Thursday 24th February 2022
11.00am-4.20pm
Online event - free and open to all
This year’s NIAB EMR Tree Fruit Day will open with a presentation on the exciting new £30 million developments that are taking shape at the East Malling site as part of the Growing Kent & Medway initiative that is promoting access to cutting-edge demonstration and research facilities.
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GKM Innovation Growth Manager Robert Saville will outline the benefits to industry of the new GreenTech Hub that will shortly be completed at East Malling, including a new glasshouse and propagation unit, wine innovation centre and research winery and a horticulture business zone for meetings and events.
The Tree Fruit Technical Day, presented as an online webinar on Thursday 24th February 2022, will share the latest innovative research into tree fruit production. The event will be run for the first time by NIAB EMR, with the support of the East Malling Trust, following the winding-down of AHDB Horticulture activities.
In addition to Growing Kent & Medway developments, the day will include research results on projects ranging from advances in storage technology to the latest developments in apple and cherry canker control, new approaches to woolly apple aphid and enhancing natural enemies.
The event will also include a dedicated session for plum and cherry growers on the latest developments in the management and control of spotted wing drosophila (SWD), including reducing over-wintering populations, egg-laying deterrents and an exciting new approach deploying the sterile insect technique (SIT).
Prof. Mario Caccamo, CEO, NIAB, said: “This event is an excellent opportunity for growers and agronomists to learn about the cutting-edge research happening at NIAB EMR and other research organisations to support the tree fruit industry.
“Tree fruit growers will also learn about how we are investing in new horticultural science facilities to continue our world-leading research and are committed to working with industry to advance and strengthen production in the sector.”
Commenting on the programme, NIAB EMR Knowledge Exchange Manager, Scott Raffle said, “I am pleased that NIAB EMR has been able to maintain this event for the industry, which was previously run and organised by the AHDB, ensuring that growers and agronomists are kept abreast of the latest information to come out of NIAB EMR and other organisations, including the excellent range of Ph.D Studentship projects, which will be of great interest to everyone.”
The event will remain online following record participation with the virtual session held during the pandemic in 2021.