Press release

The five projects, which got under way this autumn, have been funded under the Bayer - Niab Challenge Grant Program, an open innovation challenge created to support innovative science in areas of interest to both organisations.

Bayer will provide financial and mentorship resources, with a total award of £100,000 over one year and access to its leading crop science researchers, who will provide guidance as the research progresses.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded £5.6 million (DKK 50 million) to the Wheat Alliance project, led by Professor Simona Radutoiu at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University, to harness the potential of plant-microbe interactions for exploring wheat genetics for improved nitrogen and phosphorus uptake and promote sustainable agriculture.

Thursday 28th November 2024
Online, 9.10am-2.15pm

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Previous Niab work on the full yield potential of strawberry varieties Malling Champion and Malling Ace highlighted the variation in yield potential between individual plants. Work is now focused on optimising the propagation environment to produce plants of equal quality that have the same maximum yield potential. Niab is also working to optimise raspberry propagation to maximise plant uniformity. 

The BCPC Knowledge Bank, available at www.bcpc.org, offers free open access to information, reports and papers from BCPC conferences and symposia reports dating back to 1954, and now includes over 120 technical and annual reports from the WRO – available online for the first time since their original publication.

The Defra-funded Soft Fruit Genetic Improvement Network (GIN) will be led by the crop research organisation NIAB, with James Hutton Institute and ADAS as key partners, beginning work in Summer 2024. This new investment in soft fruit research follows in the footsteps of major agricultural crops, including pulses, oilseed rape and wheat, with a co-ordinated research approach to pre-breeding genetics of key traits and new breeding tools.

Returning to the Cedar Court Hotel, Harrogate on 26-27 November 2024, a key theme will be discussing the balance between ensuring farmers continue producing enough nutritious food for a growing population, while protecting our environment.

KWS Granturismo, KWS Bravo, KWS Kampinos, KWS Temprano, Papageno and Rejko from KWS, alongside Promise, AYA and Duke from Limagrain, Justice from Grainseed Ltd, and Starlord and MAS 075B from Bright Seeds are new entrants on the 2025 Favourable First Choice List.

LID0720C from Grainseed, along with RGT Muxxeal and RGT Buxxton from RAGT and KWS Leto from KWS, have been added to the Favourable Second Choice List. KWS Temprano, KWS Leto, KWS Bravo, Rejko, Duke, Aya, MAS 075B and Starlord have also made it onto the First Choice List for Less Favourable sites.

Mark joins NIAB in early July and will lead the crop science organisation’s team of 20 agronomists and consultants who deliver technical and consultancy services across the country. He will oversee the translation of NIAB’s wide-ranging research programme, including member-funded agronomy trials, into on-farm advice to support productive, resilient, regenerative farming for members, customers and stakeholders.

Speaking at a Westminster Forum event today (17 June) entitled ‘Next steps for gene edited foods in England’, NIAB chief executive Professor Mario Caccamo explained that, after 10 months’ scrutiny and debate, both Houses of Parliament had approved the Precision Breeding Act in March 2023, providing the legal framework for a faster and more streamlined process to regulate the use of precision breeding techniques such as CRISPR gene editing in agriculture.

Dr Dougherty brings 30 years of scientific, operational and leadership experience in the UK research and innovation sector. He is currently the COO of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and has previously held similar roles at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Royal Statistical Society.