10 new interdisciplinary projects have received a share of £3M to improve the sustainability of UK farming. The funding was awarded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) alongside 12 industry partners. N8 Universities involved are Lancaster, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.
Commented Professor Bruce Grieve, N8 AgriFood Academic Lead at the University of Manchester who was awarded an individual award for a low-cost fibre optic matting project:
“The awarding of this grant will enable our agri-sensors team, at Manchester, to prove that non-visual imaging techniques can be exploited for accurate feed-conversion monitoring in livestock. This should, not only, lead on to a commercial product and strategic partnership with AB-Agri but also open up a new field of livestock sensors research with the other N8 partners and the Agri-Tech catalyst centres, as the core technology can also be used for real-time monitoring of animal wellbeing and health.”
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