interview went well would be appropriate to invite branch son of a steel roller. From an early age his and Ray was informed the job was for member William Waddilove to give father wanted him to follow him into the JCB which made him question why a a presentation looking at ‘Tractor steel industry by becoming a metallurgist. manufacturer of off-highway machinery development at Banner Lane’. In pursuit of this Ray was doing very well would want a suspension specialist. A William is ex Banner Lane employee in his A-level studies and was due to second interview at JCB Transmissions in and maintains a keen interest in the move on to Birmingham University to read Wrexham with the late Dave Brown (an mark and the tractors produced at Metallurgy until he met a young lady who brilliant engineer, originally from Massey Coventry. He explained that he was became a distraction – so much so he only Ferguson Industrial in Manchester) meant taking us though the history of the got a pass in Physics. The upside was he that within a week Ray had the job and factory and the tractors developed married her and they are still married after joined a small team designing a new fast there via a selection of films. Starting 53 years. tractor concept, the brainchild of the then with a film entitled ‘The Standard Due to his sudden change of fortune Ray Sir Anthony Bamford, now Lord Bamford – Built Ferguson’ this covered a lot of managed to land a job at the Transport the Fastrac . the background to the production and Road Research Laboratory near Slough This became quite a pressure situation and assembly of the early TE20. in 1959. His first job was to operate a because Lord Bamford’s father, the founder Then a short film on the 35 and 65 device to measure the braking coefficient of the company in 1945, maintained a models which showed how easy they of road surfaces up to 30mph. This was watchful critique on the design progress. were to use in the field, and finally “We were usually tipped ‘Cornerstone’ a film emphasising the off that he was on his need for food in the rapidly growing way to visit us about country and how the farmer using the 4.45pm. That was the new 100 series range of tractors were signal to prepare his the cornerstone of feeding the nation. Earl Grey tea for when We have arranged for William to he arrived. He rarely left return in the New Year to continue before 8pm. Mr JCB the story up to the introduction of was the most intuitive the 4300 series, the last model made self - taught engineer, before the factory closed. and ranked up there with Stephenson and Brunel In the late 80’s tractors travelled at a maximum of 20mph (30 kph) and it was Lord Bamford’s concept to develop a faster machine for improved road performance and productivity. Higher speed would require better handling and ABOVE: towed by a 1951 Standard Vanguard brakes, this in turn required suspension. JCB Fastrac estate wagon, which was fine for the job The received wisdom was that you couldn’t but with the advent of the Motorway in plough with a suspended rear axle. – the the late 1950’s it was required to raise the high torque made the rear axle tramp. test speed to 70mph. This meant using Due to Ray’s automotive experience he a different vehicle altogether – a Jaguar was able to adapt the technology used on XK150. This had 210hp and had raced Opel GTs and Vauxhall Vivas to develop at Le Mans two years previously so at 19 a multilink system which transferred the years old, Ray thought he had the best job forces better and allowed acceptable in the world. ploughing performance. At the time braking coefficient Ray went on to give a presentation in his measurement was found to be not only own cartoon drawn form of the concepts necessary on motorways but also runways of off-highway vehicle suspension, braking and aircraft carrier decks. This needed a and handling. For instance, tractors have test speed of 150mph so the weapon of to brake at a rate of 2.5m/s2 whereas all choice then became an Aston Martin DB4 other road vehicle have to brake at a rate 4.0 ltr – the job got even better! twice that – Ray’s advice – stay behind This work continued until 1966 when Ray a tractor! Ray fought for better tractor moved to Vauxhall to work on automatic braking standards at the EU, along with transmissions and suspension systems. the late Ken Bradley, for nigh on 20 years. He had spent 10 years at Vauxhall on ABS will become a legal requirement in passenger car and van design and 2018. Ray finished with some videos of development when product R&D was the latest 8000 series tractor being both moved in 1976 from Vauxhall in Luton to tested and operated. A lively Q&A session Opel in Germany. Despite being offered ensued and all attendees thanked Ray for the chance to migrate, he transferred his time with the usual applause.

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AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTING IN CO around 40% of customers choosing this Favourite tractors DOWN option. The latest forage harvesters offer The meeting concluded with a fun Report by Terence Chambers more technical features to save fuel by discussion around “What were the best The November 2016 meeting of the engine speed management and ongoing tractors ?” Obviously there has been a Northern Ireland Branch of IAgrE was refinements for servicing and adjustment. lot of technical development in tractor based on a discussion forum about Cultivation and planting work. design and power during the last 40 years agricultural contract work. Two All of the panel are involved with and users are influenced by their own generations of three Co. Down based cultivation work involving establishment experiences. The choice range from the families kindly agreed to share their of crops both for customers and their own Nuffield 10 /60 from the mid 1960s, Ford knowledge and experience of the subject. enterprises. One is a potato grower with 5000 and 7000s, Massey Ferguson 165, The participants were Mr John Dan extensive experience of destoning, planting from 1965, and its 100 series siblings, O’Hare and his sons Danny and Mark and 2-row harvesting systems. 85hp Zetor 8011 Crystal, Fiat tractors of (Katesbridge), Mr Roy Townley and his son Cereal harvesting the early 1970s Deere’s EU built tractors James (Ballygowan), Mr Francis Newell Barley, wheat and oats are the main and its successors especially the 10 series and his son David (Kilkeel). Their operations combinable crops in the area with the (including the 6810 and 7810) are still very focussed on the following areas. latest combines capable of harvesting up popular with contractors. Slurry work to 800 acres during a good season. There All of the panel participants are involved in is also positive experience of successfully slurry spreading. Tank mixing, at the end harvesting field beans but peas are more of the housing period, is a high risk venture difficult. because of the amount of poisonous gas Machine choice, service and given off during the process. All were replacement policies. aware of the need to follow strict safety Between them, the panel have a lot of guidelines for this work. capital invested in up-to-date machinery. Field spreading was previously allowed The range of main brands represented over a longer season, when land and are market leaders with local dealership weather conditions were favourable, but support. environmental regulations in Northern Front line harvesting equipment tended to Ireland now restrict this to the main be replaced after several years depending growing seasons with the closed season is on reliability, hours on the clock and trade from 15th October to 31st January. in values.. The Case IH 956, of 1985, with its simple Hedge cutting Dealing with customers specification had its supporters as did the This operation is also seasonal for Providing field operations for customers 110hp Massey Ferguson 3095 from 1990, environmental reasons. The contract on time in an unpredictable climate where with its electronic systems and the Fendt services offered include both flail trimming weather, ground conditions and cropping with trendsetting infinitely-variable Vario and circular saw work for heavier growth. dates vary from year to year is often a transmission in 1996. The discussion covered both types challenge. In dealing with decisions on The Northern Ireland Branch of IAgrE are including an example of a saw mounted who comes first it was obvious that all of most grateful to all 3 families for taking on a tracked excavator for use in difficult our panel had retained their customers the time to share their experiences with us ground conditions. over a long time and that good customer during such an informative and enjoyable Grass work relations are well established. An evening. This is a significant operation with all understanding of the cropping system on of the 3 families running high capacity each farm has meant that the same basic Pictured below: L to R: James self-propelled forage harvester teams. order of field works has been maintained Townley, Roy Townley, David Newell, Their season runs from mid May to late from year to year. Francis Newell, John Dan O’Hare, autumn. The trend is to now to field Danny O’Hare and Mark O’Hare wilting, for higher dry matter silage, with

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ADMISSIONS Kent L Wright GJ READMISSION Member Kidd MA Wyatt JI Haresign S MIAgrE Gabarron M King R Young T (East Midlands) (East Midlands) Lee M Yusaf K Hefft D (East Midlands) Llywelyn-Roberts LI DEATHS MacInnes JA Reaseheath College We have recently learned Associate Member Maude SL Baker T of the death of the Krier P (Yorkshire) Metherell BW Beams H following members and we Mill A Blamire p send our condolences to STUDENT Mortimer T Brinkley JE their family and friends: Harper Adams University Morton B Carslake L Mr Derek Greig Adams R G Moseley HTU Davies R (Southern) a member since Allen C Mosley W Edgerton J 1955 Aston T H Murphy-Hunt F Fairbairn SJ Baker HY Musson I Frazer BJ TRANSFERS Bangar S Neal JHD Gardiner TJ Member Beach TG Nyhan M Harries GR Griffiths DR (East Midlands) Boothby AL Ogg A Harrison LA Bowers T Owen TD Heath C Associate Member Bremner E Philp M Heaton G Charnley JWD (Yorkshire) Broom A Pratt RA Heeps C Smith J P (Wrekin) Bryning RJ Pring J Hollamby EC Stott K (Yorkshire) Campbell M Rhodes JC Howard ER Yerburgh W (Western) Clements J Ryan T Moon E Matthews J (Western) Cox RE Sandercock J Peissel TG Crabtree KA Saunders WA Robinson BA ENGINEERING Crawford J Seacombe H Robson D COUNCIL Crinnian AR Sears ME Spurgeon R REGISTRATIONS Davis PJ Seymour J Walker D CEng Dawson JA Shaw J Walsh JT Lim Ka S (Herts & Essex) Dell N Simmonds J Wheeler R Downie WP Smith H Whitfield J SOCIETY FOR THE Edwards AL Smith G Wood J ENVIRONMENT Evans IL Snookes-Hathaway R CEng Evans TM Stewart D Cooke A (East Midlands) Faulkner R Stirzaker J Fielden S Stride A Gallimore J Teper J Gilchrist H Tucker E CORRECTION Gillingwater H Vaughan AWS In the Winter 2016 issue of Landwards, Membership Hardy A Wakeham M section under Transfers, Richard Trevarthen was shown Hawkes C Webb GCE as Member rather than a Fellow, whilst Ian Sumpter Hogg SW Williams B and Alex Cooke were shown as Fellows rather than Jones HD Williams RS Members. Our apologies to those concerned Kelso DF Williams AD

LONG SERVICE CERTIFICATES (1.1.17 – 31.3.17) IAgrE congratulates the following members on reaching significant milestones.

Name Date of Anniversary Name Date of Anniversary 60 Years 35 Years Richard Basil Evans MIAgrE 08-Jan-17 Ruth Diana Metcalfe MIAgrE 13-Jan-17 John Kevin Grundey FIAgrE 08-Jan-17 Richard Bond MIAgrE 15-Jan-17 Peter Stewart Barton MIAgrE 12-Mar-17 Paul James Stevens AMIAgrE 21-Jan-17 Peter Cyril Brimblecombe MIAgrE 12-Mar-17 Andrew Thomas Blowey MIAgrE 02-Mar-17 David Alastair Jack FIAgrE 12-Mar-17 Owen George Grant O’Connell MIAgrE 09-Mar-17 John Kilgour AIAgrE 12-Mar-17 25 Years 50 Years Stewart Coombie MIAgrE 02-Jan-17 David Ian Bartlett AIAgrE 13-Jan-17 Roger Charles Balls AMIAgrE 02-Jan-17 Douglas George Scott MIAgrE 13-Jan-17 Robert John Merrall MIAgrE 02-Jan-17 Peter Charles Anderson MIAgrE 31-Jan-17 Robert Lindsay Watson MIAgrE 04-Feb-17 Jonathan Charles Booty AMIAgrE 30-Mar-17

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ACADEMIC MEMBERS

Bishop Burton College Greenmount College Pallaskenry Agricultural College York Road CAFRE Co Limerick Bishop Burton 22 Greenmount Road Ireland Beverley HU17 8QG Antrim, Northern Ireland BT41 4PU Plumpton College Brooksby Melton College Ditchling Road Asfordby Road Harper Adams University Lewes Melton Mowbray Newport East Sussex, BN7 3AE Leics LE13 0HJ Shropshire TF10 8NB Reaseheath College Coleg sir Gar Institute of Technology Reaseheath, Gelli Aur Campus Tralee Nantwich Llandeilo Clash, Cheshire, CW5 6DF Carmarthenshire SA32 8NJ Tralee Co Kerry, Ireland Royal Agricultural University Cranfield University Cirencester Cranfield Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Gloucester, GL7 6JS Bedfordshire MK43 0AL Technology, Lincoln University Sparsholt College Duchy College Lincoln LN6 7TS Sparsholt, Stoke Climsland Winchester SO21 2NF Callington Myerscough College, Cornwall Bilsbarrow SRUC – Auchincruive PL17 8PB Preston Auchincruive Estate Lancashire PR3 0RY Ayr, KA6 5HW Easton & Otley College Easton Newcastle University Wiltshire College Lackham Norwich King’s Gate Lacock Norfolk, NR9 5DX Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 2NY

COMMERCIAL MEMBERS City & Guilds HSS Hire Agricultural Engineers 1 Giltspur Street Head Office Association (AEA) London EC1A 9DD 25 Willow Lane, Samuelson House, Mitcham, London 62 Forder Way, City Farm Systems Ltd CR4 4TS WEST MIDLANDS Hampton, 25 Hepplewhite Close Peterborough, PE7 8JB High Wycombe John Deere Ltd AGM Bucks HP13 6BZ Harby Road, Langar At the recent West Midlands Branch AGM retiring Branch Secretary Mike Sheldon AGCO Ltd Nottinghamshire NG13 9HT was presented with a certificate ‘In Stoneleigh, Abbey Park, David Ritchie (Implements) Ltd recognition of 35 years of service to the Kenilworth, Carseview Road, Suttieside, Marks & Clerk LLP West Midlands Branch of the Institution’ Warwickshire, CV8 2TQ Forfar, Angus, DD8 3EE 90 Long Acre by Dr Mark Cooper, IAgrE Vice President. LONDON WC2E 9RA In reality nobody is quite sure how long Alvan Blanch Development Co, Douglas Bomford Trust Mike has been a member of the Branch The Bullock Building Mastenbroek Limited committee and it is more likely 35 years Chelworth, plus. During his time on the committee Malmesbury, University Way, Cranfield 83 Swineshead Road Mike has served in several roles including Wiltshire SN16 9SG Bedford, MK43 0GH Boston, Lincs, PE21 7JG Chairman, Treasurer and latterly, for at least the fifteen years I’ve been a member Autoguide Equipment Ltd DSL Systems Shelbourne Reynolds Stockley Road , Heddington Adbolton Hall Shepherds Grove Ind. Est. Calne, Adbolton Lane Stanton, Bury St Edmunds Wiltshire, SN11 0PS West Bridgford Suffolk, IP31 2AR Nottingham NG2 5AS BAGMA SSAB Swedish Steel Ltd Middleton House, FEC Services Narrowboat Way 2 Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Stoneleigh Park Hurst Business Park Banbury, Kenilworth Brierley Hill Oxon, OX17 2TN Warwickshire CV8 2LS West Midlands DY5 1UF

Bomford Turner Limited Fullwood TeeJet London Ltd Salford Priors Grange Road Headley House, Evesham, Ellesmere Headley Road, Hindhead, Worcestershire WR11 5SW Cheshire SY12 9DF Surrey, GU26 6UK

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21 March 2017 WREKIN IAgrE EVENTS Branch AGM & Annual Dinner Contact: David Clare The evening commences with a PRE 01952 815087 4 April 2017 - BOOKED two course dinner [email protected] IAgrE 2017 Young Engineers Cost: £14.95 per person please Competition make cheques payable to R. 20 March 2017 Kubota Training School, Thame, Trevarthen Branch AGM & Technical IMPORTANT: Please notify me, either Presentation Speaker: Oxfordshire by Email richard.trevarthen@gmail. Teams of young engineers compete The AGM will be followed by Tea com or Tel 01509 215 109 by 7.00 and coffee with the technical meeting for valuable prizes to create a remote pm THURSDAY MARCH 16th with starting at 6.30 pm or radio controlled vehicle to tackle your menu choice (no reservation... Agricultural Engineering Innovation the competition track. no meal). Centre at Harper Adam University Partners are invited, and a very warm 27 April 2017 welcome awaits. 7pm 3 April 2017 IAgrE AGM, EGM & Awards Quorn Lodge Hotel, 48 Asfordby Visit to Morris Corfield, Broseley Presentation Road, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE13 A presentation and demonstration of 0HR John Deere, Harby Road, Langar, the latest diagnostic equipment. Notts NG13 9HT 7.30 pm Morris Corfield, Broseley Join us for the AGM and celebrate SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS IAgrE success at the Awards CONTACT: John Stafford 15 May 2017 Presentation. Programme for the day 01525 402229 john.stafford@silsoe- Innovative Welding Technology is as follows: solutions.co.uk Speaker: Chris Dungey of The 10.00am Arrival and coffee Welding Institute 10.30am AGM 3 April 2017 Chris Dungey of The Welding Institute followed by EGM at 10.45am Success with No-Till, under any will be taking about the latest jointing conditions. A Nuffield Scholar technologies, additive manufacturing 11 am Awards Ceremony Report 12.30pm Lunch and deposition coatings. Speaker: Russell McKenzie Russell 7.30pm 1.30pm Tour of John Deere UK entered his scholarship wanting to Agricultural Engineering Innovation 3pm End of visit find out if crop establishment with Centre at Harper Adam University tillage was doing more harm than 11 OCTOBER 2017 good. He will share his Nuffield FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION 2017 IAGRE LANDWARDS ANNUAL travelling experiences from Australia ON ALL BRANCH MEETINGS AND CONFERENCE to Brazil ACTIVITIES Rothamsted Centre for Research Maulden Church Hall, Church Road, Visit EVENTS: www.iagre.org/events Maulden MK45 2AU and Enterprise, Harpenden, Herts BRANCH DETAILS: www.iagre.org/ brgpselect Conference Theme: Decarbonising 17 May 2017 Agriculture Visit to Silsoe Spray Unit (details to The conference will address the follow) policies and practices, the correct SSAU, Silsoe INDUSTRY EVENTS approach and the technologies required if reliance on carbon is to be 22 - 24 March 2017 reduced. WEST MIDLANDS Essential Management Skills 2017 Contact: Ian Moore Venue: Warwick Manufacturing 0121 704 5700 [email protected] 19 OCTOBER 2017 Group, Coventry Essential IAGRE COUNCIL MEETING Management Skills 2017 (EMS 2017) 14 March 2017 is the flagship management event Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food BRANCH AGM from the Institute of Mechanical Technology (LIAT) Dr Clare Butler Ellis will give the Engineers )IMechE) Riseholme Campus, Lincoln University Presidential Address and take Warwick Manufacturing Group, questions from the Members present. Coventry All enquiries regarding IAgrE Following this, she will give a short Events Contact Sarah McLeod. presentation based upon her work 30 March 2017 Tel: 01234 750876 at the Silsoe Spray Applications Unit Westminster Food and Nutrition 7.30pm [email protected] Forum Seminar: The Future of UK Friends Meeting House, 37 Agriculture Policy Maidenhead Road, Stratford upon THIS EVENT IS CPD CERTIFIED Guest Avon, CV37 6XT of Honour: Mike Rowe, Deputy BRANCH EVENTS Director, Future Agriculture Policy, DEFRA 9am-1pm WESTERN Central London EAST MIDLANDS Contact: Mike Whiting CONTACT: Richard Trevarthen 07751 345580 31 March – 1 April 2017 01509 215109 [email protected] National Engineering & [email protected] Construction Recruitment 15 March 2017 Exhibition 14 March 2017 BRANCH AGM AND LECTURE “Pros If you’re looking for a new challenge, “Aftersales an Afterthought” and Cons of Min Till or want to discover how your skills In a change from our advertised Speaker: Dick Godwin FREng can transfer to a different sector, programme, as the original speaker HonFIAgrE “Professor Dick Godwin don’t miss the opportunity to meet is away in China, we are delighted is an Internationally recognised recruiters from the industry’s top to welcome Peter Harding, Manager researcher and educator on soil employers Aftersales Dealer Development, mechanics. 6.30 pm NEC Birmingham AGCO. 7pm for 7.30pm Parkinson’s Theatre, Royal Agricultural Quorn Lodge Hotel, 48 Asfordby University, Cirencester GL7 6JS Road, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE13 0HR

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Event pages.indd 34 06/03/2017 10:15 4 April 2017 Environment, International Journal 16 – 20 July 2017 Working with Soil – Exposing and of Computational Methods and 11th European Conference on Describing a Soil Profile Experimental Measures Precision Agriculture The ability to expose a representative Balmer Lawn Hotel, The New Forest It is 20 years since the first ECPA soil profile and to describe it conference and the UK organisers accurately and consistently are skills 14 June – 15 June 2017 are pleased to welcome the return that are fundamental to the study Cereals 2017 of the conference to the UK and to of soil in the field. This practical one Join over 25,000 farmers, agronomists Edinburgh. day course is the first of three courses and industry suppliers on the 14th University of Edinburgh’s John covering the foundation skills & 15th June at Boothby Graffoe, McIntyre Conference Centre Shuttleworth College, Old Warden Lincolnshire for the industry’s leading Park, Biggleswade SG18 9DX technical event and discover the latest 13 - 14 September 2017 arable techniques The UK Produce Industry Fair 25 April 2017 Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire It’s not just a fair exhibiting to Off Highway Vehicle Seminar the trade for the trade, it’s a fair Off Highway Vehicles include vehicles 15 June 2017 exhibiting a one stop shop for you, used for different environments, Westminster Energy, Environment your customers and potential new including, agriculture, construction, and Transport Forum Seminar. customers. mining and other off-highway Next Steps for a national air Peterborough Arena roles. Those working in off highway quality plan engineering face a unique set of Guest of Honour - Catriona 14 September 2017 challenges. Henderson, Deputy Head, Joint Air Tillage Live 2017 West Midlands Quality Unit, Defra and DfT This This year’s Tillage-Live takes place on seminar will provide opportunity Thursday 14th September 2017 at 27 April 2017 to assess Government’s plans for Wickenby Airfield, Lincoln. Organised Westminster Energy, Environment improving air quality levels. by the Agricultural Engineers and Transport Forum Seminar. Central London Association (AEA) Next Steps for Natural Wickenby Airfield, Lincoln. Environmental Policy in England 23 June 2017 Guest of Honour: Shirley Trundle, International Women in 19 – 21 November 2017 Director, Countryside and Nature, Engineering Day 2017 Pan African Society for Department for Environment, Food In 2017 NWED is going Agricultural Engineering Nairobi and Rural Affairs international. It’s now time to start 2017 Conference 9am-1pm planning for INTERNATIONAL WOMEN The Pan African Society for Central London IN ENGINEERING DAY #INWED17 Agricultural Engineers was formed in 2012. The mission of the society is to 9 – 10 May 2017 29 June 2017 promote and advance the profession Turret Media FZ LLC Groundswell 2017 of agricultural engineering in Africa. GFIA Europe Global Forum for Groundswell is a new farming Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel, Nairobi, Innovations in Agriculture conference, designed by farmers for Kenya Welcome to the future of agriculture. farmers to educate and inform the Supported by an international industry about no-till techniques and 29 – 30 November 2017 network of 40+ partners, the Global soil regeneration in arable and mixed Croptec 2017 Forum for Innovations in Agriculture is farming situations. CropTec, the essential technical and the world’s largest dedicated expo of Hertfordshire TBC business event for arable and mixed sustainable agriculture farmers, their advisers and associated Jaarbeurs Expo Centre, Utrecht, industries, will be packed with Netherlands innovative features and content. East of England Showground, 10 – 11 May 2017 Peterborough, PE2 6XE Working with Soil – Understanding Soil Variability at Landscape to Local Scale Soil variability impacts on the effective management of soil systems. IAgrE 2017 Understanding and recognising these changes in the field is a key skill YOUNG ENGINEERS COMPETITION required to ensure the sustainable use Tuesday 4 April 2017 of soil through targeted management practices Kubota Training School, Thame, Oxon Plumpton College, West Sussex 6 – 7 June 2017 Details: Pigs 2022 – The Opportunities With an international focus on Sarah McLeod 01234 750876 antibiotics, a volatile marketplace, [email protected] the increasing influence of Chinese consumption and production on the www.iagre.org global industry, Brexit and the ever- present threat of disease. St Johns Hotel, Solihull, United Kingdom

13 – 16 June 2017 1st International Conference on Timber Structures and Engineering Organised by: Wessex Institute, UK, Technical Centre of Wood Industry, Belgium Sponsored by: WIT Transactions on the Built

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2017 LANDWARDS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2017 Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise, Harpenden, Hertfordshire DECARBONISING UK AGRICULTURE Perspectives and Policy for Change SUMMARY The carbon footprint of agriculture is complex. At one end, tractors and machines are big energy users, whilst natural resources such as forests and the soil can be managed to capture carbon. The conference will address the policies and practices, the correct approach and the technologies required if reliance on carbon is to be reduced. The event is aimed at engineers, scientists and technologists, farmers, growers, producers and for those working in policy and sustainable development

OUTLINE PROGRAMME • The Impact of UK Agriculture on Carbon Production • Carbon and Social Responsibility • The Energy Independent Farm • Search for Sustainable Agriculture • Carbon Capture and CO2 Enrichment Technologies • Soil – Our Natural Capital • Minimum Tillage and Carbon Reduction FURTHER INFORMATION Online: www.iagre.org E-Mail: [email protected] Telephone: 01234 750876

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