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Plant-science funding plea

Plant-science funding plea

A doubling in the funding for plant science and big changes in the way that finance is provided were urged yesterday as scientists warned the UK’s position as a world leader in the sector was under threat from a lack of cash and investment in essential skills.

The UK Plant Sciences Federation also used a special report to call on industry leaders, universities, colleges and schools to do more to inspire a new generation of plant scientists to secure the future and Britain’s global reputation at the forefront of the sector.

The report recommended industry and government do more to work together as well as double their investment in plant science, which at £125.1million currently accounts for less than 4% of public research funding. An increase would allow the development of new fundamental and applied research programmes to boost crop productivity and resilience against diseases and pests while conserving natural ecosystems. The report suggested the creation of new centres of agricultural innovation focusing on crop improvement and protection to improve UK agricultural output which has remained static since 1986.

The report, based on the responses of more than 300 individuals and groups, also pleaded for a more stable funding environment, warning that the existing system of extreme swings in policy and research priorities over a five to 10 year cycle were destructive to skills, infrastructure and innovation.

“We must a create a long-term, balanced portfolio of basic and applied plant science research to generate a more durable system that produces a constant flow of knowledge and research outputs,” it added.

It went on to call for an increase in the number of plant scientists to improve the translation of science into practical applications which farmers can make use of. And there was a demand politicians use more science-based evidence in determining the balance between the risks and benefits of adopting new technologies, products and practices.

British Society of Plant Breeders chairman Richard Summers said the report highlighted the need for a functioning crop improvement pipeline which balanced long-term investment in basic and applied plant science so that new knowledge and discoveries can be translated into market-ready traits, germplasm and breeding tools.

He added: “BSPB has highlighted similar concerns over the widening gap between public sector research and its relevance or accessibility to commercial plant breeders.”

Mr Summers said the report was timely as it provided a policy blueprint to unlock the full potential of plant science at the same time as the government was using its agri-tech strategy to boost the wider economy through the agri-science sector.