What can we learn from DEUTZ's new manufacturing partnership with TAFE? Could 3D printing turn customers into your best R&D team? And are subscriptions and AI giving manufacturers too much control over the products we buy?

In this week's News Feed, Ray and Kit unpack:

TAFE's newly announced agreement to manufacture DEUTZ 50–100 hp engines in India. Is it simply a cost-saving move for DEUTZ, or part of TAFE's strategy to secure world-class powertrains for its next generation of tractors?

They also explore how Festool and Renault are using 3D printing to put manufacturing directly into customers' hands. Could user-generated parts and accessories become a competitive advantage rather than a threat?

The pair discuss reports that a Ford Bronco was effectively disabled over a missed subscription payment. Whether the story is entirely accurate or not, it raises a bigger question: have manufacturers pushed subscription models too far, and are engineers sacrificing customer ownership in the process?

Finally, with AI becoming embedded across engineering businesses, Ray and Kit ask whether companies are becoming dangerously dependent on AI providers whose pricing, policies and capabilities remain outside their control.

Kit also shares two interviews from a Harper Adams study tour organised by Gofar, the team behind FIRA, exploring why Australian farmers have come to the UK and what British agriculture can learn from the exchange.

What is concentrated light and how can it beat lasers at annihilating weeds? How can autonomous weeding help fill in resource gaps? Who actually grows the trees that get planted for every new conservation project and hedgerow in the UK?

This week Kit and Ray are on the road (Up the Fosse Way again!) and headed to J&A growers in Warwickshire to see an Earth Rover robot in action, eradicating weeds in beds of Hawthorn saplings. The pair speak with Earth Rover CEO James Miller, hearing about his career working in engineering consultancy, moving to work for Tafe in India as the group CTO and why he moved back to the UK to spearhead the future of chemical free weed control. Harry Ellis, Field Test engineer at Earth rover also helps to give more detail about the system, how it works and his experience since starting at Earth Rover a year ago.

While in the field the co-hosts also take the opportunity to speak with Jamie Dewhurst Director at J&A Growers to hear why he has chosen to work with Earth Rover and what benefits the autonomous concentrated light autonomous weeding system (CLAWS for short) has brought to the business of growing saplings for wholesale.

Could UK agritech steal a march on the likes of L&Aser and Carbon Robotics when it comes to chemical free weeding?

The future’s bright the future’s….concertrated

Are electric tractors the future workhorses of agriculture? What can life in New Zealand teach us about the fragility of global oil supply chains? And could electrification completely redefine how farm machinery is designed and used?

This week Roger Robson-Williams joins Kit and Ray around Kit's dining room table to discuss his journey from crop scientist in the UK and New Zealand to becoming a freelance sustainability expert—and the owner of an electric tractor affectionately known as Lottie.

Roger has a background in crop and horticultural science, working for the likes of RHS, FAR and The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd. His experience has given him a deep understanding of the challenges facing farming. Now a small holder and Sustainability consultant, Roger takes a systems-level view of the transition away from fossil fuels, explaining why electrification is about far more than simply replacing diesel engines with batteries. The trio explore how energy generation, storage, machinery and farm infrastructure must work together if agriculture is to make the most of electric power.

Roger also shares what he's learned from putting Lottie through her paces on the farm. Which jobs are best suited to electric tractors? Is there a future for converting existing machinery, as pioneers like Ben Bament and Loxley Innovation are demonstrating? And as implements become smarter and electrically powered, could the mechanical PTO eventually become a thing of the past?...Critically the trio discuss if a better metric for electric tractor is crumpets per hour?

To check out more from Roger and his consulting work visit Future-Fit Business Benchmar. Kia ora Roger!

#BrashAg #AgriculturalEngineering #AgriTech #ElectricTractor #Electrification #FarmInnovation #FutureFarming #FarmMachinery #Engineering #PrecisionAgriculture #RenewableEnergy #BatteryElectric #NetZero #CleanTechnology #Podcast

Can sunrise yoga cure a hangover? What new technologies are needed to remove fossil fuels from farming? And has Ray really been replaced by Brash Ag's number one fan, Kieran Walsh?

This week Kit and Ray head to the Sustainable Food Trust Podcast Tent at Groundswell Festival 2026, where they were kindly invited by Stuart Oates to record a live episode, generously supported by the Rothschild Foundation.

The pair begin by reflecting on their time at Groundswell, discussing how the event compares with more traditional agricultural shows and sharing some of the innovations that caught their attention before sitting down with Stuart Oates to explore one of farming's biggest long-term challenges: achieving fossil-free farming.

Drawing on his experience as a farmer and his Stuart Oates scholarship, Stuart examines where fossil fuels are still deeply embedded across agriculture—from diesel and fertiliser to plastics and the wider supply chain. Together they discuss where the biggest opportunities lie, the trade-offs involved, and how engineers, automation, electrification and emerging technologies could help farmers reduce their reliance on fossil-based resources while maintaining productive, profitable businesses.

#BrashAg #Groundswell #Groundswell2026 #FossilFreeFarming #AgriculturalEngineering #AgriTech #RegenerativeAgriculture #FarmInnovation #Engineering #NuffieldScholar #NetZero #SustainableFarming #Automation #FutureFarming #Podcast

What if the biggest opportunity in precision spraying isn't a new sprayer at all?

This week Kit and Ray are joined by Jamie Hutchinson, founder and CEO of Cordon Technologies. Jamie's career has taken him from venture capital to founding a successful wine retailer, running a regenerative vineyard in France, and now developing one of the most interesting spraying technologies to emerge in recent years.

After becoming frustrated with the limitations of conventional crop spraying in his own vineyard, Jamie set out to rethink the process from first principles. Rather than replacing existing machinery, Cordon's technology transforms conventional sprayers into dynamic precision application systems capable of adjusting spray recipes on the move.

The conversation explores:

Why Jamie believes we've been thinking about crop spraying the wrong way.

The challenge of balancing productivity with regenerative farming.

Why understanding the farmer's problem matters more than chasing the latest technology.

Raising investment for agricultural engineering and what investors are really looking for.

The realities of patents, intellectual property and building an agritech start-up.

Why the next generation of agricultural engineering businesses needs to focus on solving real problems rather than simply building clever technology.

It's a fascinating discussion about entrepreneurship, engineering, precision agriculture and what it really takes to bring new technology into the hands of farmers.

#BrashAg #AgriTech #FarmInnovation #AgriculturalEngineering #PrecisionAgriculture #SmartFarming #CropProtection #AgInnovation #Engineering #AgPodcast #Startups #Innovation

Are start-ups changing agriculture for the better? Has Clarkson's Farm improved the public's understanding of ag-tech? Can robots stay lightweight as they scale? And is AI making engineers better—or just lazier?

This week Kit and Ray are back in their respective studios to take a break from adventures at shows and interviews to talk about some topics that have been playing on their minds. This week the pair discuss:

Ray’s recent Professional Perspectives article written for The Institution of Agricultural Engineers. Ray tries to demystify the term start-up and answer the question “What is the role played by start-ups in the agritech sector?”

What impact has the recent series of Clarksons farm had on the perception of automation and robotics in agriculture to both farmers and the public. Could researchers and academics learn a thing or two about robot tractors from Kaleb Cooper and Jeremy Clarkson?

Farm Droid have announced a new, bigger, stronger, wider, faster robot, due to be formally released in September. The pair discuss the implications and whether Farmdroid can stay true to its roots and tread lightly on the soil or will they follow the crowd with farm machinery and continue to get bigger and heavier?

The pair discuss Jevons paradox, that really digs into the cross over between economics, engineering and innovation? Could automation and cheap robots enable humans to carry out more activities such as tillage rather than less? Could this lead to poorer soils as a result?

Kit confesses his guilt about using AI to help him as an engineer. Does Ray feel the same? Is AI an unlock or just cheating? The co-hosts discuss their thoughts and how they do and don’t use AI.

Finally, Cornish farm machinery manufacturer Teagle Machinery is looking for help naming it’s four welding robots. Check out their social media to see how you can help…

#BrashAg #Agriculture #AgTech #Farming #PrecisionAgriculture #AgriculturalEngineering #Robotics #FarmAutomation #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Startups #Innovation #JevonsParadox #ClarksonsFarm #FarmDroid #TeagleMachinery #Engineering #FutureOfFarming #DigitalAgriculture #UKAgiculture

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.

Is there really a market for a €90000 blackgrass detecting drone? Are German manufacturers taking the UK market seriously? Is a farmer built RTK network a UK agritech (secret) success story?

Is there really a market for a €90,000 blackgrass-detecting drone? Are German manufacturers taking the UK market seriously? Is a farmer-built RTK network one of British agtech's best-kept success stories?

This week Ray and Kit bring you Chapter 2 of their Cereals 2026 adventure, featuring five fascinating interviews from across the show.

They catch up with:

Finlay Russell of NoFence, discussing how virtual fencing technology is helping livestock farmers adopt regenerative farming practices and manage grazing more effectively.

Mark Arnold of RTKFNet, sharing the story behind the UK's farmer-built RTK network, how it has grown, and how the technology is expanding beyond agriculture into new industries.

Oliver Watson of Amazone UK, explaining why Amazone is investing heavily in the UK market and what they hope to learn from showcasing a prototype machine at Cereals.

Zoe Rühlmann of SAM Dimension GmbH, introducing SAM Cam AI, a drone-mounted scanning system designed to detect, map and quantify blackgrass infestations with remarkable precision.

James Everitt-Car of Techneat Engineering, discussing the evolution of intelligent spot spraying, from machine-learning systems targeting weeds on hard surfaces to tractor-mounted sprayers capable of detecting and treating weeds in-field.

#BrashAg #BrashAgPodcast #Cereals2026 #CerealsEvent #Agriculture #AgTech #AgriculturalEngineering #FarmingInnovation #PrecisionAgriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #NitrogenUseEfficiency #Innovation #FarmTech #Engineering #IAgrE #EngineersAndBeers #DiddlySquat #ArableFarming #FutureOfFarming #UKAg

Was the Cotswold Brash kind to the co-hosts? Were they knee deep in mud or was the show a roaring success? What new tech is worth keeping an eye out for?

This week Kit and Ray travel to Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm and Cereals 2026. They catch up with number 1 super fan, Kieran Walsh as he kindly hosts them on Grounded Agvice Ltd Stand. The pair give their thoughts on the first day of the show and share an interview with Mechteld Blake-Kalff of Hillcourt Farm Research and her thoughts on the importance of Nitrogen use efficiency and the part that technology can play to help. The co-hosts also celebrate a successful “Engineers and Beers” event hosted by them in their respective roles for the Institution of Agricultural Engineers.

#BrashAg #BrashAgPodcast #Cereals2026 #CerealsEvent #Agriculture #AgTech #AgriculturalEngineering #FarmingInnovation #PrecisionAgriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #NitrogenUseEfficiency #Innovation #FarmTech #Engineering #IAgrE #EngineersAndBeers #DiddlySquat #ArableFarming #FutureOfFarming #UKAg

Can robots really farm better than humans? Where have machines got an edge? Does the real value come from humans and machines working in harmony?

This week Ray and Kit catch up again with Jonathan Trotter from Agrii. Jonathan tells the co-hosts about the exciting ongoing trial of promising new agritech at the Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire. The estate land (and air) has played host to the likes of Skippy Scout from Drone Ag, PerPlant and their tractor-mounted crop scanner, Soil Acoustics' soil monitoring equipment, BioScout's AI-powered spore detection technology and the integration of these data streams into Agrii's Contour platform. Can these tools prove their worth to farmers? Jonathan unpacks how technology-backed agronomy stacks up against the traditional human approach to crop health and which technologies moved the needle most for their farmers. Jonthan also shares some thoughts on other interesting trials and projects that Agrii has been involved in, including trials of the Earther rover weeding technology and a fascinating project with M&S and their supplier huntapac to grow the world's first fully autonomous parsnip crop.

#BrashAg #Agritech #Agronomy #PrecisionAgriculture #DigitalFarming #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfFarming #Agrii #Agronomy