High street giant M&S has announced a three-year collaboration with Yorkshire startup AgriSound in moves to help farmers better manage pollinators and increase crop yields.
The deal will see two M&S Select Farms install the agritech company’s in-field sensors for the next three years, allowing the farmers to track the number of pollinators visiting their farm in real time. Biodiversity specialist AgriSound is based in York St John University’s Enterprise Centre where it has developed specialist listening devices, which combine acoustic technology and environmental sensors to monitor the density of key pollinators, including bumblebees and honeybees, as well as the wider insect community remotely.
The devices collect and send data via mobile data, with users able to see results via a smartphone or web app. At Plumford farm in Kent the sensors will be set in a new orchard, to help assess the effectiveness of different densities of wildflowers in attracting pollinators. At G’s Growers in Cambridgeshire they will be placed in hedgerows, pollen and nectar mix and wild bird seed mix, to explore the value of different habitats in attracting pollinators at different times of the year.
Read more: York's AgriSound secures £75k funding to pilot insect listening tech
Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, said: “We’re delighted to team up with M&S and install some of our PollyTM devices across two innovative producer sites. The development of Polly has taken years of dedicated research and it is really exciting to see our technology beginning to deliver unique insights into pollinator activity. I look forward to working closely with the teams at M&S, Plumford and G’s Growers to help protect local pollinator communities.”
The collaboration is part of M&S' five-year Farming with Nature programme, launched last year, to support the retailer’s Select Farmers to become more resilient to environmental challenges spanning climate change and biodiversity loss.
M&S has also collaborated with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, FERA and Kings Frontier to test different wildflower seed mixes on a number of M&S Select Farms aiming to enhance yield and reduce costs through pollination and reduced pests.
Andrew Clappen, technical director at M&S Food, said: “Improving biodiversity is at the forefront of our plans to help farmers become more resilient to the impact of climate change. Pollinators are the unsung heroes of British farming – helping to improve yields and quality while benefitting the wider environment.
“Since we launched Farming with Nature, we’ve been hosting workshops offering advice to our M&S Select Farmers on the best ways to attract more pollinators. Now, by partnering with AgriSound, the farms will have real-time data and valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not. We’re also working closely with farmers on land use and different wildflower mixes to boost pollinator numbers, alongside crop health and pest management.”
