British Sugar is set to roll out high-tech sensors to track pollinators in real time and transform on-farm biodiversity, as part of a pilot running until 2027.
The project, the first of its kind for the UK sugar beet industry, will see 27 acoustic sensors installed across a large farming estate in North Norfolk.
These cutting-edge devices, developed by AgriSound, will collect real-time data on bee and insect activity over a two-year period, providing insights into the health of local pollinator populations.
At the heart of the initiative is AgriSound’s Polly™ technology – a scalable and automated system that uses acoustic monitoring to detect and analyse insect movement.
The data collected will be shared with grower Ali Cargill, British Sugar, and other project stakeholders, helping to shape decisions around land use and biodiversity management.
The monitoring will also assess the impact of landscape features such as wildflower margins, hedgerows, and water sources on pollinator activity over time.
British Sugar hopes the findings will offer insights into how sugar beet rotation, which plays a major role in the farming systems of the East of England, East Midlands, and Yorkshire, interacts with pollinator health.
Charlie Curtis, agricultural sustainability manager at British Sugar, said: “This project presents a significant leap forward in our long-term ambition to enhance biodiversity across our agricultural operations.
"We have been looking to adapt our practices to become more sustainable and supportive of biodiversity in the UK and partnering with AgriSound seemed like a natural choice for us.
“By better understanding pollinator activity, we can make more informed decisions about land use, pesticide management, and where to create nature-friendly habitats."
The aim of the project is to identify which bee species are present on the farm and understand how they interact with both crops and surrounding wildflower margins — establishing a clear baseline of activity that can be enhanced and built on each year.
Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, highlighted the value of real-time data in driving environmental progress.
“British Sugar’s leadership in piloting real-time pollinator monitoring will provide invaluable information to support data-driven decision making by farmers in how to manage their land to protect pollinators and biodiversity.
"It is vital that more businesses and producers look to monitor the pollinator activity at their sites, to enhance the protection of our ecosystems across the UK."
