Plant science into practice - Tina Barsby (NIAB)

Plant Science into Practice

Tina Barsby 1st February 2011




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Our mission: to provide impartial, science-based, research and information to support, develop and promote agriculture and horticulture; helping the industry to fulfil its potential in supplying food and renewable resources, while respecting the natural environment.



Food security: From “How to Feed the World in 2050” (FAO World Food Summit document, Nov 2009)

• By 2050 the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, 34 % higher than today

• In order to feed this larger, more urban and richer population, food production (net of food used for biofuels) must increase by 70 %

Environmental Challenges: (Climate Change 2007: Synthesis report, IPCC)• Climate change/agriculture’s global warming contribution

- Agriculture and forestry account for 31% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions

• Declining resources: Water, nutrients, natural habitats, biodiversity- Agriculture is responsible for 70% of freshwater withdrawal (United Nations Environment Programme)

Meeting the challenges



• Boosting agricultural productivity, conserving resources and coping with climate change

• Knowledge exchange is key for industry to respond to challenges

• The status of agricultural research in the UK

• The application of science and translation to practice on the ground, where there are widely considered to be serious fractures in the pipeline

Meeting the challenges



‘Better seeds…better crops’• Food crisis after WW1

• NIAB established by charitable donations for ‘the improvement of crops .. with higher….. genetic quality’

• Barriers to plant breeding, or to access for growers to improved varieties, were recognised barriers to enhanced food production



The First Farmers Leaflets1932 Farmers leaflet1931 Farmers leaflet



Lessons learntWhen WW2came, suppliesof quality seedwere givenpriority andNIAB began toproduceRecommended Lists of varieties



A regulatory framework to support innovation

• In 1964 the UK signed the UPOV convention, establishing Plant Breeders Rights (PBR).

• MAFF commissioned NIAB to test varieties for DUS and conduct statutory trials. VCU was added in 1973.

• NIAB still carries out variety evaluation, on behalf of FERA and also to support the Levy Board funded Recommended Lists.



Purification

Official registration &

testing DUS & VCU

NL/RL trialsPlant breeders

Gateway to New Market-ready Products

Sales & marketing

“Core NIAB”

Statutory testing & contract research to DEFRA, BSPB, Levy Boards & CEL together with services to farmers & growers



Reconnecting the pipeline

• After decades of chronic under-investment in UK applied and translational agricultural research…NIAB Trust intervenes…

• Development of genetic research & pre-breeding capabilities 2005 (synthetic wheat, flowering time, transgenic capability)



Agronomy

Transferring knowledge

Pre-breedingCommercial

breeding NL/RL trials

Trait discovery

New & differentiated

products

“new research at NIAB” “core NIAB”



Wheat a classic allo-hexaploid

ESEB Congress, Uppsala,

Sweden, August 2007

Science Vol 316, 1862-1866



Funded by NIAB Trust, BBSRC, HGCA and commercial breeders



Wheat Ergot Tracing useful differences in ergot formation observed between elite varieties to precise tissue responses

Wheat Yellow Rust Two novel loci controlling resistance have been identified and durable resistance QTL are currently under study

stigma &stigmatic hairs

anthers

1. Extract Wheat Flower 2. Ergot inoculation3. Compare infection progress using microscopy

Variety 1Many hyphae

reach base of ovary

Ov

Variety 2Few hyphae

reach top of ovary

Ov

Working with JIC, RRes, Universities to access novel traits for pre-breeding



• Highly efficient (20% with UK adapted genotypes) Agrobacterium-mediated system

• Technology licences in place

Funded by the NIAB Trust

The NIAB wheat TRANSFORMATION PLATFORM

• Low phytate wheat• Grain yield• Nitrogen mobilisation• Disease resistance• Root morphology• Starch and protein modification• PHS/HFN

CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST



Not-for-profitOur charitable objectives require that we:

• Engage in agricultural research

• Provide access to training

• Promote this research and knowledge for public benefit

• Disseminate knowledge



Reconnecting the pipeline

• After three decades of chronic under-investment in UK applied and translational agricultural research…NIAB Trust intervenes

• Development of genetic research & pre-breeding capabilities 2005 (synthetic wheat, flowering time, transgenic capability)

• Integration of TAG 2009 to extend our coverage / capabilities in applied agronomy research and knowledge transfer onto farm

Recent History

2003 2005 2006 20072004

Arable Research Centre+

Morley Research =

The Arable Group

TAG acquires

ADAS consultancy

TAG acquires

Silsoe Spray Applications Unit



Agronomy

TAG

Transferring knowledge

Pre-breedingCommercial

breeding NL/RL trials

Trait discovery

New & differentiated

products

genetic research at NIAB core NIAB



Delivery• Expertise and involvement along the full length of the

chain

• Interacting and forming partnerships at all levels

• Uniquely capable in a single not-for-profit organisation of putting genetics and plant variety development into a practical agronomic context



Thank You



•Developing an industry-wide resource showcasing new technology and innovation in plant genetic developmentfor the agriculture and horticulture sectors



•has

•Has been developed focusing on the challenges of



• Policy makers

• Researchers

• Agri-food businesses

• Growers

• Industry stakeholders

• Students

• Consumers

from across the UK, EU and beyond

Bringing together• A living, year-round showcase

of innovation in agriculture and

horticulture;

• A hub for dissemination of

relevant information (web-based

and literature);

• An interactive forum for

knowledge exchange.

A flagship facility



Working in Partnership



• Sustainable, carbon neutral construction and energy use

• Building materials include timber, straw, and wool

• The centre will generate as much energy as it uses - targeting a

BREEAM rating of ‘outstanding’ and an ‘A’ rated energy performance

certificate

Visitor Centre – design and construction



Field Demonstrations 2011Sunflower

Hemp Maize

Linseed

Flax

Nettles

Sweetcorn?

Camelina

Miscanthus/Willow

Echium Switchgrass

Cuphea Buckwheat

RY WT Winter OSR Winter OSR

Meadow Foam Sainfoin

Borage Phaseolus bean

Equina - Paucijuga Soya Castille WR Castille WR

Woad E x P lines Soya V141OLL Castille

Disease res/sus split NK Molten Castille

Carrot Breeding, Parent 1 SW Hearty DK Expower

Spring rape SR Parent 2 Excalibur DK Expower

treatments F2

Onion F3 April bearded WWPlumage/Spratt ArcherWB

F4 Squareheads Pioneer

F5 Capelle Desprez Maris Otter

Smartcarbs x4 SB F6 Maris Widgeon Cassata

Hobbit Igri

Potato Aegilops tauschii SW Moulin Saffron

Triticum durum Little Joss Retriever

phytophera res Huw's lines x4 Hexaploid synthetic Hereward Athene

Hungarian Hexaploid synthetic Solstice Colibri

blight res Hexaploid synthetic Ron 1 Manitou

Hexaploid synthetic Ron 2 Volume

Hort Hort

Bum

ble

Bird

Kin

g's

KA

UT

1M

orle

y's

bee

mix

Kin

g's

KW

M2a

GW

CT

RF

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2011 field plots (1 of 2)

Wheat - synthetic

Wheat - bread making

Wheat - modified flowering time

Wheat - breeding process

Barley - malting quality

OSR - pod-shatter treatments

OSR – high omega-3 culinary oils

Potato - blight resistance

Field beans – low soluble fibre, high insoluble fibre

Forage maize – AD renewable power/CHP generation

Woad – industrial crops - paint pigments

Sainfoin

Camelina

Field beans – low soluble fibre, high insoluble fibre

Sunflowers

Buck wheat – accessing unavailable soil P



• 2011: 6 Open Days – broadly themed tours of the field and glasshouses with certain sectors invited to each

• Farmers (2)• Breeders and Researchers• Educationalists/Students• Trade and Consultants• Policy makers• 7 Workshops – Themed days with presentations and a tour of the field and

glasshouses with the following subjects:• Specialist Oils and Sustainable Proteins• Management for Biodiversity• Crops and Climate Change (CPPS)• Fibres• Maize• Cereal Diversity/Smartcarbs• Horticulture