Pan-European research boosts innovation and sustainability for UK organic dairy farming
The Organic Research Centre in Newbury, Berkshire was a lead research partner in a major pan-European project that has culminated in the development of ground-breaking research and advice to help make the organic and low-input dairy sector more sustainable and competitive. In working with farmers and other stakeholders, methods were developed to identify opportunities and […]
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 […]
Somerset Estate forms partnership to improve eating quality of potatoes
Dillington Estates, near Ilminster is working in partnership with research organisations and those in the supply chain to drive productivity and improve marketable yield. The Estate is one of four Strategic Potato (SPot) Farms in Great Britain and forms part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) Farm Excellence Platform, which inspires industry to […]
Bee groups embrace new EU partnership: trust is the key
Beekeepers, scientists, policy-makers and other relevant parties are to set up a European bee partnership that could transform the way bee health is assessed in the EU. The pledge was the main outcome of a major scientific meeting held in Brussels yesterday entitled “Towards a European Bee Partnership” that was attended by more than 120 […]
Scientists aim to stamp out new horticultural pest
Scientists will pursue cutting-edge microbiology and robotics research in a bid to stop a destructive and abundant pest which is now threatening fruit production around the world. Teams of researchers from the University of Lincoln, UK, will embark on two ambitious new studies with the aim of reducing and ultimately preventing the damage caused by […]
In ovo nutrition and hypoxic exposure as new strategies in chicken production
From 8 to 11 May, more than 1,600 scientists and poultry nutrition specialists from over 60 countries came together in Salou/Vila-seca (Tarragona). The European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition (ESPN 2017), organized by IRTA, consisted of 4 days brimming with knowledge and discussions on the future of poultry nutrition and production. It is important to remember […]
Deficiency of selenium predicted to increase under future climate change
Climate change could increase the risk of the human diet being deficient in a vital mineral, selenium – a deficiency which could contribute to problems such as poor immune function, impaired thyroid function and heart muscle issues – research has found. Selenium is an essential micronutrient, or mineral, for human and livestock health that we […]
