Improved crop breeding programmes through advanced Pollination Control Bag materials technology

The project will investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of developing an innovative pollination control bag to improve crop breeding programmes used for three important agricultural crops: sugar beet, wheat and Miscanthus. Existing technologies are unfit for purpose and their use can be detremental to plant health and seed yield, and increase disease incidence and expense. A range of materials (films and nonwoven), fibre technologies and techniques will be investigated and trialled with academic and commercial breeders with the aim of developing the next generation of pollination control bags to improve breeding outcomes, reduce losses caused by poor temperature and humidity control within the bag, and increase seed yield. This will reduce costs for plant breeders and accelerate the rate at which new commercial crop varieties (with improved yields, drought, disease or pest resistance, and higher crop quality), can be discovered and brought to market.