Our Research

Making a Difference Through Innovation

With a clear focus on improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability through innovation, LIAT’s researchers are engaged in international impactful research designed to make a difference across the food chain. Encapsulating an interdisciplinary approach, our research brings together crop science, computer science, engineering, robotics, AI, and data management application.

The application of technological innovation is crucial to help solve some of the big challenges facing agriculture and food production. LIAT works closely with industry partners to apply research in a real-life setting, supporting industry needs.

Research Themes

Soil, Water, and Crop Science

Focusing on the study of agricultural field drainage and soil management, with research that aims to support farmers, land owners, and ecosystem managers in developing effective, sustainable approaches.

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Robotics and Automation

The field of robotics and automation is a key strategic theme, looking at the development of innovative solutions to food and farming production. Solutions impact the end-to-end food and farming value chain.

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Impact and Society

Considering the end-to-end food and farming value chain within our agricultural ecosystems to see how we can engineer solutions that deliver global impact and address some of our world challenges.

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Net Zero Agriculture and Carbon

Considering the impact of carbon sequestration and ways in which soil health might be measured using applied technologies and data sciences.

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Strawberry flowers growing in a large greenhouse

Robotic Phenotyping

By using robots to consistently and repeatably observe and measure crop growth, we are able to help inform plant breeders and growers about the performance of a type of plant or group of plants.

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Food Safety and Security

Digital and extended connected capability support the evidencing of food security pathways, and data sensing and modelling systems allow for forecasting and the development of approaches to risk management.

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Crop Care

Using technology to care for crops involves the deployment of novel sensing systems, data collection, and real time data analysis to help understand the micro-environment of individual plants within a crop.

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Selective Harvesting

Developing systems that identify harvest-ready crops to enable reliable picking/harvesting using practical engineering solutions, robotics, vision and sensing systems, data collection sensors, and computer science.

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External shot of refrigeration research centre

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Creating solutions for the energy efficiency and sustainability of food production systems, including wireless communications, extended data networks, and energy innovation.

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Our Institute supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are an urgent call for action to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems, now and into the future.