Farmers sought for Defra-funded crop trials
Arable farmers in England are being sought for Defra-funded on-farm trials testing light leaf spot resistance in oilseed rape and precision-bred wheat under commercial conditions.
The British On-Farm Innovation Network is recruiting growers for two major projects, LLS-ERASED and PROBITY.
Farmers taking part will be paid for their time and contribution, while working alongside scientists and researchers.
The first project, LLS-ERASED, is focused on light leaf spot in oilseed rape, while the second, PROBITY, will test two precision-bred wheat lines on commercial farms.
BOFIN said the trials will generate practical farm-scale evidence to support future crop management and the development of more resilient arable systems.
Light leaf spot remains one of the biggest disease threats to oilseed rape, affecting crop performance and adding pressure to a crop already facing a difficult future.
Farmers joining the LLS-ERASED project will help assess oilseed rape varieties for disease performance and trial novel research lines.
OSR growers will need a suitable field of at least 5ha, while wheat growers joining PROBITY will need at least 4ha.
In both projects, triallists must be able to measure yield accurately through combine yield mapping or weigh systems, follow trial protocols and share results.
BOFIN said the PROBITY project aims to build evidence on how precision-bred crops perform in real farm situations.
Due to current regulations, only farmers in England can take part in the precision-bred wheat trials.
Tom Allen-Stevens, Oxfordshire farmer and managing director of BOFIN, said the projects would put growers at the heart of agricultural research.
He said: “These projects put farmers at the centre of agricultural innovation.”
Mr Allen-Stevens said BOFIN was looking for forward-thinking growers who wanted to help shape the industry’s future while testing new approaches on commercial farms.
He added: “Through LLS-ERASED, farmers will contribute to finding solutions to light leaf spot in oilseed rape, which is so desperately needed to secure the crop’s future.”
He said those joining PROBITY would be among the first to trial precision-bred wheat lines that could offer a “step change in agricultural productivity”.
Mr Allen-Stevens added: “It’s an exciting time to join these industry-leading projects.”
BOFIN is also encouraging farmers who cannot take part as triallists to join its Sequence Circle online discussion group.
The group is aimed at those interested in precision breeding and its future role in UK agriculture.
