Resilient Crops: Forages for sustainable feed food and environment
Lead Research Organisation:
ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
Forage crops: To address challenges associated with adapting UK grasslands to agricultural and environmental needs we will determine the mechanisms underpinning crop performance and ecosystem impacts of different forage species (perennial ryegrasses and clovers) under different management practices across the altitudinal gradient. Key targets include understanding the genotype by environment interactions and how this affects productivity and feed quality. Genetic technologies have the opportunity We will address bottlenecks in the implementation of biotechnologies (including gene-editing) for perennial ryegrass.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
- ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY (Lead Research Organisation)
- QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST (Collaboration)
- ETH Zurich (Collaboration)
- National Botanic Garden of Wales (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF READING (Collaboration)
- University of Sussex (Collaboration)
- Linking Environment And Farming (Collaboration)
- Pondicherry University (Collaboration)
Publications
Abdian P
(2024)
Creating pathways for collaboration between Argentina and the UK to utilise microbial biofilms in sustainable agriculture
in CABI Agriculture and Bioscience
Dhanoa M
(2023)
Methodology adjusting for least squares regression slope in the application of multiplicative scatter correction to near-infrared spectra of forage feed samples
in Journal of Chemometrics
Fraser M
(2025)
New thinking is needed to make the most of formerly improved upland pastures
in npj Sustainable Agriculture
Freeland L
(2024)
Precision Breeding and Consumer Safety: A Review of Regulations for UK Markets
in Agriculture
Freeland L
(2024)
Precision Breeding and Consumer Safety: A Review of Regulations for UK Markets
in Agriculture
Hanlon ME
(2023)
Effects of the addition of non-fibre carbohydrates with different rumen degradation rates in dairy cow high-forage diets using the Rumen Simulation Technique.
in Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
Hansen A
(2025)
Mechanical stimulation in plants: molecular insights, morphological adaptations, and agricultural applications in monocots.
in BMC biology
Kaptan G
(2024)
Using Citizen Science to Explore Plant Breeding and Investigate Food-Chain Transparency for Novel Breeding Methods
in FSA Research and Evidence
Khatri K
(2023)
Functional genomic and transformation resources for commercially important red macroalgae (Rhodophyta)
in Algal Research
| Description | Discussions with NFU Cymru stakeholders on response to the Sustainble Farming Scheme Consultation |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Evidence to Climate Change, Environment & Infrastructure Committee 21st March 2024 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://record.senedd.wales/Committee/13727 |
| Description | Hosted Farmers Union of Wales President's visit |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Informing Ministers and supporting policy development |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | It informs the secondary legislation regarding the release of PBOs into the environment and food chain, currently being prepared and planned to be laid this autumn. |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/advisory-committee-on-releases-to-the-environment/about |
| Description | Informing Ministers and supporting policy development |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | It informs the secondary legislation regarding the release of PBOs into the environment and food/feed chains, currently being prepared and planned to be laid this autumn. |
| URL | https://acnfp.food.gov.uk/ |
| Description | Lobbying Welsh politicians for better regulation |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Description | Meeting with Welsh Government and Welsh FSA representatives to discuss implications for Wales of the changes in GMO legislation for England. Rhodfa Padarn, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth SY23 3UR. 21st Feb 2025. |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Presented written evidence to Welsh Government committee regarding the Genetic Technology (precision breeding) bill brought forward by the UK Government |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Scrutiny and selection committee on Biotechnology research for French National Research Agency |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Pre- and postdoctoral training was integral in all the applications funded. |
| URL | https://www.pepr-selection-vegetale.fr/#:~:text=Actualit%C3%A9%20du%20programme,du%20V%C3%A9g%C3%A9t... |
| Description | Update for national ministries and MEPs on activities regarding New Genomic Techniques |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | The aim was to inform and influence the EC's current deliberations on new legislation for genome editing. |
| Description | Welsh Government Green Skills - Short Term Review |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | hosted visit of the Chief Science Advisor for Wales to IBERS, Aberystwyth |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | A Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield (PROBITY) |
| Amount | £1,568,698 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 10097973 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 06/2027 |
| Description | A characterisation and evaluation (C&E) dataset for a wild/semi-natural perennial ryegrass representative germplasm collection |
| Amount | £276,019 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/X018598/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 12/2027 |
| Description | BBSRC (FoodBioSystems DTP): CASE PhD studentship |
| Amount | £119,760 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | FBS2024-045-Lloyd-ac |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 09/2028 |
| Description | BEACON Mid-Wales: Growing the Circular-Bioeconomy-Shared Prosperity |
| Amount | £247,576 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of the UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2024 |
| End | 12/2024 |
| Description | Bezos Centre for sustainable Protein |
| Amount | £23,720,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Bezos Earth Fund |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 11/2024 |
| End | 10/2026 |
| Description | Bridging funding form Welsh Government |
| Amount | £273,395 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of Wales |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Climate change, forage protein quality and epigenetics - is there a link? |
| Amount | £6,791 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Stapledon Memorial Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2026 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | FoodBioSystems DTP PhD studentship. Title "Feed for Net Zero: Understanding the structure function relationships in forages driving rumen feed degradation" |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 2878900 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2027 |
| Description | FoodBioSystems DTP PhD studentship. Title "Unpicking the causes of infertility in wheat triggered by temperature stress" |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 2878860 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2027 |
| Description | GW4 Plant Epigenetics Community; bridging the knowledge gap from models to crops |
| Amount | £19,403 (GBP) |
| Organisation | GW4 |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 05/2024 |
| Description | How does circadian variation in red clover affect plant performance? |
| Amount | £67,165 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RG\R1\241107 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 10/2026 |
| Description | Improving production efficiency and animal health within sheep systems in the Peruvian Andes |
| Amount | £13,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2024 |
| End | 02/2025 |
| Description | Land Use for Net Zero Hub |
| Amount | £6,590,156 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/Y008723/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2023 |
| End | 03/2027 |
| Description | PlastiRootS - Evaluation of complex Root traits towards Plasticity in barley under Salt stress for importing climate resilience and productivity |
| Amount | £200,512 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/Y030435/1 EC - 101105873 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2024 |
| End | 05/2026 |
| Description | UK-SPF Mid Wales Region: Green Digital Transformation |
| Amount | £249,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of the UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2024 |
| Description | DNA barcoding in grassland swards |
| Organisation | National Botanic Garden of Wales |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on the DNA barcoding of grassland species, including those planted and those recruited from the seed bank. This includes a grazing and cutting study at four diverse sites across an altitudinal challenge gradient at the Trawsgoed and Pwllpeiran farm sites ranging from 70m to 340m above sea level. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners at NBGW have assisted in the development and optimisation of protocols for the analysis of farmed and natural (weed) grassland species. |
| Impact | The outcomes are under development but will help in the understanding of, and therefore advice that can be given for, the management of grassland mixtures in both lowland and upland environments |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | FoodBioSystems DTP PhD studentship |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | Institute for Global Food Security |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PhD studentship entitled: Feed for Net Zero: Understanding the structure function relationships in forages driving rumen feed degradation. PhD student will be mainly based at IBERS, Aberystwyth University. Prof Alison Kingston-Smith (lead supervisor) and Dr Maurice Bosch (co-supervisor) will provide their extensive expertise in plant physiology, biochemistry and cell biology to the work related to exposing forage grasses to different environmental conditions. Dr Bosch will provide training in analysing cell wall composition and structure using a variety of analytical and cell biology methods. Prof Kingston-Smith will provide training on in vitro digestibility assays and assessment of methane emissions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Supervised by Prof Chris Creevey (Queen's University Belfast), and as part of a 6-month placement with his research group, the student will receive training in programming and cutting edge bioinformatic analyses of microbiome data. |
| Impact | Still too early to list outputs or outcomes related to the collaboration |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | FoodBioSystems DTP PhD studentship |
| Organisation | University of Reading |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PhD studentship title: Unpicking the causes of infertility in wheat triggered by temperature stress. PhD student principally based at Aberystwyth University under the supervision of Dr Dylan Phillips (lead supervisor). The project aims to study the effect of elevated temperature on the fertility of wheat and seeks to assay the meiotic defects generated. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Jake Bishop (co-supervisor) will bring expertise in climate modelling. Dr Christophe Lambing (Rothamsted Research, co-supervisor) also brings expertise in wheat meiosis and chemical analysis. |
| Impact | None, as yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | FoodBioSystems DTP PhD studentship |
| Organisation | University of Reading |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PhD studentship entitled: Harnessing cell permeable peptides to enhance crop development and biochemistry. The PhD student will be predominantly based at Aberystwyth University. Pro Huw Jones (lead supervisor) and Dr Dylan Phillips (co-supervisor) will provide expertise in molecular biology, plant transformation, and plant physiology in a range of key crop species. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As part of a 6-mont placement, supervised by Dr Luke Bell (University of Reading), the student will receive training in assaying glucosinolate compounds and their volatile derivatives using novel two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry methods. |
| Impact | Too early to list outputs or outcomes related to the collaboration. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | LEAF Innovation Centre |
| Organisation | Linking Environment And Farming |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In 2023 IBERS became recognised as a LEAF Innovation Centre. The launch event included academic presentations on grasslands research and tours of facilities and field sites. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As members of the LEAF Network, members of staff including those associated with this project can benefit from networking (eg overview of research taking place at LEAF Innovation centres) and training (eg LEAF Surgery). We anticipate this collaboration to help with dissemination and realisation of impact from research. |
| Impact | Early stage collaboration planning joint activities. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | MoU for research and teaching with Puducherry University, India |
| Organisation | Pondicherry University |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I visited Puducherry University in March 2024. We met the VC and heads of key departments and signed an MoU for research and teaching. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The VC and key members of staff at Puducherry University had already had extensive discussions with staff at AU. They had agreed there was considerable scope for joint research. |
| Impact | MoU IBERS / DLS / DCS / DGES |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Molecular control of agronomic traits in grasses |
| Organisation | ETH Zurich |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Resources involved in breeding grasses and legumes. ISP-supported experiments, including Challenge Gradient |
| Collaborator Contribution | A world-leading group in molecular biology and genomics of grasses. |
| Impact | NA |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | UK Food Systems CDT PhD studentship |
| Organisation | University of Sussex |
| Department | School of Psychology Sussex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This collaboration involves co-supervision of a PhD student working on a project entitled 'Red clover as a novel source of protein for human consumption: from extraction to consumer acceptance'. This project is mainly based at Aberystwyth University, where the student is working on developing a process to extract and characterise protein from red clover for incorporation into food products. Ana Winters is first supervisor. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. Martin Yoemans of Sussex University is second supervisor on the project and is guiding analysis of consumer acceptance of red clover based food products. |
| Impact | It is too early in the project for completed outputs. Two manuscripts are in preparation. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Use of gene editing Eruca sativa for more effective biofumigation. FoodBioSystems DTP |
| Organisation | University of Reading |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The student is working under the supervision of Dr D Phillips and Prof Huw Jones to develop and apply gene editing and gene silencing methodologies in Eruca sativa. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Colleagues at Uni of Reading, Dr L Bell and Dr M Chadwick will supervise the analysis of glucosinolate and isothiocyanate content in the wild type and edited crop plants. Also assess biofumigant activity in gene knockouts. |
| Impact | No formal output yet. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Title | Perennial ryegrasses added to National and Recommended Lists since April 2023 |
| Description | Perennial ryegrasses added to the National List: AberEsk AberForth AberTweed AberLiffey AberWin (amenity) Perennial ryegrasses added to the Recommended List: AberEsk AberForth AberTweed AberLiffey |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | No |
| Description | Engagement with NFU-Cymru on Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended briefing event at NFU-Cymru Head Quarters (Builth) on Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). This is linked to role as academic board advisory group member on net zero for NFU and on wider engagement with farming community on climate change: mitigation and adaptation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/news-and-information/supply-chain-sfs-concerns-heard-at-nfu-cymru-meeti... |
| Description | Invited lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited (online) lecture 'The regulation of gene-editing technology in the UK and Europe'. PASE-NBT Conference on Gene-editing 26th-27th April, 2023 Canberra, Australia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/files/documents/PASE_Canberra_Meeting_flyer.pdf |
| Description | Invited lecture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I spoke at a USDA Biotech Outreach Program event for the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Agriculture & Development Seminar Series (ADSS), Breeding Innovations for Increasing Productivity and Climate Resilience in Crops and Livestock, August 15, 2023. Hybrid. "Dear Dr. Jones, We'd like to thank you again for sharing your expertise during the forum yesterday. Your insights and perspective were truly valuable, and we were all thoroughly engaged by your presentation. We had more than 200 participants on Zoom and onsite." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.searca.org/news/searca-usda-fas-isaaa-inc-hold-public-seminar-agri-biotech |
| Description | Invited lecture. Plant biotechnology regulation in Europe'. Bio Turkiye, Biotechnology Ecosystem for a Sustainable Life |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited in person lecture. 'Plant biotechnology regulation in Europe'. Bio Turkiye, Biotechnology Ecosystem for a Sustainable Life. Ottoman Archive Complex, Istanbul. 28 - 30 September 2023 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://bioturkiye.org/congress/docs/bilimsel-program.pdf?a=9876 |
| Description | Invited to present at the International Conference On Plant Biotechnology and Genome Editing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | International Conference On Plant Biotechnology and Genome Editing June 27-29, 2023 Kakatiya University, Warangal, India. Presented a invited talk on gene editing, took part in a panel discussion and interviewed by the media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://icpbgeku.kuservices.in/ |
| Description | Kick-off event for research centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Kick off event for opening of centre focussed on sustainable protein. There were approx. 400 attendees from across the globe. This event provided an excellent opportunity for networking with members of industry, academia together with policy makers and NGOs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://bezoscentre.co.uk/ |
| Description | Lecture (undergraduate) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Lecture on gene editing to 60 undergraduate students studying biology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024,2025 |
| Description | Panel discussion at public event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Member of a panel for an event on 'Sheep and the climate emergency' discussing options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sheep farming as part of the Llandovery Sheep Festival. There was considerable interest in the event and a follow-up is being planned to run alongside the Festival in 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Royal Society Innovating Agriculture event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Participated and chaired an expert panel on ": How can innovations in food and agriculture be deployed at scale?" at the Royal Society Innovating agriculture event. This was part of the conference series "Transforming our future" and explored the science and innovation aiming to transform the future of food and farming. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/-/media/about-us/industry/tof-conference-reports/transforming-our-future-in... |
| Description | Senedd Reception on Welsh work towards food safety |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invitation from Llyr Gruffydd MS, Senedd Regional Member for Plaid Cymru, to participate in the Senedd summer reception marking the FSA's 25th anniversary. 9th July 2025, Pierhead Building, Senedd Cymru, Cardiff Bay. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Showcase event and workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Event to showcase Industrial Biotechnology to academia and industry. Round table discussions on future direction of R&D in IB. Identified areas that should be prioritised going forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Stakeholder Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation and breakout discussions at Stakeholder workshop on the 'Implementation of genetic technologies in the UK food chain' In person event with approximately 60 invited stakeholders from the agricultural, breeding, retail, food safety and regulatory sectors. One Great George St. London 26th Jan 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Stakeholder event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A workshop was held on 12th July with the Pwllpeiran Associates, a stakeholder group made of policymakers/implements from organisations including the National Farmers Union, Farmers Union of Wales, RSPB, National Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, Natural Resources Wales, Nature Friendly Farming Network, and Plantlife. There was particular interest from the group in the new experimental work testing wild ecotypes of perennial ryegrass and red clover selected from accessions held within IBERS Biobank. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Sustainable Grass & Muck event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Hosted the Sustainable Grass & Muck event at the Aberystwyth University Trawsgoed Farm. The event was part of Ceredigion's year as the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's featured county. With 150 acres put aside for demonstration machinery, the event gave many thousands of grassland farmers the chance to see the latest grassland machinery in action. This including the making of silage and the efficient and effective spreading of slurry and farmyard manure. The event supports farmers in their production and harvesting of sustainable, high quality and home-grown forage. IBERS was involved in the organising committee run by the Ceredigion group, assisting with the hosting of the event on the University farm and ran multiple exhibits of forage and bioenergy grass science and supporting agri-tech infrastructure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2024/03/title-269483-en.html |
| Description | Wales Ecology & Evolution Network conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give the keynote talk at the 2024 conference of the Wales Ecology & Evolution Network, which is a student-run annual conference which aims to promote post-graduate research and create a networking platform for early-career scientists at Welsh Universities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://ween.wales/ |