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Genotyping Technologies On Show At Scottish Cereals Event - High Science And Practical Tips At “Crops In Practice”

SAC News Release Ref. No: 10N49
Published: 07 Jul 2010

This year’s Cereals in Practice (CiP) event, hosted by SCRI, offered a unique opportunity to view current cereals research including new advances in commercial barley breeding powered by technology originally used in human genome studies.

CiP has become a major feature in the cereals producer's calendar following the decision last year to combine SCRI’s Cereal Solutions event and SAC’s cereal trials held on their central Scotland agronomy site.  It gives growers and advisers an unrivalled breadth of field-based demonstrations from fundamental science through to practical applications. CiP was held at Balruddery Farm by Fowlis in Angus on Thursday, 8 July from 1 pm to 7 pm.

In a series of marquee displays and guided tours, visitors heard about the latest thinking on topics such as biomass energy, winter barley mixtures, green grain wheat, disease tolerance, as well as herbicides and fungicides. Staff from SCRI and SAC were joined by colleagues from other commercial and research organisations. 

CiP helps support high quality barley production that underpins the UK’s £20 billion pound malting, brewing and distilling sectors, including the £4 billion whisky industry, the UK's biggest food and drink export.

To maintain and increase competitiveness in these sectors improved barley varieties that continually outperform their predecessors are vital which is why the Association Genetics of UK Elite Barley (AGOUEB) project was developed and funded by BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), Defra and the Scottish Government through the Sustainable Arable LINK programme.

Professor Robbie Waugh, project leader from SCRI, explains: "AGOUEB is testimony to the value of having a longer-term vision and investment in crop science. By developing and using this new technology we have gained a much better understanding of what combinations of genes are required to make a good UK barley variety and we are working with the breeding community to improve economically important characteristics such as yield and resistance to pests and disease."

Practical advice for cereal growers facing real challenges was available on the SAC demonstration sites and stands at this event. According to the Head of SAC Consulting Jonathan Cowens,

“Scottish farmers face the same challenge today as they will tomorrow. They must maximise the yields of the crops and varieties demanded by the market in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. Cereals in Practice offers farmers solutions in new candidate varieties in spring barley, winter barley and winter wheat.”

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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