{"id":93473,"date":"2026-02-18T14:51:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/893457576"},"modified":"2026-02-18T14:51:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:51:56","slug":"somerset-tenant-farmers-report-33-emissions-cut-through-use-of-shared-precision-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/18\/somerset-tenant-farmers-report-33-emissions-cut-through-use-of-shared-precision-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Somerset tenant farmers report 33% emissions cut through use of shared precision tech"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Two neighbouring tenant farmers in Somerset say they have reduced on-farm emissions by 33%.<\/p>\n<p>The pair have utilised precision fertiliser application, livestock monitoring systems and soil mapping across their businesses, while splitting technology costs between them.<\/p>\n<p>Rob Addicott and Jeremy Padfield, who farm near one another and share technology and staff resources, have been working with the UK Agri-Tech Centre in partnership with Harper Adams University to trial agri-tech solutions on commercial farms, as part of the centre&#8217;s <em>Farming Smarter<\/em> series.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NOW:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmersguardian.com\/feature\/4524980\/mixed-farm-shropshire-hills-embracing-regenerative-farming\">How a mixed farm in the Shropshire Hills is embracing regenerative farming<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"tinymce-insert-asset-center\"><img data-opt-id=758893364  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"images\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/image.chitra.live\/api\/v1\/wps\/1344ae6\/a9e20bfd-af5b-4744-bb82-e33c2eb21ada\/0\/Jeremy-Padfield-LEFT-and-Rob-Addicott-550x367.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"undefined\"><figcaption>Jeremy Padfield (left) and Rob Addicott (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to figures released through the project, the reduction was recorded over a one-year period.<\/p>\n<p>They also reported improvements in soil condition and crop rotation resilience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NOW:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmersguardian.com\/feature\/4525583\/north-wales-organic-farming-estate-showcases-big-climate-wins\">North Wales organic farming estate showcases big climate wins<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Precision technology<\/h3>\n<p>Mr Addicott said GPS-guided fertiliser spreading had allowed more efficient management of the application of nutrients.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We only apply nutrients where they&#8217;re needed, saving money and reducing runoff,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that soil testing and mapping had helped identify variability across fields affected by compaction and heavy rainfall.<\/p>\n<p>He said: &#8220;We&#8217;ve managed to create a profitable, sustainable business whilst looking after the natural environment and protecting ourselves against a rapidly changing farming situation. Technology has been a big part of that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr Padfield has introduced automated weighing systems and electronic identification (EID) tagging within his beef enterprise.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Agri-tech has opened up opportunities we couldn&#8217;t have imagined years ago,&#8221; he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Automated weighing systems and EID tags mean we can monitor cattle health without stress, and that data helps us make better decisions on feed and welfare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NOW:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmersguardian.com\/news\/4525294\/big-farmland-bird-count-highlights-farmers-efforts-restore-nature\">Big Farmland Bird Count highlights farmers efforts to restore nature<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The farms have also used technology to tackle parasite challenges in sheep and to monitor biodiversity, including AI-powered bird-listening devices to identify species presence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it&#8217;s not without challenges. Tech can fail, costs are high and you need the skills to interpret the data,&#8221; Mr Padfield added.<\/p>\n<p>Helen Brookes, engagement director at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said on-farm trials were essential to ensure innovation was practical and robust.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Farming Smarter captures the transformative effect agri-tech can have on-farm and how it can drive both profit and wider sustainability for agricultural businesses. It is vital that we test and trial agri-tech on real commercial farms to ensure the technology is robust and relevant and stands up to the demands of farmers,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<h3>Collaboration<\/h3>\n<p>Prof Michael Lee, deputy vice chancellor at Harper Adams University, said collaboration between farmers and researchers was key to building resilient systems.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What Jeremy and Rob are demonstrating through this documentary series is that collaboration is our most powerful tool, because sustainability isn&#8217;t achieved through technology alone. It requires shared learning, honest reflection and a willingness to rethink how we produce food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&#8220;By bringing together practical experience with cutting-edge research, we can build farming systems that are resilient, productive and genuinely future-focused.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The work is documented in a five-part YouTube series, <em>Farming Smarter<\/em>, produced by the <a href=\"https:\/\/ukagritechcentre.com\/news-insights\/farming-smarter\/\">UK Agri-Tech Centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>[embedded content]<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; their businesses, while splitting <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> costs between them. Rob &#8230; <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> and staff resources, have been working with the UK Agri-<span class=\"match\">Tech<\/span> &#8230; big climate wins Precision <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> Mr Addicott said GPS &#8230; &#8211;<span class=\"match\">tech<\/span> on real commercial farms to ensure the <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span> &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93473\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}