10085253Fabulous Fibre: reducing micron count of finer wool quality UK sheep breeds to increase productivity, sustainability and resilience in the wool industry.ClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UK**Langrish Farmers**, passionate about improving the quality and value of wool, will work with key industry players National Sheep Association, British Wool, Wool Testing Authority Europe (WTAE) and Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL), to benchmark wool quality at an individual sheep level in an English Romney sheep flock. An attention to wool quality in terms of fibre diameter will look to increase returns to commercial farmers. By validating an on-farm wool testing device and building guidelines on improving wool quality through benchmarking, selection and breeding, the **Fabulous Fibre** project aims to help Langrish Farmers demonstrate the ability to **progress towards net zero** by using wool as a natural renewable fibre that is an alternative to synthetics**, increasing business resilience, improving productivity** and potentially **diversifying** sheep farming back to its multifunctional nature. This would change current farmer attitude towards wool as a waste product. For the industry, the product aims to make the UK wool sector more **resilient** and reduce reliance on imports in the wool industry. Wool quality is measured by testing the wool fibre to a micron value. The lower the micron value the higher the quality and the greater the return value. There is currently no on-farm technology capable of testing individual fleeces with real-time results. This project will work with one large Romney flock, to validate a handheld, portable device allowing greater control of fleeces sent for testing (and validation) through WTAE. Romney sheep have been selected due to their average micron levels hovering around the premium threshold. Measurements taken from the flock will be used to identify high-quality wool animals at an individual level and enable selection and breeding programmes for subsequent years, with wool quality a key focus. In addition, the lambs born in 2024 from the wool quality assessed ewes will have their fleeces tested, giving an indication of the heritability of wool quality. It will also enable Langrish Farmers to select breeding replacements both on conformation, carcase traits and wool quality for subsequent breeding seasons, identifying and limiting any trade-offs between traits. The project will also improve the understanding and value of wool testing on farm and demonstrate easy steps to improve wool values across the sector. In addition, it will provide practical lessons and opportunities for any sheep farm to improve wool quality and value.