News article

NIAB TAG is investigating the possibility of at least one new race of brown rust (Puccinia triticina) on UK winter wheat following this year’s severe disease epidemic.

The United Kingdom Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS), managed by NIAB TAG and funded by HGCA and Fera, received an unprecedented number of brown rust samples this year. Although it is still very early to assess the epidemic’s impact, most winter wheat varieties were affected by the disease at some level.

Cambridge News’ Business Magazine July edition has a feature on NIAB and an interview with our CEO Dr Tina Barsby – view the interactive online magazine or click here to download a PDF of the article

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) welcomes the central conclusion of the House of Lords Agriculture Committee report into Innovation in EU Agriculture that agricultural science and technology must be at the heart of the EU’s response to food security, climate change and resource conservation.

NIAB TAG pathologists have identified Fusarium culmorum as the fungus responsible for causing the striking pinkish red sporulation being found on the lower nodes of some winter wheat crops in the East of England.

The later than usual development of Fusarium this year is the result of the dry spring and early summer. NIAB TAG is now assessing the incidence of the disease on different wheat varieties.

Farming Futures, the award-winning communications initiative on climate change, is joining forces with the Centre for Excellence in UK Farming (CEUKF).

Following this year’s Foresight report on ‘The future of food and farming’, it is now widely recognised that a broad process of change is needed to support a thriving and sustainable UK farming and food supply sector, whilst managing the impact of climate change and threats to our natural resources.

NIAB TAG has received funding of £1.25 million to further develop its independent crop and agronomy research and knowledge exchange programmes.

The new resources will safeguard NIAB TAG’s unique long-term farming systems studies and boost the organisation’s firm commitment to the communication of openly funded agronomic research to farmers and the agricultural industry.

NIAB is part of a consortium of UK research groups which has secured a £7million research grant from the BBSRC to increase the diversity of traits available in wheat through a major new public sector pre-breeding programme (https://www.niab.com/news_and_events/article/173). The key members of the consortium include:

• John Innes Centre
• The University of Bristol
• The University of Nottingham
• Rothamsted Research
• NIAB

Members joined NIAB TAG staff at the Black grass Centre at Little Staughton.

The black grass centre has 3 key objectives:

Over fifty people attended the Open Day, which had talks from four NIAB TAG experts; Eastern Regional Agronomist Neil Watson on T3 Agronomy, Grassweed Specialist John Cussans on the discoveries made during the STAR project on weed control, Farming Systems and Soil Specialist Nathan Follows on findings from the STAR projects cultivation strategies, and Head of Crop Research Communication Ron Stobart who gave an overview of the project from inception, the current results and the news that the Felix Thornley Cobbold Trust has

NIAB is a partner in a major new training programme for industry specialists in the agri-food sector. The IBERS-led project, which also includes Bangor University and a number of industrial partners, is one of only four training programmes to be awarded funding under the BBSRC’s new Advanced Training Partnerships scheme. It will focus on addressing the high-level skills required to increase the production efficiency and sustainability of pasture-based agriculture in the UK’s beef sheep and dairy sectors.