Key Takeaways:
- A £2.2 million project funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme will trial precision-bred wheat varieties for sustainable farming.
- Researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences will assess the potential of precision-bred crops for the UK’s agriculture sector.
- The PROBITY project, led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), brings together farmers, scientists, and food manufacturers.
- The research aims to identify barriers to adoption and potential policy and research priorities to improve resilience to climate change.
- The project focuses on three precision-bred cereal varieties: a wheat for baking, a barley for livestock methane reduction, and a high-yielding wheat variety.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham are part of a new £2.2 million project to trial precision-bred wheat varieties, which could contribute to the development of more sustainable farming systems. The three-year multi-partner project, known as PROBITY (Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield), is funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK. It aims to accelerate the understanding of the value of precision-bred crops in food production and farming.
The Role of the University of Nottingham
Researchers from the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham will play a key role in assessing the potential of precision-bred crops in the UK. Dr. Stacia Stetkiewicz, who leads the team, will focus on evaluating how precision-bred crops can be used effectively in UK agriculture and what barriers might prevent their adoption by the farming community. Through interviews, workshops, surveys, and online forums, the team will gather data on current opinions and challenges while also identifying policy and research priorities for the future of precision-bred crops.
In a statement shared by the University’s news platform, Dr. Stetkiewicz emphasized the importance of innovation in the agricultural sector: “The agricultural industry is under pressure to increase the yield and nutritional density of food crops while also mitigating and responding to climate change. Innovative approaches such as precision breeding will be key to achieving this.”
Precision Breeding and Its Role in Agriculture
Precision breeding, which often utilizes gene-editing technology, allows scientists to make targeted changes to plant DNA. This process can speed up the breeding of crop varieties with improved traits such as productivity, nutritional value, and sustainability. The PROBITY project will focus on three key precision-bred cereal varieties: a wheat with improved baking and processing properties, a barley variety designed to reduce methane emissions in livestock, and a wheat with larger grains to boost productivity.
Collaboration for Sustainable Food Production
PROBITY brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, scientists, and food manufacturers, to explore how precision-bred crops can support sustainable food production. Led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), the project aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical on-farm application. Tom Allen-Stevens, an Oxfordshire farmer and founder of BOFIN, highlighted the project’s importance: “This is an incredibly important project for farming and food production in this country. We need to produce more nutritious food with fewer resources and with less impact on the environment.”
Goals and Long-Term Impact
The project will assess the potential benefits and challenges of precision-bred crops and explore how they can contribute to building a more resilient food system. The outcomes of the PROBITY project are expected to inform future innovations in agriculture and guide policy development aimed at fostering sustainable farming practices.
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