M&S launches low-carbon parsnips following autonomous field trial
9th October 2024
M&S has announced the initial results from its first ‘autonomous field’ trial, which will see the retailer selling lower-carbon parsnips later this year.
In partnership with long-term supplier, Huntapac, the first fully autonomously farmed parsnips will be available in selected M&S stores this November.
To create these lower-carbon parsnips, the team has brought together all the latest technology to farm with a significantly lower environmental impact, the retailer said.
The technology includes two robots for bed forming, planting and weeding, two different types of drones to monitor and maintain crop health, and the latest scientific testing on soil health and carbon impact.
A spokesperson for Marks&Spencer said: “Much like when agriculture moved from horse and plough to mechanical tractors, these latest technologies offer a future of farming that will aid farmers, create more highly skilled jobs in the industry and attract new talent.
“The team has adopted a minimum till approach to help keep carbon locked into the soil, a green fertiliser and the new tech, which uses significantly less diesel than a traditional tractor to reduce carbon emissions.
“The green fertiliser is not only produced with a lower carbon footprint than traditional methods but works by removing nitrogen dioxide from the air and converting it to nitrogen which is used by the plants for photosynthesis.
“Initial data shows 46% carbon reduction compared to standard methods.”
Increase in quality and reduce in waste
The retailer added that on top of the carbon impact, the use of the new technology has other benefits, including improved quality and quantity of crop yields.
AI was used to monitor and improve crop health and autonomous technology can reduce weather impact.
For example, in March this year, following the wettest six months in England since 1871, the team were able to get in and plant the field with the autonomous robot, which would not have been possible with a traditional tractor, the M&S spokesperson added.
This has also contributed to an increase in quality and number of parsnips as well as reduced waste, with a 16% higher yield of grade one vegetables compared to Huntapac’s other parsnip fields.
The field also includes various measures from M&S’ Farming with Nature programme to improve biodiversity of both wildlife and the soil, including agrisound boxes and wildflower borders. AgriSound technology monitors pollinator numbers with specialist listening devices situated on farm.
The parsnips are being grown in Yorkshire and will become available in selected M&S stores in November.
The trial was the first M&S Food project to be funded by the M&S Plan A Net Zero accelerator fund, which the retailer launched to find innovation projects to enable rapid action towards net zero to meet its Plan A goal of being a net zero business across its entire supply chain by 2040.
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