To add some fun there will be a challenge to see who can find all the tech stands and tweet a selfie using #AgriInnovation – can you catch ‘em all?
The trail culminates at the Innovation Hub, where there will be an opportunity to see a selection of latest research and developments hosted by Agri-Tech East and sponsored by the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO).
Director of Agri-Tech East, Belinda Clarke, said: “The digitisation of farming is making it an attractive career choice, especially for those who don’t want to be working in an office all the time. With the Innovation Trail and Hub we are showing why agri-food is an exciting industry and how technology has the power to deliver improved productivity for farmers.
“Within the Innovation Hub we are featuring emerging technology that can help farmers make faster decisions or incremental interventions that can reduce inputs, enhance animal welfare and improve efficiency so a great finish - or starting point - for the trail.”
From fundamental research in the Hub to market-ready technology in the field, the all-new Innovation Trail will include:
State-of-the-art Beet Eater – British Sugar shows off the world’s first 9-row tanker sugar beet harvester. The Beet Eater 925 is capable of topping, lifting, cleaning and transporting sugar beet at around three hectares of sugar beet per hour.
The Tenstar Tractor Simulator (pictured)- Easton and Otley College brings the simulation technology used by surgeons, pilots and astronauts to the tractor training-field. Regardless of bad weather, student-drivers can practice on their own, without the need of instructors.
The forefront of farm machinery - Norfolk Farm Machinery Club will roll out their robotic tractors, camera-operated automatic hoes, a new self-propelled sprayer and many more innovations besides!
Driverless vehicles and drones - Harper Adams University will profile the first project in the world to plant, tend and harvest spring barley with only autonomous vehicles and drones. The ground-breaking ‘Hands Free Hectare’ project is run in partnership with Precision Decisions.
Looking to the future – Savills will provide an insight into what we could expect from the major restructuring already taking place within UK agriculture.
Efficiencies at your fingertips - Brown & Co’s latest software and services can help you stay ahead of the curve and locate your sheep. See if you can find them.
Established innovators - Ben Burgess, one of the most established names in agricultural equipment, will share their experience and insights into the latest machinery on the market.
The Innovation Trail will culminate at The Innovation Hub, where Agri-Tech East members will be highlighting technology that can provide alerts to farmers, from monitoring livestock behaviour to detecting disease, as well as new knowledge about, for example, how genomics can be used to improve the resilience and nutritional value of our food crops.
Dr Vicky Foster, Head of BBRO, sponsors of the Innovation Hub, commented: “The Royal Norfolk Show offers the perfect forum for farmers, producers and big business to come together and discuss the innovations that they can then put into practice on the ground. The BBRO through its research and knowledge exchange has helped the industry deliver year on year improvements in yield, and we wanted to support others in the agri industry to be as productive as they possibly can be.”
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association Show & Programmes Director Mark Nicholas added: “The Innovation Trail adds a fresh dimension to the cutting-edge agricultural technologies that we profile at the Show each year, expanding on our regular Innovation Hub. We hope the Trail, with stops across the Show, will really add to showgoers’ experience and exploration of the showground – especially with more going on than ever before.”
More information about The Royal Norfolk Show’s Innovation Trail is available in the show guide or from the Agri-Tech East Innovation Hub at stand 271. To be in with a chance to win, showgoers should tweet a selfie with each innovation using #AgriInnovation