On the 6th June, LSA fellows attended the first educational tour with Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC), in Selby, North Yorkshire. STC is a commercially driven, independent agricultural and horticultural applied research facility, which relies on commercially funded projects from a wide customer base plus commercial activities.
The fellows met with Julian Davies, Agronomist and Commercial Director at STC, who explained the history of national funding received from the government until the early 90’s, where funding was cut and STC became commercially funded. He then gave a tour of the facilities, and discussed current ongoing trials ranging from environmentally conscious investigations into peat free compost for the general public and the current vast variations in quality, to a study in the economics of cutting edge vertical farming research using hydroponics systems and quality LED grow lights in conjunction with Crop Health & Protection (CHAP). Throughout the tour, balanced discussions were had about the details of each trial and the education of the general public in food production. One theme which consistently came up was the disparity in knowledge of fresh produce between those within the industry and those outside, which the fellows are sure to continue exploring in future events.
It was a fascinating trip which encouraged several discussions amongst our group relating to the trials and industry as a whole. I enjoyed seeing in person the ongoing research into really important new advancements for the sector and it was inspiring to hear about an embedded approach to horticulture in education.
Attending the Stockbridge Technology Centre in June was extremely insightful, not only for us to look around research facilities in a variety of trials across edible and non-edible crops, but for the discussions it sparked on the challenges faced by horticulture today with other fellows and the staff at Stockbridge. We learned about the business and the founding of Stockbridge Technology Centre before a tour around the facilities of glasshouses, outdoor tunnels and open field trials. A key discussion point that stuck with me followed a tour through the performance of ornamentals grown in media of the same chemical make-up and supplier but giving completely distinct levels of success of establishment and flower quality. This encompassed for me how difficult uniformity and performance guarantee can be as an agronomist, especially in the movement towards peat free. We also looked at vertical horticulture and the use of LEDs which inspired us all to understand forward-thinking technologies in yield enhancement and pest/disease control.
The fellows express their gratitude to Julian Davies and the team at STC for their time and commitment to the industry.
Robert Sayer, 2023 Fellow and Jenna Gove & Alice Bourne, 2024 Fellows
LSA CT Fellowship Scheme 