Cereals and oilseed rape are the major arable crops grown in the UK as sources of raw materials for food production. Approximately 5m tonnes of wheat flour are milled and incorporated into food products in the UK, with about 85% being derived from home grown wheat. Winter oilseed rape is the main rotation crop for cereals in the UK, with increasing area (currently 0.5m Ha producing about 2m tonnes) and higher profit margins. The research programme provides a framework for their improvement, from the establishment of genomic resources and technologies to understanding the functional basis and biological mechanisms underpinning end-use properties.

We are focusing our effort on improving end-use quality and yields in the context of a sustainable agriculture. Although the UK has yields of arable crops amongst the best in the world, this is achieved with marginal carbon/energy balance, compounded by breeding selection under high-input conditions. There are currently major concerns about the environmental impacts of intensive farming practices including high levels of nitrogen in natural waters. Restrictions on the application of nitrogen and other fertilisers would limit the use of UK wheats for breadmaking and the profitability of oilseed rape. Work is therefore directed towards identifying cultivars which perform well under conditions of low nitrogen or phosphate availability and elucidating the underlying mechanisms to allow the trait to be incorporated into high yielding cultivars.

Research Leaders:

• Professor Peter Shewry
• Dr Smita Kurup
• Dr Huw Jones