New breeding technologies such as gene editing genuinely have the potential to underpin the next agricultural revolution. Quicker, more accurate selection of desired genetic traits in plant breeding offers the promise of a step-change increase in agricultural productivity, more durable pest and disease resistance, improved nutrition and resilience to climate change.
Malling Sunburst, NIAB EMR’s new sweet-tasting apple variety, pink-fleshed through to the core, will be exclusively available in Waitrose later this month, following harvest of the only currently commercial orchard of the variety at East Malling.
With an expansion of his current role Mark Leaman, who is currently Head of Farms and Estates at NIAB, has taken over responsibility for operations from Chief Operating Officer David Neill.
Seven new first-choice varieties have been added to the British Society of Plant Breeder’s 2019 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists (DL), alongside one new second-choice variety.
The varieties Cito KWS and Avitus KWS from KWS, LG31218 and Pinnacle from Limagrain, Cranberri CS from Caussade Semences, Expedia from AIC and Madonias from MAS have been added to the Favourable Sites DL. Cito KWS, Avitus KWS, Madonias and Pinnacle were also added as first choice varieties to the Less Favourable DL, aimed at ‘marginal’ growing conditions.
UK scientists are a step closer to understanding the mechanisms of natural fungal infections that cause the ash dieback disease affecting European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees across the UK and continental Europe.
NIAB is delighted to be part of a new initiative for Soil Health, launched today (13 June) at the Cereals Event in Cambridgeshire. NIAB's Head of Farming Systems, Dr Elizabeth Stockdale is pleased to be playing a key role in developing the new initiative to increase understanding and improve the health of soils across UK farmland for generations to come.
Research into the relationship between bacterial diseases and host plants could lead to improvements in breeding for disease resistance in horticultural crops says research organisation NIAB EMR.
Bacterial canker is a disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae, a bacteria that infect the stems, fruits and leaves of plums, cherries and related Prunus species. It is one of the few important plant diseases caused by bacteria in the UK. It is a serious disease and can kill large branches or whole trees.
Farmers in Pakistan are set to benefit from a new collaboration between UK-based crop research organisation NIAB and the Government of the Punjab.
