Crop resilience and sustainability
Climate change has significant adverse impacts on various components of crop production — cultivable land, certain agricultural practices, crop yields and food nutritional properties. Therefore, agriculture and food systems are highly exposed and under pressure to achieve food security for a burgeoning world population alongside transitioning towards more climate-resilient and sustainable farming.
We conduct discovery research to understand everything that can affect the ability of a plant to grow and provide high-quality food: soil quality and nutrient availability, water supply, light, temperature and the presence of pests and parasites.
Our multidisciplinary approach combines state-of-the-art technology, phenomics, genomics, cutting-edge biotechnology and computational biology under different cropping systems. We aim to combine this knowledge in collaboration with academics, industry, farmers, growers and policy makers to develop new crop varieties, tools, interventions, products and agricultural practices to adapt to and mitigate these challenges.
In doing so we are making a vital contribution towards food security, zero hunger and the sustainable management of our natural resources both in the UK and internationally.