A new facility to assist advances in crop sciences will be opened in July 2018 in the Norfolk countryside. It is central to the John Innes Centre strategy to deliver BBSRC funded research on Plant Health, Genes in the Environment and Designing Future Wheat, a cross institute programme spanning eight research institutes and universities.
The field experimental station at Church Farm, Bawburgh, will allow scientists at John Innes Centre to carry out ground-breaking research in crop improvements.
Its aim is to create tools for plant breeders to produce new varieties that are more reliable, nutritious and resilient to pests and diseases. It will bring together facilities that have previously been distributed across several sites, to form a hub that strengthens links between the research community and crop breeders.
Mrs Cathy Mumford, who leads the field experimental team at the John Innes Centre, explains the need for the new facility: “It means researchers can investigate crop genetics and their effects in an environment in which farmers would grow their crops, where every season is different unlike a glass house or controlled environment.”
Source: BBSRC