The first measurements from a new environmental baselining pilot for the UK’s agriculture sector start this month, with 170 farms from across England, Scotland and Wales taking part in the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) led study.
As part of the project, which is being supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), LiDAR scanning will be undertaken using a plane or drone, which will be used to estimate above-ground carbon stocks and provide run-off water maps.
Accurate data
“LiDAR scanning provides detailed and accurate terrain data by measuring the height of both the terrain and any above-ground features such as hedges and trees,” commented Travis Mayne of Bluesky, which is undertaking the scanning. “The range and depth of the data is a unique aspect of the Environment Baselining Pilot, presenting the 170 farms with information about their land which will bring new insights into its environmental value and impact.”
The participating farms represent the ‘diversity within British farming’, AHDB said, and include beef, lamb, dairy, pork, cereals and oilseeds producers farming on a variety of soil types and landscapes.
The aim of the initiative is to establish a nationwide, standardised data set across the beef and lamb, cereals and oilseeds, dairy and pork sectors, to measure emissions and environmental impact.
As one producer, Sam Ward of Lincolnshire Pork Co, put it, “We are on the journey to reducing our emissions and this baselining is a key part of that. We hope to get in depth measurements about our farm’s carbon sink, and to identify a road map going forwards of what more we can do as a business.”
Further assessment
AHDB plans to undertake further measurements to build the environmental picture of participating farms next year, which will also include soil carbon and nutrient testing, as well as a carbon audit, to encourage more sustainable agriculture practices.
“We are pleased to have confirmed the 170 farms, out of 500 that applied to be part of the project,” added Chris Gooderham, AHDB environment director. “The start of LiDAR measurements marks an important first step of the pilot in beginning to understand the environmental credentials of the farms taking part.” Read more here.
