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Business Improvement

Reducing the carbon footprint of malt production

HGCA is supporting a new industry project looking at practical ways of cutting the carbon footprint of malt production.

With barley growing accounting for 60 per cent of malt’s carbon footprint, the initiative is looking at how different on-farm practices and new technologies can help reduce CO2 emissions.

The project seeks to reduce the use of fuel and fertiliser through applied research, harnessing the latest agronomy and precision farming techniques.

The aim is to encourage growers to take into consideration end-market requirements, to add value to crops and improve operational efficiency.

The project is being spearheaded by Muntons and funded by LandSkills East. Trial plots are being hosted by NIAB TAG at Morley in Norfolk.

Growers interested in producing low carbon crops may be interested in the following HGCA research.

Be PRECISE  

Precision technology includes techniques such as guidance, mapping and variable rate application. It can help improve the efficiency of farm operations including cultivations and better targeted fertiliser and agrochemical applications. Be PRECISE Workshops provide growers with the information and knowledge to make informed decisions about whether precision farming techniques are appropriate for their farm system.

Improved analysis of solid manures and slurries

Analysing nutrient content of representative samples of solid manures and slurries can mitigate for the considerable variation from the typical values presented in Defra’s Fertiliser Manual. A three-year collaborative project has shown that Near Infra-red Reflectance Spectrometry (NIRS) can provide low cost, rapid and reliable analysis.

Nutrient Management

Nitrogen and other nutrients are vital to optimise crop productivity. However, nitrogen applied as fertilisers and manures can be leached from the soil before the crop has had the chance to use it. HGCA funds research to assess the amount and timing of nitrogen application to maximise plant use efficiency and reduce the amount leached. Current projects include:

Automating nitrogen fertiliser management for winter cereals

Minimising nitrous oxide intensities of arable products (MIN-NO)

Greenhouse Gas Action Plan

Alongside its sister divisions in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, HGCA is a part of The Greenhouse Gas Action Plan (GHGAP). Over the next 40 years, the global food system will have to feed more people with less impact. This will mean providing a higher quality diet while dealing with greater competition for land, water and energy and the economic and political pressures of globalisation as the climate changes. The GHGAP shows the agriculture industry’s commitment to helping to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by three million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year from 2018-2022.

For more information

Please contact Business Improvement Manager Steve Barras on 024 7647 8742 or steve.barras@hgca.ahdb.org.uk