Headline Sponsors

Bayer

Agriculture has always been the most dynamic of industries – and right now could be one of the most exciting times to embark on a farming career.

Advances in agriculture are everywhere. Gene mapping and molecular markers shall inevitably transform breeding programmes, new diagnosis and digital tools will bring new depths of data, allowing farmers to make better informed decisions, and farm robotics will be a reality.

These advances come at a critical time. UK agriculture needs to improve its productivity to meet population growth, but minimise its environmental footprint at the same time.

Bayer is at the heart of helping farmers meet this challenge. We are working across every level of our business to help deliver sustainable farming whilst increasing farmers yield and incomes. For our own business we are looking to be climate neutral by 2030.

In the UK we are at the forefront of improving and accelerating disease diagnosis. Since 2014 we have been working with partners to develop and evaluate technologies such as DNA testing, in-field spore trapping and weather recording systems. Monitoring Septoria DNA in leaves provides an insight into disease severity before symptoms express.

The aim is to develop highly sensitive and rapid diagnosis tools for agronomists and farmers, so they can create precisely targeted disease control strategies and ensure appropriate fungicide use.

The Farming Apprentice initiative is designed to inspire the next generation to meet the challenges that lie ahead. We are pleased to support it and look forward to the future together.

Climate FieldView

The Farmers Weekly farming apprentices shall have the opportunity to see a dynamic agricultural digital platform as part of their 2020 programme.

Bayer’s Climate FieldView™ is already paying big dividends in the US, being used on some 36 million hectares in 2019. Stateside the platform is providing farmers with a wealth of field, climate and farm operations data.

The US experience has sparked global interest in the platform, and some see its introduction this side of the Atlantic as a potential ‘game-changer’. A comprehensive field health package not only includes biomass and field images but water utilisation and scouting maps, exclusive to Climate FieldView.

This, combined with additional data capture tools, will refine agronomic decision making. Crop inputs being more finely tuned to reflect the soil and topographical variation typically found in fields, the benefits of which will be seen in farm profitability and reduced environmental footprint. For farmers wanting true prescriptive crop management then Climate FieldView is worth serious investigation.

Also unique to Climate FieldView is the ability to see data real-time. The apprentices will view yield mapping data via an iPad as the combine moves through the field. Then they will be tasked with evaluating how that information can benefit future farm management strategies.

The Farmers Weekly farming apprentices are starting out at what is an exciting time for agriculture, and we are delighted to support the initiative. Feeding an increasing global population sustainably clearly presents a serious challenge but the advances in agriculture science and technology are extraordinary and developing rapidly.

Massey Ferguson

With more than 160 years of innovation and experience, Massey Ferguson is one of the world’s leading tractor brands and a force in the global harvesting business.

Here you can find out more about Massey Ferguson and the wider AGCO family.

Bootcamp partners

Bunkabin

Bunkabin is the leading supplier of site sleepers and portable welfare units. We provide practical site accommodation and facilities that offer unrivalled comfort to users in a wide range of industries.

For more information, visit the Bunkabin website.

Honda

For more information, visit the Honda website.