British farmers are spearheading a new generation of greener, smarter agriculture, with dozens of on-farm technology trials launched to cut emissions, boost productivity and

strengthen resilience.

The projects, announced on Monday (15 December) by Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle, are backed by almost £2.3 million through the first round of the government’s ADOPT Fund. In total, 30 trials will test new ideas under real working farm conditions, ranging from lower-emission machinery and peat-free growing media to digital tools that support everyday farm management.

The aim of the programme is to build practical, evidence-based insight into what works on farms before technologies are rolled out more widely across the sector.

Among the projects is a trial led by J&E Graham, which will test peat-free compost produced from short rotation coppice willow grown in agroforestry systems and blended with other locally sourced materials. Different compost mixes will be assessed as growing media to determine their performance and suitability, with the goal of reducing reliance on peat and artificial fertilisers.

Elsewhere, W.S. Furnival Limited will explore whether older machinery can be adapted for a lower-carbon future. The project will retrofit a Massey Ferguson 290 tractor to run on green methanol, evaluating whether such conversions could provide a practical alternative where electrification is not yet viable.

Digital innovation also features strongly in the programme. DigiTwinFarm, led by G J Jelley & Sons, will trial a Farm Digital Twin Platform across two contrasting beef and sheep farms. By combining drone imagery, farm records and on-farm testing, the system aims to support nutrient planning, environmental monitoring and day-to-day decision-making.

Together, the trials highlight how farmers are at the forefront of testing and shaping new technologies that could help deliver a more productive and sustainable future for British agriculture. Photo by Colin Smith, Wikimedia commons.