‘Tomorrow, Today’

‘Tomorrow, Today’

Innovative products from Aberystwyth University will be showcased as part of the ‘Tomorrow, Today’ Exhibition’ in the Green Pavilion at the Royal Welsh Show this week 22nd – 25th July.

The products, which are based on research at Aberystwyth’s internationally recognised Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), were selected to take part in the high profile exhibit organised by The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society in conjunction with partners Farming Connect.

farmGRAZE, a mobile app for effective management of livestock grazing and AberWolf, an exciting new grass variety developed from decades of plant breeding, are amongst the innovations which will be showcased during the week.

A new feature for the 2013 Royal Welsh Show, the ‘Tomorrow, Today’ exhibition aims to promote and encourage innovation in UK agriculture and to facilitate the uptake of new technologies by transferring latest research to grass roots level.

Representatives from IBERS and the University’s Knowledge Exchange Office, Commercialisation and Consultancy Services (CCS) will be on hand during the week to demonstrate how Aberystwyth’s world class research activities are contributing to shaping the future of farming.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn more about Aberystwyth’s industry focused approach to new product development during the following presentations, which are running as part of the forum programme in the Green Pavilion stand.

On Monday 22nd July at 14.00 Dr Rhian Hayward from CCS will be discussing the innovative approach taken by the University’s Technology Transfer team to developing mobile apps from leading edge research in the area of agriculture and animal health.  Rhian will highlight how the portfolio of mobileFARM apps based on IBERS research has been translated into practical products for increasing productivity for farmers and land / animal owners (www.mobilefarmapps.com).

On Wednesday 24th July at 2.00pm Mr Alan Lovatt from IBERS will be discussing ‘Developments in Plant Breeding’ , including reference to AberWolf, the latest of the market-leading IBERS range of high sugar varieties offering further improvements in yield, sugar levels and persistency.  Alan will highlight how IBERS research on high sugar grasses has already led to the breeding of varieties that have improved the contribution of grassland to livestock feeding across the UK. 

In addition to our presence at the ‘Tomorrow, Today’  exhibition, Aberystwyth University has a full programme of activities running in the Education Pavilion and Countryside Care Area, for further information visit: www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/events/rws.

AberWolf
AberWolf is an exciting new grass variety developed from decades of plant breeding. IBERS research on high sugar grasses has already led to the breeding of varieties that have improved the contribution of grassland to livestock feeding across the UK.

High sugar grass varieties utilise nitrogen more efficiently than normal varieties and result in less nitrogen being wasted by the animal. They account for over 28% of the perennial ryegrass seed sales in the UK, with over 175,000ha sown in the UK alone of these varieties since 2005. Their use in other countries is also increasing as the positive impact of high sugar grasses on production efficiency, farm economics and as a route to reducing the environmental impact of livestock production are realised. Several British supermarkets are utilising HSG’s within their supply chain to reduce their environmental footprint.

AberWolf has been added to the UK National list in 2013 and is the latest of the market-leading IBERS range of high sugar varieties offering further improvements in yield, sugar levels and persistency.

mobileFARM  - Mobile Apps for Farmers - www.mobilefarmapps.com
mobileFARM aims to support farmers and animal owners locally and globally to work efficiently to save money and to provide guidance on best practice. The mobileFARM app portfolio includes farmGRAZE and horseRATION products.

farmGRAZE
The farmGRAZE app, based on the expertise of a team from IBERS, helps farmers to manage livestock grazing more efficiently and save money on feed and fertiliser.

This app allows farmers to calculate the grazing available to their livestock in a particular field and across their holding.

There are two versions of the app available for farmers - a free version and a paid version. The free version will help farmers make better management decisions, improve their grazing swards and offer tips on grassland management.

The paid (£5.99) version goes that extra step further and will save grass measurement data, plot grass wedge information graphically, export information to your e-mail in spreadsheet format and set reminders to check grass height in a person’s phone calendar.

horseRATION
Winner of a British Equine Trade Association 2013 Innovation Award, horseRATION is the first app to be specially designed as an equine feed rationing tool.

horseRATION, similar to the farmGRAZE app, has been developed using the expertise from IBERS, and will help horse and pony owners to manage their rations cost effectively and to avoid unnecessary vet’s bills.

There are two versions of horseRATION available - a free version and a paid-for version. The free version will help owners calculate the amount of forage needed by the horse, whereas the full version includes hard (concentrate) feed calculations as well for the complete picture. Both versions offer tips on how to keep your horse well fed as well as health check information. 

The paid-for version (£4.99) goes that extra step and allows the user to save information about several horses, save and recall the feed amount, export the information to an e-mail and set reminders in a person’s phone calendar.

Aberystwyth University
Established in 1872, Aberystwyth (www.aber.ac.uk) is a leading teaching and research university and was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2009. Aberystwyth University is, according to The Times Good University Guide 2013 among the top 10 UK universities for student satisfaction. We are a community of 12,000 students and 2,300 staff.

Aberystwyth University is about creating opportunities, research with excellence that makes an impact, teaching that inspires, engaging the world, working in partnership and investing in our future.  Registered charity No 1145141.

Find out more at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/

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