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The National Institute of Agricultural Botany joins with members of the international plant science community to mourn the death at the weekend of Dr Norman Borlaug, renowned wheat scientist whose pioneering work in developing high-yielding wheat varieties and improved crop production systems is widely considered to have saved hundreds of millions of people from hunger in the developing world. Dr Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his achievements.

Speaking on behalf of the Institute, NIAB Chief Executive Dr Tina Barsby said:

Significant changes in variety market share are expected this autumn following confirmation of the final HGCA Recommended List (RL) oilseed rape trials results.

The national crop has long been dominated by the conventional varieties Castille and ES Astrid and the hybrids Flash and Excalibur. 

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) has welcomed calls from a cross-party group of MPs for the UK to invest an extra £100m in public sector agricultural research.

The demand for additional research funding is one of the main recommendations of a food security report issued today by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

The report focuses on the challenges for the UK of meeting a required doubling of global food production by 2050, while at the same time coping with climate change and new pest and disease pressures.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany has awarded its Cereals Cup to the malting spring barley variety Quench from Syngenta Seeds.

NIAB chief executive Dr Tina Barsby presented the award to Syngenta’s head of barley breeding Paul Bury and Robert Hiles, global malting barley business manager, at the Cereals 2009 event.

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The National Institute of Agricultural Botany has verified the presence of a new race of yellow rust on UK winter wheat. 

In 2008 the Fera/HGCA-funded UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) at NIAB collected two isolates of yellow rust from plants of the Group 1 wheat Solstice.  Tests confirmed the isolates were virulent on seedlings of the variety.

NIAB has added three more varieties to the NIAB Herbage Recommended List for 2009 following an appeals procedure.  All three have been recommended for special use. 

CONTRAST, marketed by Limagrain, is a diploid intermediate perennial ryegrass.  It has been provisionally recommended for special use (PS) as a grazing variety due to a very good yield under simulated grazing and a high early spring growth offering a good early bite.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and The Arable Group (TAG) are at an advanced stage of merger discussions to create a national, independent centre for applied crop research and information.

Both organisations believe a merged operation, focused on the needs of progressive arable farmers, will provide an unrivalled source of high quality, unbiased research and information, offering expertise and services along the length of the seed, variety and crop protection development pipelines.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany is investigating a potential new race of yellow rust on winter wheat. 

In 2008 the United Kingdom Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) collected two isolates of yellow rust from Group 1 wheat Solstice and confirmed that they were virulent on seedlings of the variety.  Solstice currently has a resistance rating of 9 and, until last season, was resistant to all known races of yellow rust. 

Two scientists from NIAB have begun a series of visits to schools in the region to promote the National Year of Food and Farming.

Mike Day, who is responsible for the vegetable trials programme at NIAB, and fellow scientist Dr Lydia Smith, started by giving a humorous and informative illustrated talk about the origins of the food we eat, as well as our genetic make up, to pupils at Foxton Primary School.