TANDRAGEEE firm White's Oats has installed a time-lapse camera at one of its farms as part of its research into new crop varieties.
It is hoped the company will be able to glean data by monitoring the full growth cycle of the oats.
The technology has been installed at the farm of grower Mark Wilson in Crumlin.
Agronomist and head of the growing group at White's said the company's "focus is on purchasing the best quality oats for our milling operation".
We look at the quality of the kernel content, the bushel weight and hullability. Quality is vitally important as Whites has achieved British Retail Consortium accreditation which focuses on quality at all levels of the business and is an essential requirement for companies wishing to sell to multiple retailers in Britain and abroad," he said.
Data from the camera will be used to inform our decisions on the varieties of oats we use across our wide range of products and provide additional research into oat quality at farm level."
Consumers probably dont appreciate the amount of research undertaken by Whites and its growers in the growing and milling of oats. We have access to the latest research from the Home Grown Cereals Authority and University College of Wales at Aberystwyth University, a centre of expertise in cereals, and we are passionate about working with our growers to help them to increase their yields.
This involves working together in assessing the characteristics of new varieties and other areas such as nutrition, weed control, soil management, environmental issues, growing and drying techniques and how best to store the harvest.
