88. Cereals Special - Chapter 3 - Spotting

About this episode

Is 6 cylinders still better than 4? Have Smith Robotics really got a Balespike product on their hands? Is the UK back on track when it comes to funding for agri-tech? This week Kit and Ray bring you Chapter 2 of their expedition to Cereals 2026 with five more interviews from around the show. They catch up with: Martin Hamer and Phil Mattey of Fendt, discussing the latest engine developments in the 200hp range of tractors. Can four cylinders really be better than six? We also get a fantastic run down of the state of the UK machinery market and sentiment of farmers, is the predicted poor harvest in the US leaving UK farmers feeling buoyant? Ryan Smith of Smith Robotics, explaining their wildlife scanning technology and what it can offer for farmers, conservationists and environmentalists. Can we really call their wildlife monitoring device a bale spike product? Jack Wrangham of Drone Ag, showcasing their latest drone in a box solution. Can automated drones really offer farmers with cheap, near continuous data capture? How many hectares can a single drone in a box cover? How much is it going to cost? Micheal Reardon of UK Agri-Tech Centre on how the UK government is supporting Agritech businesses during challenging times and how the public and private sectors can work together to support growth and investment in the farming and technology sectors. Tom Brookes of Opico gives the pair a walk through of the latest spot sprayer technology from Rumex. How many nozzles does the machine have? Is it crop specific and how much does it cost? Kit also gets a chance to fan boy, as we get a run down of the latest improvements in the FarmDroid robot.