Building Robustness in Crops: Improving dicotyledonous crops for sustainable crop rotation
Lead Research Organisation:
John Innes Centre
Department Name: UNLISTED
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
Work Package (WP) 4 aims to provide a step change towards understanding the genetic basis of plant responses to environmental challenges with a focus on dicotyledonous UK crops. To this end we will exploit existing and novel genetic tools and resources.
Crop rotation is an essential part of farming practice required for consistent crop performance. In the UK winter wheat rotation is primarily supported by oilseed rape and to a lesser extent pea and field beans. With wheat as the focus of the DSW ISP we have dedicated this WP to the improvement of dicotyledonous crops in particular Brassica and pea.
Stable predictable yields in variable growing seasons caused by climate change will assist in maintaining resilient supply chains. It will enable us to grow crops with reduced pesticide inputs despite feeding pressure from growing insect pests. Faster breeding techniques will increase the probabilities that breeders can outpace climate change and keep our crops well adapted. New varieties will support expanded supply chains using controlled indoor environments shielded from variation in the external environment. Increased stability in pea yields will increase the number of UK farmers willing to grow pea and support a dietary transition to higher consumption of plantbased protein foods. Using AI-Based approaches we will provide unprecedented biological insights into how plants respond to complex environmental conditions in different growing seasons. This work will enable us to explore the fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation growth and reproduction in a field context with aims guided by the strategic need for more resilient crops. Our aim is to create germplasm with superior climate adaptation and increased resilience to variation in weather (temperature and rainfall) between growing seasons in Brassicas and pea. To do this we will create new methods for identification of loci important in adaptation new methods for investigating adaptation to seasonal temperature variation and investigate the genetics of robust performance under specific challenges identified through engagement with the supply chain.
Crop rotation is an essential part of farming practice required for consistent crop performance. In the UK winter wheat rotation is primarily supported by oilseed rape and to a lesser extent pea and field beans. With wheat as the focus of the DSW ISP we have dedicated this WP to the improvement of dicotyledonous crops in particular Brassica and pea.
Stable predictable yields in variable growing seasons caused by climate change will assist in maintaining resilient supply chains. It will enable us to grow crops with reduced pesticide inputs despite feeding pressure from growing insect pests. Faster breeding techniques will increase the probabilities that breeders can outpace climate change and keep our crops well adapted. New varieties will support expanded supply chains using controlled indoor environments shielded from variation in the external environment. Increased stability in pea yields will increase the number of UK farmers willing to grow pea and support a dietary transition to higher consumption of plantbased protein foods. Using AI-Based approaches we will provide unprecedented biological insights into how plants respond to complex environmental conditions in different growing seasons. This work will enable us to explore the fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation growth and reproduction in a field context with aims guided by the strategic need for more resilient crops. Our aim is to create germplasm with superior climate adaptation and increased resilience to variation in weather (temperature and rainfall) between growing seasons in Brassicas and pea. To do this we will create new methods for identification of loci important in adaptation new methods for investigating adaptation to seasonal temperature variation and investigate the genetics of robust performance under specific challenges identified through engagement with the supply chain.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
- John Innes Centre (Lead Research Organisation)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- National Research Council Canada (Collaboration)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Collaboration)
- Rothamsted Research (Collaboration)
- University of Hertfordshire (Collaboration)
- Elsoms Seeds (Collaboration)
- Associated British Foods PLC (Collaboration)
- National Institute of Agronomy and Botany (NIAB) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
Publications

Byers K
(2023)
Reducing eggs on eggplant: a common naturally emitted plant volatile could replace insecticides in the 'king of vegetables'
in New Phytologist

Chen X
(2023)
A VEL3 histone deacetylase complex establishes a maternal epigenetic state controlling progeny seed dormancy.
in Nature communications

Dixon G
(2024)
Vegetable Brassicas and Related Crucifers

Quint M
(2023)
25 Years of thermomorphogenesis research: milestones and perspectives.
in Trends in plant science

Raymond J
(2023)
Continuing genetic improvement and biases in genetic gain estimates revealed in historical UK variety trials data
in Field Crops Research
Description | Insect Decline and UK Food Security consultation |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Description | Defra farming futures |
Amount | £1,000,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2024 |
End | 12/2026 |
Description | Collaboration with Elsoms Seeds |
Organisation | Elsoms Seeds |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We ran field trials and create mapping populations |
Collaborator Contribution | They help us score traits. They may exploit resulting materials. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Collaboration with Rothamsted Research |
Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We contribute genomics work, genome sequences, seed, glasshouse space and labour for plant growth, crossing and field trials to make a Magic population in OSR and phenotype the parents. |
Collaborator Contribution | Rothamsted contribute glasshouse time and labour for plant growth, crossing and field trials to make a Magic population in OSR and phenotype the parents. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Collaboration with sainsbury laboratory, cambridge |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We discussed expertise in seed science |
Collaborator Contribution | Proivision of materials related to ABA sensing |
Impact | no outcomes yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Collaboration with the University Of Leeds |
Organisation | University of Leeds |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We used our innovative field plot warming system in collaboration with researchers at the University of Leeds to investigate effects of climate warming on winter wheat. |
Collaborator Contribution | Our partdners provided seeds, knowledge and manpower top enable the field trials at JIC. |
Impact | One outcome was a responsive mode proposal to BBSRC to continue the work. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Collaboration with the university of hertfordshire |
Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provision of field trials and Brassica diversity |
Collaborator Contribution | measurements of disease load |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | New partnership in break crop research |
Organisation | Associated British Foods PLC |
Department | British Sugar |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We made our expertise in transformation and gene editing available |
Collaborator Contribution | Our partners brought expertise in sugar beet value chaiuns |
Impact | Grant applications and awards. |
Start Year | 2024 |
Description | Pea transformation |
Organisation | National Research Council of Canada |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Testing and optimising pea transformation protocols. |
Collaborator Contribution | The laboratory of Dr. Pankaj Bhowmik is providing expertise and material for testing and optimising pea transformation protocols. |
Impact | Nothing to report yet. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Rapid cycling Brassica genome consortium |
Organisation | Max Planck Society |
Department | Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Advice and project management for genome sequencing. Growth and preparation of materials for sequencing, genome assembly. |
Collaborator Contribution | Funding for genome sequencing |
Impact | Generation of genome sequence. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Rapid cycling Brassica genome consortium |
Organisation | Max Planck Society |
Department | Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Advice and project management for genome sequencing. Growth and preparation of materials for sequencing, genome assembly. |
Collaborator Contribution | Funding for genome sequencing |
Impact | Generation of genome sequence. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | collaboration with NIAB |
Organisation | National Institute of Agronomy and Botany (NIAB) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Provision of field trials and oilseed rape diversity. |
Collaborator Contribution | Measurement of virus loads |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2024 |
Description | collaboration with the Swedish university of agricultural sciences |
Organisation | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
Country | Sweden |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We submitted to joint funding opportunity and received an award for the postdoc fellowship. |
Collaborator Contribution | They provide expertise on floral development. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | BASF - research in Brassica |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Meeting with BASF to develop further work interactions in Brassica. Further interest in current research was raised. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | BBC Radio 4 "Start The Week" appearance |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Appearance as a guest on BBC Radio 4's "Start The Week" show (42 minutes) with colleagues from Oxford and Kew on a show titled "Mysterious Plants". Audience for the show reaches 3 million according to BBC invite. Multiple engagements and feedback via email and Twitter, including offers of collaboration and public questions. Audiences very keen to hear more about plant science, an often under-reported topic. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001wxkb |
Description | Discussion on Brassica Research - MandS |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Discussed current Brassica work and potential for further interaction. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Engagement with industry - Perfectly Fresh |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Discussion on potential for further collaboration and targeted grant application |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Lecture - UEA Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement MSC, Brassica Genetics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Lecture to MSc students on Brassica Genetics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Lecture - UEA Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement MSC, Brassica Genomics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Lecture to MSc students - Brassica Genomics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Lecture on inclusion of disability in biosciences (University of Exeter Penryn) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited to give a public lecture and panel Q&A for the University of Exeter Penryn Inclusivity Matters! seminar series covering disability inclusion in biosciences. Approximately 80 postgraduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and staff attended and asked questions and were engaged. Attendees asked many questions and attitudes about disability changed in a positive manner. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/inclusion/nep/projects/inclusivitymatters/ |
Description | Lecture on inclusion of disability in biosciences (University of Guelph, Canada) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited to give a public lecture in person for the University of Guelph, Canada covering disability inclusion as the inaugural speaker of the College of Biological Science Community Seminar Series. Approximately 70 postgraduate and undergraduate students and faculty as well as university administrators attended. Attendees asked many questions and attitudes about disability changed in a positive manner. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.uoguelph.ca/cbs/events/2023/12/disabled-field-navigating-nature-and-academia-disabled-sc... |
Description | Morley Innovation Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Work displayed at farming open day. Promoted questions and discussion on Brassica research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Morley Innovation day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | We present the work in the ISP to visitors at Morley Farms |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Novo Nordisk engaement meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Supporters |
Results and Impact | Visit to JIC from potential charitable funding body |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Radio program involvement - BBC Womans Hour |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Participant on Womans Hour Radio show on Brassica |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Schools Q&A virtual visit (Greenwood Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Virtual Q&A visit to Greenwood Primary and Nursery School in Nottinghamshire to answer questions from Year 3 students about plant sciences and how they can become involved in science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Schools visit and farm day, Bawburgh School (Bawburgh, Norfolk) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Two separate events with Bawburgh School. Visited the school and led six classrooms (ca. 15 students each plus staff, Reception to Year 5) on pollinator observations in a nearby meadow and the school classrooms. Students also visited the JIC Church Farm experimental station and learned more about pollination and floral structure and smell on a second day. Students expressed interest in the subject and asked questions about how to become scientists. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Teaching pratical course - Genome Wide Association Studies |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Teaching of UEA MSc students in GWAS. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Visist from HZAU |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Visit from HZAU delegation to discuss research commonalities |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Visit by Debiie Harding - BBSRC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Visit from BBSRC to discuss current research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Visit from LSPB |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Visit from LSPB to discuss field experimentation and learn scoring methodology |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Visit to Tozer seeds Pyeports |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Visit to plant breeding company and facilities to discuss current research and potential interest |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | visit and talk to DSV rapeseed breedersa |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Around 50 plant breeders from major breeder DSV attended my talk on environmental adaptation of winter rapeseed to the UK climate. We had a discussion and shared follow up materials. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |