NIAB champions the role of independent agronomic research in UK agriculture, with its network of field-based variety evaluation and crop husbandry research and its expertise in interpretation and dissemination, alongside the specialist field and laboratory capabilities of NIAB's plant pathology team.
NIAB has wide-ranging expertise across all major and minor arable crops in the UK, including barley, field beans, oilseed rape, potatoes and wheat, alongside forage crop and field vegetable varieties, ornamental plant species and top and soft fruit crops.
Many of the trials that are currently conducted retain a significant amount of statutory variety evaluation work, such as NL (National List), VCU (Value for cultivation and use) and DUS (Distinctness Uniformity and Stability) for Defra. A major programme of advisory trials leading to RL & DL (Recommended and Descriptive listings) are also managed on behalf of levy boards and breeders.