Opportunities and benefits of polyculture arable crop growing techniques on pest and disease control, yield, biodiversity, nitrogen fertiliser reduction, and the role of robotics in precision treatment and harvesting.
The challenge
Monoculture growing, where one crop is grown in isolation across a field or area, can face problems with pests and diseases, issues which can spread unhindered from plant to plant.
The conventional method of tackling these problems has been to use agrochemicals, although their impact on soil and the wider environment, as well as their cost to farmers and their carbon footprint, mean there are significant downsides to current treatment.
Although it is recognised that a polyculture approach, where different crops are grown alongside each other, would provide a solution to pest and disease issues, there is currently a lack of understanding around compatible crops and the machinery required to farm them successfully.
The polyculture solution
This project is led by innovative farmers NP Holloway & Son, with support from researchers at Harper Adams University and agro-ecological robotics specialists ARRevolution.
Work focused on progressing the polyculture concept from planning and designing, through to tool development and the potential opportunity for robotics in precision farming and harvesting techniques – bringing environmental, productivity and sustainability benefits to farmers as a result.
Project scope
The project ran from August 2022 to July 2023, with Harper Adams undertaking focused research into existing crop science literature to produce a report of the best combination of arable crops for English farming systems in terms of economic viability and environmental sustainability, including an example field design.
This work also included analysis of effective strategies for relay cropping, improving biodiversity, avoiding shading from competing peak-season crops, and minimising fertiliser and chemical use within this crop rotation plan.
NP Holloway & Son and ARRevolution took the report outcomes into a next-stage assessment of the potential for the creation of relevant robot-mounted tools to grow, protect and maintain polyculture arable crops. This included identifying the specifications and engineering efforts required for the robot and tools, as well as their potential return on investment.
From here, a further report concluded the priority order of design, manufacture and use, which in turn led the project to implement the design of the most important tool identified in the report – a micro combine harvester.
This work aimed to complement and drive forward a prototype lightweight robot already developed on farm, explains Dale Holloway from NP Holloway & Son and founder of ARRevolution:
“Alongside our project partners at ARRevolution, we wanted to take the results of these research reports to identify any design modifications required to our initial robot plans and help shape the testing and demonstration phase of the concept.”
“Alongside the tools themselves, we also uncovered some valuable insights into farming strategies for robotic-managed polyculture crops, including field design, soil management, strip width and efficient vehicle journey planning. The project has been so important to moving this idea forwards and the support from the Farming Innovation Programme has been invaluable in securing this progress and ensuring we were well-equipped with the knowledge and strategy to move to the next stage.”
What’s next?
Following completion of this project and its positive results, the partners have since secured further funding through the Farming Innovation Programme for the next stage of development. Here the development of a new robot and farming tools will be the focus, including work to secure and modify relevant attachment tools, which will then be used to conduct a strip cropping trial designed and monitored by Harper Adams.
This trial will provide proof-of-concept evidence for the system and the polyculture farming opportunity for arable crops. This includes preparation for and planting of specifically chosen strip crops to begin testing stages and crop performance work.
The partners have also begun the testing of the new micro combine harvester tool on monoculture crops, having used private funds to construct it to the design identified in the project report.
The project aims to keep the needs of farmers at its heart throughout development stages. Dale added:
“We want farmers to be able to repair their own equipment on site, rather than need to stall progress waiting for an expensive engineer or mechanic appointment. Our robot designs will be easily fixable and tools easily integrated and replaceable, while also keeping our environmental approach of using recyclable materials wherever possible.”
