Introducing the Ceres Innovation Group

This month marks the launch of the Ceres Innovation Group, a joint initiative between Ceres Research and Ceres Rural, focused on identifying, testing, and rolling out new ways of working in agronomy and farm management. 

At Ceres Research, our focus is clear: bridging the gap between innovation and on-farm adoption. We work with farmers, agronomists, and Ag Innovators to ensure that new ideas are rigorously tested and translated into practical, usable solutions in the field. The Ceres Innovation Group builds on this approach. 

Why the Innovation Group? 

The pace of change in modern agriculture continues to accelerate. New technologies, data layers, and decision support tools are emerging rapidly, while at the same time, agronomy must evolve, with a greater reliance on science and evidence to guide decision-making. Over the past few years, variability in weather, input costs, and market conditions has reinforced the need for more robust, data-led approaches. 

However, practical questions remain front of mind: 

• Does this work practically on farm? 

• Under what conditions does it deliver value? 

• How does it fit into existing agronomy and farm management workflows? 

The Innovation Group has been established to address these questions directly, bringing together Ceres Research’s analytical expertise and Ceres Rural’s grounded on-farm experience to evaluate and apply innovation in practice. For Ceres Rural, this supports the use of tools that enable more informed decision-making across client farms, with the aim of driving yield, profitability, and more efficient use of inputs. 

A Structured Approach: Define > Develop > Demonstrate 

The activity of the Innovation Group is underpinned by our Define > Develop > Demonstrate framework: 

• Define
  We review existing R&D data and trial work to clarify objectives, identify barriers to adoption, and determine where value can realistically be delivered. 

• Develop
  Promising ideas are translated into practical, well‑designed on‑farm trials in partnership with Ceres Rural, and with access to over 1,200 UK farms. Trial data, alongside farm‑level cost benefit analysis, is used to build an evidence base. 

• Demonstrate
  Findings and insights are shared through targeted knowledge exchange (including with our clients and Ceres Research members), supporting wider understanding and adoption across farming businesses. 

Each season, we will focus on a targeted set of innovations, assessed not just on technical performance, but on how they integrate into day‑to‑day farming workflows. 

Focus Areas for the 2026 Season 

For 2026, the Innovation Group is focusing on a small number of priority areas with clear potential to generate practical, evidence-led insight. This includes ongoing collaborative work, with a current emphasis on near-field diagnostics: 

• Disease detection through molecular diagnostics (OptiGene Novus)
  Working across multiple farms, we are exploring how near-field molecular diagnostics perform for disease detection in winter wheat under real-world conditions. Using OptiGene’s Novus platform, the focus is on usability and interpretation, exploring how presymptomatic signals can be used alongside professional agronomic judgement to support more informed decision-making. 

This work focuses on improving how disease-related information is generated and used within agronomy, supporting more timely and informed decision-making in the field. The emphasis is not only on whether this approach works, but where, when, and how it adds value within commercial farming systems. 

Linking Innovation to Real‑World Value 

The Innovation Group reflects a broader shift in how we engage with ag‑tech development. Through our work with innovators, including via our Ag Innovator and Farmer memberships, we provide exposure to real‑world agronomic challenges and farmer priorities to de‑risk product development and strengthen routes to market. By aligning this with on‑farm trials and structured knowledge exchange, we create a more joined‑up pathway from early‑stage innovation through to practical adoption. 

Looking Ahead 

Our aim is not simply to showcase innovation, but to ensure it delivers meaningful value in practice. Stay tuned as we share updates over the coming months, including trial progress, observations from the field, and our wider reflections on agricultural innovation. 

If you are a farmer or an innovative ag-tech company interested in getting involved, please contact us here.