Use of stress pre-conditioning, novel sensors and AMF to improve crop management, marketable yields, stress resilience and environmental sustainability of raspberry production
Lead Participant:
BERRY GARDENS GROWERS LTD
Abstract
UK raspberry production was worth £109M in 2014, but a further 11KT of berries, worth £59M, are
imported each year. A 20% increase in the 14KT of fruit produced p.a. in the UK could be expected to
reduce imports by 2.8KT, and raise the value of the UK industry by £15.7M p.a.. However, improved on-
farm management of water and fertiliser inputs is needed to optimise productivity; currently, excessive
fertigation to substrate-grown raspberry result in vigorous cane growth which makes crop management
difficult and harvesting costly. Nutrient leaching also poses a risk to groundwater quality. We will use
novel affinity sensors combined with fuzzy logic to automatically adjust nutrient inputs to match plant
demand in real time, reduce fertiliser losses to the environment and improve berry quality. Stress
preconditioning and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) will be used to raise marketable yields, improve
resource use and acquisition, and increase crop resilience to stresses.
imported each year. A 20% increase in the 14KT of fruit produced p.a. in the UK could be expected to
reduce imports by 2.8KT, and raise the value of the UK industry by £15.7M p.a.. However, improved on-
farm management of water and fertiliser inputs is needed to optimise productivity; currently, excessive
fertigation to substrate-grown raspberry result in vigorous cane growth which makes crop management
difficult and harvesting costly. Nutrient leaching also poses a risk to groundwater quality. We will use
novel affinity sensors combined with fuzzy logic to automatically adjust nutrient inputs to match plant
demand in real time, reduce fertiliser losses to the environment and improve berry quality. Stress
preconditioning and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) will be used to raise marketable yields, improve
resource use and acquisition, and increase crop resilience to stresses.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
---|---|---|
BERRY GARDENS GROWERS LTD | £141,952 | £ 49,683 |
  | ||
Participant |
||
EDT DIRECT ION LIMITED | ||
NIAB. | £490,985 | |
NATIONAL INST OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY | ||
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SOLUTIONS LIMITED | £326,706 | £ 147,018 |
PLANTWORKS LIMITED | £30,000 | £ 13,500 |
INNOVATE UK | ||
BERRY GARDENS GROWERS LIMITED |
People |
ORCID iD |
Edwin Moorhouse (Project Manager) |