Crop research expected to boost food production

A government-funded programme of crop protection research that is expected to boost food production around the world has been launched in the UK.

Scientists at the Rothamsted Research institute in Harpenden will develop advanced technology to detect, monitor and control pests, plant diseases and invasive weeds.

The five-year Smart Crop Protection programme has been kickstarted with a £6.3 million grant from the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).

Achim Dobermann, the institute’s director and chief executive, said: “Globally, 30% of crop yield is lost to pests, pathogens and weeds.

“Improving the efficiency and sustainability of crop protection is one of the most accessible ways to intensify agriculture sustainably.”

The research will bring together chemistry, genetics, biology, ecology, agronomics and computer simulations.

Programme leader Paul Neve said the aim was to deliver a “new vision” for managing crop health.

He added: “Using the latest technologies, our goal is to limit the incidence, distribution, dispersal, evolutions and impact of crop biotic threats.

“We also aim to maximise the efficacy and sustainability of control interventions”

The government grant will pay for the first three years of the project.