The British Guild of Agricultural Journalists’ 2020 Omnia Precision Agronomy Award, sponsored by Hutchinsons is open for entries.
Award entries are open to any Guild member who has had a feature on the use of precision farming technologies in arable agriculture or horticulture published or broadcast between August 1, 2019 and August 1, 2020.
There is a £1,000 prize for the winning article and £500 for the runner up, with the results to be announced at this year’s virtual Guild Harvest Lunch on October 8.
The award reflects the growing use and importance of precision farming technologies in growing crops, and the need for journalist members of the Guild to report on its intricacies and potential with clarity.
The winner of the 2019 Omnia Precision Agronomy Award was Edd Mowbray of Farmers Weekly. Edd won the award for an in-depth feature on Air Scout thermal imaging, which was published online and in Farmers Weekly magazine in December 2018.
Runner-up was Farmers Guide machinery editor David Williams for his article about a forward-looking Kent farmer and how he uses the RTK precision guidance system on his farm.
Hutchinsons chairman David Hutchinson said: “To date, precision technology has been about collecting data – for example yield maps, soil pH and nutrient analysis – but there has never been a way to connect this data together in a way that it can be used to influence farm management decisions.
“We believe precision technology must offer a way for growers to measure and monitor their farm activities in such a way that it improves efficiency and productivity.
“The industry is facing a period of increasing uncertainty and anything that can be done to help farmers meet these challenges is an important role for members of the Guild.
“With this in mind, Hutchinsons is delighted to support the Omnia Precision Agronomy Award to promote and support the benefits of precision farming now and in the future.”
To enter, send a PDF of a print article, a link to an online article or the audio file or script of a broadcast, to Guild awards secretary Olivia Midgley at awards@gaj.org.uk.
Your entry should state when and where the piece was published or broadcast.
The deadline for entries is Friday, September 4, 2020.
