News: July

Partner News

NIAB-TAG: Soil management project to support sustainability

A four-year, £644,000 research project commissioned by the HGCA and carried out by the James Hutton Institute and NIAB TAG will establish best practice for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production. Key objectives are increased cereal yields for UK farmers and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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John Innes Centre: Major investment to persuade bacteria to help cereals self-fertilise

The John Innes Centre will lead a $9.8m research project to investigate whether it is possible to initiate a symbiosis between cereal crops and bacteria. The symbiosis could help cereals access nitrogen from the air to improve yields. The five-year research project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, could have most immediate benefit for subsistence farmers.
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Anglia Farmers Limited (AF): Waitrose Farming Partnership - AF membership launched

Waitrose Farming Partnership – AF membership, is open to all Waitrose UK-based farmers, giving them access to significant savings on all farm supplies. Clarke Willis, CEO of the AF Group said: "This new initiative extends our range of professional buying services to members of the Waitrose Farming Partnership and provides a cost effective membership to farmers supplying Waitrose. We are able to provide procurement expertise and combine volumes to deliver significant savings on farm supplies and services and look forward to working with producers who are part of the Waitrose Farming Partnership to reduce their costs".
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General News

Bioenergy Strategy

Department of Energy and Climate Change has published a bioenergy strategy that sets out a framework for ensuring that biomass powering our homes, businesses and transport delivers benefits to businesses and consumers in a drive to meet the UK's low carbon objectives.
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BBSRC NSF Ideas Lab: Nitrogen: improving on nature

BBSRC and NSF have launched a joint Ideas Lab and are particularly keen to have Chemists participate in a five-day Ideas Lab to develop innovative and transformative ways to reduce inputs of nitrogen fertilizers to non-leguminous crops whilst maintaining or increasing yield, through a multidisciplinary approach.
The Ideas Lab will develop outline proposals that will subsequently be developed into full proposals and submitted for consideration by the funding agencies and a team of mentors. Successful proposals developed through the Ideas Lab will be jointly funded by BBSRC and NSF, and up to $12M ($6M or equivalent each from the US and the UK) is available subject to proposals.
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