Multi-million-pound boost for crop resilience

New funding to develop scientific breakthroughs in crop research and innovation
calendar icon 15 June 2018
clock icon 3 minute read

UK universities and 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 farmers and growers across the country.

They will focus on boosting productivity for pulses, wheat, leafy vegetables and oilseed rape as part of Defra’s Crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs).

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

“Developing new technology is crucial to making sure our farmers can continue to grow world-class produce in an environmentally friendly way.

“Through this new fund, I hope to see the creation of new and innovative growing practices and crop protections so we can truly unlock the potential of our food and farming industries.”

Since their creation in 2003 Defra’s GINs have:

  • Increased crop resistance to pests and diseases such as orange blossom midge and turnip mosaic virus.
  • Enhanced pea crops which are now being used to produce high-quality animal feed.

The four recipients that will undertake the research are the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, University of Warwick and University of York.

Professor Ian Bancroft, who leads the agricultural research centre at the University of York, said:

“We aim to support industry in long-term, sustainable rapeseed production by utilising UK expertise in plant genetics to better understand specific crop traits. Innovation through these networks is essential if we are to see growth in healthy crop production.”

The government has so far invested £160 million through the Agri-Tech Strategy to harness the latest agricultural research and technologies.

NFU crops board chairman Tom Bradshaw said: “It’s great to hear that Defra is funding research into new ways to improve crop quality, resilience and sustainability.

“The NFU is keen to identify new tools that can help farmers adopt further Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to tackling pests and diseases, and in the past there has been a lack of funding for this area of research.

“We hope this research will generate new knowledge and provide new options to improve and protect crops, as well-targeted investment now will help underpin productivity for the future. We look forward to seeing how the research will deliver for farmers in the field.”

As reported by NFU(UK)

Emily Houghton

Editor, The Pig Site

Emily Houghton is a Zoology graduate from Cardiff University and was the editor of The Pig Site from October 2017 to May 2020. Emily has worked in livestock husbandry, and has written, conducted and assisted with research projects regarding the synthesis of welfare and productivity of free-range food species.

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