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SAC Welcomes it’s Role in DairyCo’s £5m Research Initiative – Consortium Approach Widens Area of Expertise Helping Dairy Farmers

SAC News Release Ref. No: 11N75
Published: 27 Jun 2011

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SAC’s Dairy Research Centre at Crichton, Dumfries is to play a key role in a new £5m Research Partnership funded by industry body DairyCo. The new, five year programme, will be undertaken by a consortium of organisations and deliver practical research to British dairy farmers.

SAC’s (Scottish Agricultural College) Head of Dairy Research Dr. Dave Roberts believes his Dumfries & Galloway based team have a lot to contribute.
 
“SAC is particularly pleased to be leading the research partnership on soils, forage and grassland. Improved soil management is crucial to increase grass and other forage yields. The work will focus on applied research within a farming systems context and will include reviews of relevant research from other parts of the world.”

There will be two areas of research. In the first, SAC will lead a study of soil, forage and grassland, in partnership with Harper Adams University College and Reading University, supported by NIAB, Ireland’s Teagasc (Moorepark), British Grassland Society and AFBI Hillsborough. SAC researchers will investigate soil compaction, the production of grass with reduced fertiliser inputs and how Lucerne, a crop fed to cattle in the USA as Alfalfa, might best play a role in Britain.

The second project, on Health, Welfare and Nutrition, will be led by the University of Nottingham (partnering Harper Adams University College, Royal Veterinary College, Bristol University, SAC and University of Aberystwyth (IBERS)).

Both partnerships will train a total of 12 new PhD students, a proportion of which it is hoped will continue their careers in applied dairy research.

The results of the research will feed directly into DairyCo’s own technical guides and key messages to dairy farmers, as well as being promoted for wider use by other industry stakeholders.

“We recognise the importance of continuing technical development to maintaining an efficient, globally competitive and consumer-friendly dairy industry,” says Ray Keatinge, Head of Research and Development at DairyCo.

“By developing this kind of partnership approach with leading institutes we can access a wider range of expertise, much of it of international standing,” explains Mr Keatinge.

Dairy farmer Kevin Beaty, Chair of the DairyCo Research Advisory Forum says:

“The partnership approach delivers great value to the levy payer. What’s more, through this forum, farmers have been involved in identifying and recommending the research priorities, so we can be confident the research fits with what is needed on-farm.”

Dr Celia Caulcott, Director for Innovation and Skills, at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, said:

“The dairy sector is a vital part of the food chain and I fully support this innovative approach DairyCo has taken. Increased global demand for dairy products is forecast to be a contributing factor in future food insecurity. The research being supported will contribute to the aim we are all working towards – sustainably produced, high quality and affordable food for everyone.”

Dr. Dave Roberts can be contacted via the details below.

Or contact Helen Fina of DairyCo on 02476 478696, email helen.fina@dairyco.org.uk, or visit the DairyCo website.

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News Release Contacts

SAC Contact

Dr Dave Roberts
Head of Dairy Research Centre
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work Hestan House, The Crichton,
Dumfries
DG1 4TA
TelWork 01387 263961
MobileWork 07979 245890
Fax 01387 251789

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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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