Bringing variety crop plots together for better comparison
Crop plots are back centre stage at the Cereals Event, meaning visitors can compare top varieties side by side. The winter wheat and barley feature showcases new and popular Recommended List varieties, says arable project manager Jonathan Backhouse, who has curated 26 winter wheat and 14 winter barley varieties. “We have worked with seed breeders […]
Tramline trials used to test winter wheat nitrogen accuracy
An innovative set of trials has helped farmers test the accuracy of nitrogen (N) management in their winter wheat crops. Wheat yields differed both between farms and within farms but the cause of most of the variation was deemed unlikely to be a result of N tactics. The conclusions add weight to other research findings that […]
Rewiring plant defence genes to reduce crop waste
Plants can be genetically rewired to resist the devastating effects of disease – significantly reducing crop waste worldwide – according to new research into synthetic biology by the University of Warwick. Led by Professor Declan Bates from the Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) and Professor Katherine Denby from the University of York, who is […]
Agricultural research receives multi-million pound boost
UK universities and agricultural research centres which improve the resilience, sustainability and quality of major crops will benefit from a funding package worth around £5.3 million over five years, Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced today. The funding will go to four leading agricultural research centres to help develop new technologies and environmentally friendly production for […]
New insight into mechanism making Black Sigatoka fungus less sensitive to crop protection
An international team of scientists led by Wageningen University & Research has discovered a new genetic mechanism that makes the notorious Black Sigatoka fungus less sensitive to the main chemical crop protection products used against the disease. The discovery shines light on this increasingly reduced sensitivity and underlines the importance of developing banana varieties resistant […]
Moving beyond high yield as measure of success
Agri-Tech East and AHDB (the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) have announced a joint initiative to accelerate the adoption of innovation in the field. A new position of ‘Knowledge and Innovation Facilitator’ is being created to help deliver a programme of new projects. The announcement was made at Agri-Tech East’s REAP, the flagship conference for […]
Crops evolving ten millennia before experts thought
Professor Robin Allaby, in Warwick’s School of Life Sciences, has discovered that human crop gathering was so extensive as long ago as the last Ice Age, that it started to have an effect on the evolution of rice, wheat and barley – triggering the process which turned these plants from wild to domesticated. In Tell […]
Barley scientists discover path to improved grain quality
Scientists from the International Barley Hub have discovered a genetic pathway to improved barley grain size and uniformity, a finding which may help breeders develop future varieties suited to the needs of growers and distillers. In the latest issue of Nature Communications, cereal genetics researchers working with Professor Robbie Waugh and Dr Sarah McKim, at […]
Farming and scientific leaders discuss challenges facing UK’s crop production
Key stakeholders across the UK’s farming sector have joined academic scientists for a collaborative workshop to discuss the challenge of increasing crop production whilst maintaining soil health. The workshop, ‘Increasing crop productivity through understanding and improving soil health’, was co-hosted by the N8 Research Partnership’s (N8) AgriFood programme and research and consultancy company ADAS. Farmers, […]
