This year’s IAgrE Conference takes place at The Great North Museum in association with Newcastle University on Wednesday 20th May. It is sponsored by Mastenbroek.

Titled ‘Too much or too little water?: Engineering innovation for agricultural water management in a changing climate’, the convenor of the event, IAgrE President Mark Kibblewhite said, “Water management is key to achieving higher yields and better environmental performance. This conference will focus on water management on the farm and the role engineering has in making it effective and cost-efficient.

“The emergent impacts of climate change include a higher probability of summer drought and more frequent and intense winter rainfall. Adaptation requires irrigation, drainage and management of surface water run-off. Anticipated shortages of water will drive demand for precision irrigation. Many field drains are at the end of their useful life and there has been little innovation in drain design. And there is concern about soil compaction increasing surface water runoff and flood risk.

“We will take stock of the ‘state of on-farm water’, where investment is needed in systems for water management and how engineering innovation secure optimal farm performance."

The schedule for the day is now set and runs as follows:

• 10.00 Welcome: Professor Mark Kibblewhite, IAgrE President
• 10.10 The Engineering Challenge: Professor Dick Godwin FREng, HonFIAgrE Harper Adams University
• 10.50: Integrating water and production Caroline Drummond MBE, Chief Executive, LEAF
• 11.30 Break - Networking Opportunity
• 11.45 Soil management technology to control run-off: Dr Rob Simmons, Cranfield University
• 12.15 Water use efficiency for crop production: Dr Mark Else, East Malling Research
• 12.45 Lunch - Networking Opportunity
• 13.30 Advances in sub-surface drainage technology: Fred Clarke, Technical Sales Director at Mastenbroek
• 14.00 Land use and hydrology in semi-arid environments Dr John Gowing, Newcastle University
• 14.30 Sensors and information for water management (title tbc): Dr John Newstead, Technical Sales Engineer at Delta-T Devices Ltd
• 15.00 Discussion & wrap-up: Led by Prof Jane Rickson, MIAgrE, Cranfield University
• 15.30 Tea - Networking Opportunity
• 16.00 Finish

Visit the IAgrE website at www.iagre.org for online booking. Register by 31 March 2015 to take advantage of the early bird rate.

Alternatively call the IAgrE Secretariat on 01234 750876 or email conferences@iagre.org for further details.