If you are looking to diversify your holding, you might want to get your head around the range of biomass crops (for example, miscanthus and short rotation coppice) and see if they are suitable for your land to provide an alternative income stream.
We're excited to announce that the Envirocrops web app is here! Completely free to use, it will enable farmers and landowners to compare predicted yield results along with the cost of growing various energy crops.
The web-based app will allow you to:
- Enter your user type to receive results based on real life yield data
- Better understand the amount of land required for specific projects
- Receive a 25 year prediction for potential yields for Willow and Miscanthus
- Understand the establishment and production economics
- Edit your results to accurately match your land size, location and costs
- Read newly updated Best Practice Guidelines for different envirocrops
Give it go and see if growing energy crops is the way forward for your business.
This three-year project which is headed up by the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland, NFU Energy, Crops for Energy and software developer Calvium alongside a number of key experts from across the industry, aims to increase the production of sustainable domestic biomass by funding innovative ideas that address barriers to biomass feedstock production. It supports those who are seeking to improve productivity, through breeding, planting, cultivating and harvesting.
The programme forms part of the BEIS £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020sand 2030s. One project funded by the programme is Envirocrops.
Be part of the project's development! We'd love to hear your feedback in order for us to continually improve the Envirocrops experience. You can do so here.