CONTENTS DIRECTORʼS FOREWORD

DIRECTOR'S FOREWORD 3 2012—2017 2016—2017  INSTITUTE STRATEGIC SELECTED PAPERS 24 RoSy ALLIANCE 36 OPEN, SMART, PROGRAMMES OUR PEOPLE 26 #ROIF 38 20:20 4 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 28 NFU WORKSHOP 40 DELIVERING 8 30 STUDENTSHIPS 42 SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL ENGAGING… DESIGNING SEEDS 12 AfSIS 32 READ ALL ABOUT US 44 CROPPING CARBON 16 AGRI-TECH CENTRES 34 DIRECTOR'S VISION 46 ACHIM DOBERMANN NATIONAL CAPABILITIES We reflect on our achievements of the past Director and Chief Executive ROTHAMSTED 20 five years as strategic programmes end; and INSECT SURVEY we consider how this passing busy year has LONG-TERM 21 EXPERIMENTS helped us to set up for the next five years. NORTH WYKE 22 FARM PLATFORM Looking back over the 12 months to the and 2017, funded by the Biotechnology PATHOGEN-HOST 23 end of March 2017, I am reminded first and Biological Sciences Research “We are pioneering INTERACTIONS of just how productive we have been. Council, to summarise the science and DATABASE We have made new discoveries, forged impact of their teams’ work. The heads a chemical spray alliances, shared knowledge, brought of the four BBSRC-funded National for enhancing crop people together and stepped forward Capabilities have done similarly. to support and lead. yields; we showed I’d like to highlight just three examples We helped to found three of the that illustrate the breadth and depth that damaged UK’s four new agri-tech centres, staged of our recent research. biodiversity can a popular forum on innovation and, We identified a sugar controlling with the NFU, came up with what’s recover; and we starch in cereal grain and are now needed for a UK agri-science sector helping to pioneer a chemical revealed nutritional outside the EU. spray for enhancing crop yields1; risks facing 1 billion We have engaged with the public, we provided the first evidence that opened up about our research, and grassland biodiversity can recover from people worldwide” supported a new generation of young pollution2; and we revealed the risk scientists. We have also ensured from climate change of falling levels more opportunities for prospective of selenium in , which threatens PhD students. the health of up to 1 billion people worldwide3. Cover: Stabiliser cattle on We took on leadership of the Africa Soil North Wyke Farm Platform; inside cover, one-year-old Information Service, consolidated links There’s no doubt that 2016/17 was re-growth from coppiced with China, explored new ventures in “a critical period for us”, as I predicted plants in the National Willow Collection at Rothamsted Latin America and expanded ties in the last annual report. We came in India and the Philippines. through it all, and with flying colours. Thank you, and well done. I’ve asked the leaders of the four strategic programmes between 2012 Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24

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Programme researchers A selection of our academic papers and water potential, to include soil Published papers indicates the knowledge base and depth and tested them with field data. tools developed over the programme. We linked wheat architecture to soil 20:20 We identified heritable variation strength and discovered a genotypic in photosynthetic traits in diversity basis for leaf stunting. We also linked 59 1 307 ® panels . Transgenic approaches yielded the effects of impedance of root new insights into the regulation of growth to leaf elongation and tiller WHEAT Rubisco by CA1Pase, and synthetic number 6 and to the degree of leaf promises a step-change in stunting in UK that is related Funding won photosynthesis 2. to the Rht allele7. We obtained new understanding of We assessed the effect of warming SCIENCE the regulation of genes involved in temperature on global wheat production 8 14.2m nitrogen uptake and remobilisation, using an ensemble of wheat models , including the identification of and found production losses of 6% for transporters and regulatory factors 3,4. each degree of warming with increased Our target was science to support a variability of yield across regions and We improved assembly and seasons. We also reported that adverse potential wheat yield in the UK of annotation of the genomes of the climatic events will substantially increase pathogens Fusarium graminearum and 20 tonnes per hectare within 20 years by 2060 and cause more frequent crop Zymoseptoria tritici, and published failure across Europe9. (by 2032, from an average of 8t/ha). comprehensive Z. tritici-wheat transcriptome and metabolome data Finally, we commissioned and 5 The programme focused on maximising yield; protecting sets , providing new insights into the established the world’s first gantry- this yield from pathogens and pests; investigating soil infection process. Also, we are using based, automated field phenotyping 10,11 interactions; optimising wheat ideotypes; and predicting the VIGS system to assess the function platform ; dubbed the Field the impacts of future climates on production. of plant genes in disease resistance Scanalyzer, this platform will be central and the VOX system to assess the to Rothamsted’s future contributions We screened for natural variation and exploited function of fungal genes in the to digital biology and to systems-based genetic engineering, aiming to achieve step changes in establishment of disease. approaches to crop improvement productivity. At the same time, we ensured these yield and plant breeding. increases could be obtained sustainably by considering We extended models, which predict the efficiency of nutrient use, crop architecture and the relationship between soil strength Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24 resource allocation.

To protect yields, we focused on the genomics of key Stackyard Field on pathogenic fungi, supplemented through a strategic Rothamsted Farm, looking towards Broadbalk; left, alliance with Syngenta, which also facilitated additional healthy Cadenza wheat work on maximising yield and on soil interactions.

National collaborations International collaborations 48 119

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Beneficiaries were researchers, Our programme produced substantial ® farmers, wheat breeders, the knowledge on yield gain, on production agrochemical industry, government efficiency, including the importance of and society. Wheat is the UK’s largest soil interactions, on targets for plant 20:20 WHEAT crop, with an annual production of protection and on the influence of 14 million tonnes; market values for future climates. its seed and its processed products Many projects were initiated with are around £1.4 billion and £14 billion industry, notably a strategic alliance respectively. Attaining a potential with Syngenta. yield of 20 tonnes per hectare is a challenging target that requires a Global impact came through long-term integrated effort. In the past international collaborations, 20 years, farm gate yields increased notably with organisations such by only 1t/ha to an average of 8 t/ha. as the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Further improvements will come IMPACT in Mexico, which eased knowledge through genetic gains and better farm Our programme generated more than transfer among developed and practices that both increase yield developing countries. 300 scientific papers, substantially potential and decrease disease losses. increasing the knowledge base; and The annual impact of a 50% increase During its lifetime, the 20:20 Wheat® in the UK’s wheat production could concept was widely acknowledged, funding for additional supporting be more than £7 billion for both rural by government ministers and the UK projects exceeded the original funding and urban economies; worldwide, chief scientist among many others, the figure could be more than $350bn. and provoked considerable media for the programme itself. In addition, production efficiencies coverage. The programme also will lower requirements for land, featured in annual displays at cereals carbon, water and fertiliser. events in the UK.

Agro-industry work Policy engagements

MALCOLM 42 25 HAWKESFORD “We want our findings Commercial outputs Public & media events to benefit wheat production globally” Developing transgenic wheat for study of 13 38 important traits

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The programme focused on lowland We identified climate as the most Funding won grassland systems grazed by sheep important in determining the and beef cattle, and on arable systems concentration of selenium in , DELIVERING dominated by cereal crops (wheat and that climate change will lead to and barley) and oilseed rape. decreasing concentrations of this 33.5m micronutrient in soils. The benefits The ultimate target was to increase of zero-till in a carbon- farmers’ profit by reducing the cost of SUSTAINABLE mitigation strategy were critically inputs (fuel, pesticides and fertiliser), reviewed as widely overstated 3. by increasing yield or quality, and by reducing the costs to the environment Our expertise in metagenomics and of such things as greenhouse gas metatranscriptomics enabled us to SYSTEMS emissions, water pollution and the exploit our data from Rothamsted’s between the plants warning of above- 8 loss of biodiversity. Long-Term Experiments to develop a ground herbivory . bioinformatics workflow for analysis of The programme’s high-level outputs We were the first to demonstrate the the taxa present in soil communities, provide farmers with more options potential for biodiversity to recover the genes that they carry, and the SCIENCE to enhance productivity, efficiency in an agroecological system following conditions where they are actively and resilience with new integrative removal of a long-term anthropogenic expressed4. We have promoted approaches to managing the whole- stress. The research showed how research on the root microbiome5,6. Our programme hosted the farm-system. On offer are improved diversity in the 160-year-old Park Grass availability of nutrients, better Our chemical ecology group has experiment at Rothamsted declined bulk of the institute’s research protection from pests, pathogens shown that novel olfactory ligands and then recovered in response to on soils, crop protection, and weeds, and the use of novel (germacrene D analogues) for modifying increased and then decreased nitrogen plant semiochemistry. the behaviour of grain aphids, Sitobion pollution from car exhaust fumes. grassland systems, agroecology avenae, can be rationally designed and Our sustainability science has shown Our research on the environmental produced using synthetic biology 7. and sustainability science. that “land sparing” could help to effect of insecticides led to a high- eliminate net GHG emissions from Our work on semiochemicals has impact paper that set out the scientific This highly integrated programme epitomises the agriculture1. We mapped a route revealed an “internet of fungi” in the evidence base for the influence of 9 systems approach that is one of the unique features towards sustainable livestock systems soil, where plant mycorrhizae of neonicotinoids on pollinators . of research at Rothamsted. as part of global food security 2. neighbouring plants transmit signals Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24 Looking for new ways to measure sustainability, the programme aimed to demonstrate that sustainable farming systems can be developed through research into better ways of controlling pests and disease, supplying nutrients to plants, and working with biodiversity.

Two samples highlight how soil with higher organic Published papers Programme researchers matter content, bottom, is more stable when wet; right, automatic ground chambers measure greenhouse gas emissions on 350 35 North Wyke Farm Platform

608 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 09 ISP 2012—2017 DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS IMPACT We have secured external funding that more in two other centres: Crop Health than doubles the programme’s original and Protection (CHAP) and the Centre for Innovation Excellence funding, published more than 350 papers, in Livestock (CIEL). and given more than 80 invited talks at Our research has expanded our international conferences. international partnerships. For example, we have worked with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF); Our research papers have been Research Council (BBSRC) and the the Centre for Agriculture and published in high profile journals Natural Environment Research Council Biosciences International (CABI); that include Nature, PNAS, Science, (NERC), which became Achieving the International Centre of Insect Nature Climate Change, Phil Trans B, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE); American Naturalist and Ecology (ASSIST) and one of the five Institute the Global Farm Platform (GFP) for Letters. Our programme attracted Strategic Programmes of our new sustainable livestock production large commercial contracts on bee five-year strategy to 2022. (14 global partners); the Brazilian toxicogenomics, resistance Agricultural Research Corporation and stripe rust, and the establishment Our work on pollinators, neonicotinoids (Embrapa) and Virginia Tech on and leadership of a European network and soil health led to us being invited to pest resistance and the use of of RADAR systems to monitor insect advise Parliamentary committees and semiochemicals; the China Agricultural pest movement. We also received a Department for Environment, Food University (CAU) in Beijing on soils; funding from the Global Challenges & Rural Affairs panel on Sustainable the Institute for Plant Protection (IPP) Research Fund of the Department for Intensification: Implications for policy JOHN CRAWFORD of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and 25-year plans. We continue to Sciences (CAAS) and Nanjing (BEIS) and from the Bill & Melinda engage with the public and farmers “Our highly integrated Agricultural University (NAU) Gates Foundation for our soil and crop on these and other issues. on soil health; the Smithsonian programme epitomised research, notably with the Africa Soils We led the successful bid to run Tropical Research Institute (STRI) Information Service (AfSIS). the whole-systems one of the four agri-tech Centres for in Panama; the regional hub of the We instigated the first cross-council Agricultural Innovation, Agrimetrics, International Center for Tropical approach” strategic programme, between the which is the big data centre of Agriculture (CIAT) in Kenya; and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences excellence; we also played major roles ETH Zürich.

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Our targets were specific dietary beneficial for human health, These GM Camelina plants were components that have validated health reducing the risk of CVD and other also evaluated in the field on the benefits, notably reducing the risk coronary pathologies 2. Paradoxically, experimental farm at Rothamsted, DESIGNING of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and these discoveries for the development and shown to perform as non-GM associated precursor states, such of fibrous, high-viscosity wheat, plants8. These experiments confirmed as metabolic syndrome. led to industrial grants to develop the great potential of this new, low-viscosity wheat for distillers land-based source of fish oil as an SEEDS These pathologies have major and biofuel producers. alternative and more sustainable impacts on the provision of health care source of these important fatty acids. and, as such, represent a significant Given the recent increased levels burden on society. We therefore aimed of wheat intolerance and gluten In different studies in oilseed rape, to deliver improved crops that would sensitivity, there is a popular belief we showed that we could increase the SCIENCE offer attractive, widely available and that diets containing wheat are content of seed oil by blocking a key affordable foods to reduce the risks potentially negative. To address this enzyme (SDP1) in the turnover of oil 9 of chronic diseases. issue, and against the backdrop of during seed development . Subsequent the benefits of wheat soluble dietary work showed that reducing SDP1 and Our programme successfully combined Work within the programme was fibre, we published detailed reviews increasing a master-regulator of lipid fundamental and application-driven managed as two distinct projects, of the scientific evidence that metabolism (WRI1) could increase the wheat and oilseeds, each with specific confirmed the importance of wheat accumulation of seed oil even more, research. goals and challenges. In the case of in a balanced diet 3,4. and thus provide a new tool with wheat, we identified the key genes which to enhance the seed oil traits In the oilseeds area, our significant We aimed to understand and manipulate metabolic responsible for the synthesis of developed in this programme 10. achievement was the generation of pathways to deliver nutritionally enhanced seeds, arabinoxylan (AX), the predominant GM Camelina plants. These plants We also demonstrated that a critical exploiting the expertise in seed science at Rothamsted. dietary fibre in wheat food, and 1 contained health-beneficial omega-3 step in fatty acid breakdown, import We focused on both wheat and oilseeds, including functionally characterised them . fish oils, such as eicosapentaenoic acid into the peroxisome, was by a Camelina sativa. Importantly, we showed how these (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), previously uncharacterised biochemical genes control AX amount and chain in their seed oil 5. The oil was shown to route; this work provided new insights length, which determine extract be functionally equivalent to fish oils, into how the accumulation of plant 11 viscosity in wheat grain. This soluble biochemically and in terms of animal oils could be further improved . 6,7 Programme researchers dietary fibre has been proven to be nutrition, in both mammals and fish . Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24 12 Published papers

DsRed fluorescent protein 150 marker identifies genetically modified seeds, with Funding won omega-3 fish oils, among harvested seeds of Camelina; right, looking back to the future with “heritage” wheat cultivars from 1838 to 2012 9.1m on Rothamsted farm

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Transverse section of a wheat grain towards the end of the grain filling period, stained to show DESIGNING SEEDS th‎e distribution of protein (dark spots) IMPACT Our programme published around 150 peer-reviewed papers, significantly contributing to the knowledge JOHNATHAN NAPIER and understanding of nutritional enhancement in “We generated plants and of how such scientific advances can novel crops with serve the real world. Also, we have matched our enhanced nutritional initial investment with external, competitively- components” won funding; and we continue to advance our leading-edge research.

Cereals could be an even greater source In contrast to its role in human health, This important achievement was Our GM Camelina story has been of fibre in the human diet, important wheat fibre hampers processing for further validated by GM field trials at extensively covered in the media. in reducing risk of cardiovascular and distillers and biofuel producers because Rothamsted, which confirmed that metabolic diseases, notably Type 2 of its impact on viscosity. Parallel this new oil was stably accumulated In 2014, the story was highlighted diabetes, and of colorectal cancer. We studies are therefore underway to under real-world conditions. as an exemplar of a modern-day are therefore exploiting natural genetic develop low fibre types of wheat for challenge for a new Longitude Prize, Given the economic importance of variation to increase the fibre content these sectors; we are working with launched by BBC Horizon; the work omega-3 fish oils, with annual sales of of wheat, focusing on white flour that, breeders and with the Scotch Whisky has also encouraged significant £4–6 billion, sourcing the commodity in the UK, accounts for about 80% of Research Institute. Public Engagement. from agriculture rather than from the wheat consumption. Our work on improving the oceans is a breakthrough. Equally, Research in other oilseed species This work includes collaboration composition of oilseeds made demonstrating that our novel GM- has demonstrated the exciting with major UK breeders, who are significant progress, most notably derived oils can act as a drop-in possibility of producing oil in incorporating selection for fibre content with proof-of-concept studies in replacement for fish oils in salmon vegetative tissue and the ability to in their breeding programmes, and with Camelina in which we enhanced the feeding studies provides further tailor seed oil profiles genetically, food manufacturers, who are exploring seed oil profile by the transgenic evidence of the potential impact of such as they can be used for different the impact on the functional properties. accumulation of omega-3 fish oils. this work on the fish farming sector. applications, from food to feedstock.

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Under the sub-programme Maximising We showed that sequestration rates Programme Carbon Harvest, we exploited existing decline with duration from 1.6 to 0.5 researchers mapping populations and diversity tonnes of carbon per hectare per year, CROPPING collections to apply new metabolic and that SOC retention rates reduce screens, developed for willow, to twofold to threefold over 14 to 18 large-scale field experiments over years5,6. An on-farm survey revealed 1 7 14 a three-year cycle . New data on high spatial variability of inputs . CARBON phenolic glycoside structures, and We also identified grasslands as a their biogenesis, revealed insights major carbon sink8,9. into pathway switching and diverse Published papers Under the sub-programme Integrating natural product formation2. Carbon Systems, we improved gene SCIENCE Among the extensive metabolomic discovery pipelines, which facilitated diversity that was revealed, we future work on life cycle and 75 isolated novel and unexpected phenology. Earlham Institute (TGAC) salicinoids with bioactivity against provided increasingly high quality Our aim was to tackle climate change drug resistant cancer cell lines, assemblies of the willow genome Funding won by optimising the conversion of carbon which led us to seek IP protection. that supported analysis of RNAseq Via generation and metabolomic data. We resequenced another dioxide (CO2), which is captured by plants, screening of poplar RNAi lines, we 32 lines of willow. We developed into useful renewable products, and by identified a P450 gene involved in genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to salicinoid biogenesis. We also isolated create a high-density linkage map 6m improving carbon sequestration into soils. the willow PAL and CNL genes and for the reference sequence genome characterised them using Arabidopsis and to provide new markers in the We focused on investigating how plants’ partitioning transgenic lines3. association mapping population. of carbon differs between perennial crops grown for Two further Rothamsted-bred willow biomass or pasture, how it changes during development Under the sub-programme Increasing varieties, Roth Hambleton and Roth and how it is influenced by genetic and environmental Carbon Retention, we identified Mourne, were awarded Plant variation. soil inputs from different perennial bioenergy crops and forage grasses, Breeders’ Rights for the EU. We also Collaborations In parallel, we investigated carbon in the soil to and found that greater soil organic developed a robust protocol for understand how plants influence soil inputs, how these carbon (SOC) and root biomass willow micropropagation for export inputs turn over and how these soil processes are accumulated under forage grasses of disease-free certified Rothamsted- affected by environment. Results were integrated to than with willow or Miscanthus. SOC bred willows to North America. 20 develop a framework of carbon flows for optimising increased in re-sown plots compared Using a process-based model, we land management and production of renewables. with permanent pasture but only in quantified the effects of different Our programme provided evidence to support the a mixed ryegrass/white clover sward. growth strategies of willow and Biomarker data suggest the increased premise that CO2 capture into biomass and carbon identified key traits important to SOC is root derived 4. 10 15 sequestration in soils are effective ways of delivering accelerate the breeding process . We land-based solutions for greenhouse gas (GHG) also demonstrated that energy crops We used C-13 isotope analysis mitigation. can contribute to the bioeconomy to assess soil carbon stocks and pathways, while delivering multiple compositional changes under environmental benefits on arable two long-term Miscanthus trials, Leaves of Salix spp. from the National Willow Collection whose and marginal land11,12,13,14. 1500 accessions represent more than 100 species (of around comparing non-tuft (M. x giganteus) 450 species worldwide) and its tuft parent (M. sinensis). Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24

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We relayed scientific findings to , Renewables East and the Livestock Derived Organic CROPPING CARBON Matter Group; we also informed government through contributions to reports and participation in workshops and consultations led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Westminster Forum, the European Commission, the European ANGELA KARP Chamber of Commerce and the IMPACT World Bank. “We identified We hosted visiting workers, and anti-cancer activity Our programme has contributed to the provision trained PhD students as well as of a low-carbon future for the benefit of society Bursary and Summer Placements. and how soils can We gave TV and radio interviews, store more carbon” by developing the science to improve carbon and “Teatime Tales of Willow” was sequestration in soils and by producing alternatives just one of the many events that we to fossil-fuel products in sustainable ways. held to engage with the public.

Our results provided improved producers of energy crops and scientific understanding of soil carbon renewable energy grower associations. dynamics of grassland and perennial Based on the recommendations of an biomass cropping systems; they independent market review, we forged highlighted the potential to enhance new partnerships in the development carbon stocks in soils through perennial of fossil-fuel alternatives that go cropping, including deep-rooting beyond fuel. We began to patent the grasses. Direct beneficiaries include exciting discovery of willow salicinoids industry (bioenergy, biofuel and that are active against drug-resistant chemical enterprises); farmers; cancer cell lines, and we will pursue Agro-industry work Policy engagements energy, environmental and agricultural development through collaboration advisory agencies; government; with pharmaceutical companies. NGOs; and the public. We published results in international 20 14 The Rothamsted willow breeding journals and communicated them activity provides an immediate to farmers and industry through our pipeline for delivery to market. presence at agricultural shows, by Commercial outputs Public & media events Commercialisation of our newly giving talks at industry-led events and registered willow varieties is through by articles in trade publications, such as existing links with commercial and Chemistry World. 7 19

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Programme researchers LONG-TERM recovery after removal of that stress. Programme researchers In addition, the updating of germplasm EXPERIMENTS on the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment, NATIONAL 2.5 started in 1843, has steadily increased 10 We manage and maintain the yields over time, to its highest ever Published papers unique Rothamsted Long-Term Published papers Experiments (LTEs), associated yield of 13 tonnes per hectare in 2014. Sample Archive and electronic While it is not possible to put an CAPABILITIES 40 Rothamsted Archive (e-RA), to benefit 88 exact figure on the value of our Funding won the UK bioscience community and National Capability, the LTEs have Funding won international research in the field contributed over many years to 3.2m of food security and agroecology. improving the efficiency of the use of 2.5m https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/ nutrients in soils, thereby decreasing Collaborations Collaborations long-term-experiments the contribution of agriculture to diffuse pollution (nitrate and Researchers throughout the world use phosphate) in England and Wales. 32 15 the LTEs, with 10 –20 papers published 350 150 Agro-industry events annually. In 2016, new results from Reducing losses of nitrate and Agro-industry events the Park Grass Experiment, coinciding phosphate to waters by only 1% of with its 160th anniversary, provided the total cost of fertilisers is worth 108 the first evidence of the impact of £2.38M per year; similarly, a 1% saving 15 Visitors anthropogenic stress on biodiversity on nitrogen purchased as fertiliser Visitors >1000 in an agricultural system followed by is worth about £6M per year. >1000 Users Users 149 500

ROTHAMSTED information that includes spring Other highlights include a new pop- forecasts of aphid phenology and up portable 6-metre suction trap to INSECT SURVEY abundance, weekly bulletins and web understand pest threats in challenging We operate two trap networks across updates on population levels of key environments; examinations of climate the UK, providing the world’s most pest species throughout the season sensitivity used our long-term data extensive long-term standardised time (25k web visits per year). both on aphids and moths1 and on series on terrestrial invertebrates. http://resources.rothamsted.ac.uk/ the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris 2; Since 1964, the networks have worked insect-survey machine learning algorithms were in parallel to inform stakeholders of tested for pest forecasting; and three Two new publications began in 2016: changes in the populations of pest PhD students are mining our historical RIS Remarks is a weekly summary of the Opposite: One of the RIS and beneficial insects. samples for new data on pollen migration of non-aphid pest threats; insect traps at Rothamsted; beetles, moths and aphid predators. right, LTE’s Park Grass, We provide growers, crop consultants Light Trap of the Month engages with which celebrated its 160th and levy boards with unique our moth-mapping volunteers. Superscripts refer to published papers, see p24 anniversary in 2016.

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NORTH WYKE emissions and animal housing facilities. Intensification Platform (SIP) project, PATHOGEN-HOST scientists studying pathogenic by the Ensembl genome annotation Core data is freely available online funded by the Department for species by providing easy access system and to ELIXIR. More than FARM PLATFORM from the platform’s data portal. Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. INTERACTIONS to molecular research findings 270 research articles from researchers North Wyke is also a LEAF (Linking DATABASE on plant and animal diseases. in the UK and worldwide cite We run a unique research operation http://resources.rothamsted.ac.uk/ PHI-base use. Environment and Farming) Innovation Biocurators read and extract the to develop solutions for resilient farmplatform The multi-species resource, PHI- Centre to promote an integrated phenotypes reported on molecular grassland farming and associated base, links genotype and mutant PHI-base has a major impact in approach to farm management. genetic analysis using controlled food chains. Established in 2010, the Two of Rothamsted’s new five-year gene information with disease three agricultural industries: in vocabularies. This data set facilitates operation consists of three 21-ha strategic programmes to 2022, Soils Furthermore, international recognition phenotypes reported in peer-reviewed chemicals, it helps to identify novel discoveries for around farmlets for studying processes under to Nutrition (S2N) and Achieving continues via the Global Farm Platform research articles. PHI-base is now novel fungicide targets in pathogen 260 pathogenic fungal, protist three management scenarios. It Sustainable Agricultural Systems (towards sustainable ruminant an agri-data resource platform for genomes and to guide the and bacterial species. is equipped with state-of-the-art (ASSIST), rely heavily on core data from production) initiative. Jointly-run the UK’s participation in ELIXIR, an development of novel chemistries; facilities and sensor technologies. the platform; the programmes dovetail centres (Newton-funded, as part intergovernmental organisation for PHI-base currently includes 4775 in life sciences, it enables the with the platform for many of its of the UK’s official development managing life science data from Europe. pathogen genes, curated from more development of diagnostic assays for North Wyke’s recognition as the leading campaign-style experiments. assistance) have seen the installation than 2300 research articles. All the pathogen effector genes to support www.PHI-base.org research platform for sustainable of similar global capabilities in the US major plant and human pathogens plant breeders; and in biotechnology, grazing systems continues to grow North Wyke, in conjunction with the and China. Brexit uncertainty aside, PHI-base was developed to are included. PHI-base provides it supports the development of novel both nationally and internationally. Duchy College Dairy Future Farm, the farm platform’s place within the provide a knowledge database phenotype information into the gene cassettes that alter pathogen Investment from the Centre for continues to assess the impact of ANAEE (Analysis and Experimentation for agronomically and medically genome browsers of hundreds of in crop plants to Innovation Excellence in Livestock grassland management interventions on Ecosystems) project, part of the important pathogens; it empowers plant pathogen genomes provided protect them against diseases. (CIEL, see p33) helps us to develop on meat and milk quality. The European Strategy Forum on Research the national capability in landscape work comes under the Sustainable Infrastructures, is currently assured. Programme researchers Published papers Collaborations Suffolk x Mules graze at North Wyke 6.5 15 6 57 Funding won Agro-industry events Users 1.6m 3 5000

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungal plant pathogen, releases sexual spores from fruiting bodies that cause white mold disease on a wide range of economically important crops

Programme researchers Published papers Collaborations 12 29 42 52 Funding won Agro-industry events Users Visitors 26m 34 300+ 3225

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Numbers refer to superscripts in relevant texts DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS 7. Betancor et al, 2015, Sci Rep 5: 8104, A 6. Agostini et al, 2015, BioEnergy Res 8: 1057-1080, enemies drive geographic variation in plant Phosphate stable oxygen isotope variability nutritionally-enhanced oil from transgenic Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: defences; within a temperate agricultural soil; DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD 1. Lamb et al, 2016, Nature Climate Change 6: Camelina sativa effectively replaces fish oil Is the Jury Still Out?; • Pérez-Rodríguez et al, 2015, Ecological • Orr et al, 2016, Eur J Soil Sci 67: 374-385, The North 488–492, The potential for land sparing to offset as a source of eicosapentaenoic acid for fish; 1. Griffiths et al, 2016, Nature 540: 574–578, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture; 7. Richter et al, 2016, Biomass & Bioenergy 85: Entomology 40: 654–659, Large-scale migration Wyke Farm Platform: effect of temperate grassland Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling 8. Usher et al, 2017, Sci Rep 7: 6570, Tailoring seed 252-261, Assessing on-farm productivity of synchrony between parasitoids and their host. farming systems on soil moisture contents, runoff et al Nature increases yield and resilience; 2. Eisler , 2014, 507: 32-34, Agriculture: oil composition in the real world: optimising Miscanthus crops by combining soil mapping, and associated water quality dynamics; Steps to sustainable livestock; LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS 2. Storkey et al, 2015, Nature 528:401-404, omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid yield modelling and remote sensing; • Peukert et al, 2016, Eur J Soil Sci 67: 386-396, et al Nature Climate Change Grassland biodiversity bounces back from 3. Powlson , 2014, 4: accumulation in transgenic Camelina sativa; 8. Karhu et al, 2014, Nature 513: 81-84, • Bowley et al, 2017, Soil Use & Man 33: 252-262, Spatial variation in soil properties and diffuse long-term nitrogen addition; 678–683, Limited potential of no-till agriculture 9. Kelly et al, 2013, Plant Biotechnol J 11: 355- Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rates Historical trends in iodine and selenium in soil losses between and within grassland fields with for climate change mitigation; 3. Jones et al, 2017, PNAS 114: 2848–2853, 361, Suppression of the SUGAR-DEPENDENT1 enhanced by microbial community response; and herbage at the Park Grass Experiment, similar short-term management; et al Env Microbiol Rothamsted Research, UK; Selenium deficiency risk predicted to 4. Neal , 2017, 19: 2740- triacylglycerol lipase family during seed 9. Qi et al, 2017, Eur J Agron 89: 148-158, Modelling • Wu et al, 2016, Eur J Soil Sci 67: 397-408, increase under future climate change. 2053, Land-use influences phosphatase gene development enhances oil yield in oilseed rape productivity and resource use efficiency for • Johnston et al, 2017, Eur J Soil Sci 68: 305-316, Sustainable grassland systems: a modelling microdiversity in soils; (Brassica napus L); grassland ecosystems in the UK; Changes in soil organic matter over 70 years in perspective based on the North Wyke Farm 20:20 WHEAT 5. Mauchline et al, 2015, Env Microbiol 17: 4764- 10. Van Erp et al, 2014, Plant Phys 165: 30-36, continuous arable and ley–arable rotations on Platform; 10. Cerasuolo et al, 2016, J Exp Bot 67: 961-977, a sandy loam soil in England; 1. Driever et al, 2014, J Exp Bot 65: 4959-4973, 4778, An analysis of Pseudomonas genomic Multigene engineering of triacylglycerol Development of a sink–source interaction • Benefer et al, 2016, Front Ecol Evol 4: 41, Natural variation in photosynthetic capacity, diversity in take‐all infected wheat fields reveals metabolism boosts seed oil Content in model for the growth of short-rotation • Aldana-Jague et al, 2016, Geoderma 275: 55-66, The distribution of soil insects across three growth, and yield in 64 field-grown wheat the lasting impact of wheat cultivars on the Arabidopsis; coppice willow and in silico exploration of UAS-based soil carbon mapping using VIS-NIR spatial scales in agricultural grassland; genotypes; soil microbiota; (480–1000 nm) multi-spectral imaging: Potential 11. De Marcos Lousa et al, 2013, PNAS 110: 1279- genotype×environment effects; • Wei et al, 2016, Front Plant Sci 7: 1200, Impact Nature Biotech and limitations; 2. Lin et al, 2014, Nature 513: 547-550, 6. Hirsch & Mauchline, 2012, 1284, Intrinsic acyl-CoA thioesterase activity 11. Karp et al, 2015, Nature Plants 1: 15193, of Grassland Reseeding, Herbicide spraying and A faster Rubisco with potential to increase 30: 961-962, Who's who in the plant root of a peroxisomal ATP binding cassette transporter Growing innovations for the bioeconomy; • Guignard et al, 2016, New Phytol 210: 1195- Ploughing on Diversity and Abundance of Soil photosynthesis in crops; microbiome?; is required for transport and metabolism of 1206, Genome size and ploidy influence 12. Souza et al, 2017, Env Dev, 23: 57-64, The role Arthropods; 3. Buchner & Hawkesford, 2014, J Exp Bot 65: 5697- 7. Touchet et al, 2015, Chem Commun 51: 7550- fatty acids; angiosperm species’ biomass under nitrogen of bioenergy in a climate-changing world; and phosphorus limitation; • Shepherd et al, 2017, Hydro Res 48: 277-294, 5710, Complex phylogeny and gene expression 7553, Novel olfactory ligands via terpene • Luginbuehl et al, 2017, Science 356: 1175-1178, Historic record of pasture soil water and the patterns of members of the Nitrate Transporter synthases; Fatty acids in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are 13. Guo et al, 2016, Comp & Chem Eng 91: 392-406, • Köhler et al, 2016, Plant Physiol 170: 881-890, Implementing land-use and ecosystem service influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation in 1/Peptide Transporter family (NPF) in wheat; 8. Babikova et al, 2013, Ecology Letters 16: synthesized by the host plant; Last-century increases in intrinsic water-use southwest England; effects into an integrated bioenergy value chain efficiency of grassland communities have 4. Zhao et al, 2015, Plant Biol 17: 904-913, 835–843, Underground signals carried through • Eastmond et al, 2015, Nat Commun 6: 6659, optimisation framework; • Horrocks et al, 2015, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Overexpression of a NAC transcription factor common mycelial networks warn neighbouring Arabidopsis uses two gluconeogenic gateways occurred over a wide range of vegetation 14. Haughton et al, 2016, GCB Bioenergy 8: 1071- composition, nutrient inputs, and soil pH; Environment 199: 77-84, Comparing N2O fluxes delays leaf senescence and increases grain plants of aphid attack; for organic acids to fuel seedling establishment; from recently created extensive grasslands and nitrogen concentration in wheat; 1081, Dedicated biomass crops can enhance • Johnston et al, 2016, Soil Use & Man 32: 151- 9. Godfray et al, 2014, Proc. Roy. Soc B 281: • Read et al, 2013, Nature 499: 209-213, Pan biodiversity in the arable landscape. sites remaining under intensive agricultural 5. Rudd et al, 2015, Plant Physiol 167: 1158- 20140558, A restatement of the natural science genome of the phytoplankton Emiliania 161, Determining the longer term decline in management. 1185, Transcriptome and Metabolite Profiling evidence base concerning neonicotinoid underpins its global distribution; plant-available soil phosphorus from short-term of the Infection Cycle of Zymoseptoria tritici insecticides and insect pollinators. NATIONAL CAPABILITIES measured values; • Freeman et al, 2017, Plant Biotechnol J doi: PHI-BASE on Wheat Reveals a Biphasic Interaction with 10.1111/pbi.12727, Feruloylation and structure ROTHAMSTED INSECT SURVEY • Storkey et al, 2016, Adv Ecol Res 55: 3-42, Plant Immunity Involving Differential Pathogen of arabinoxylan in wheat endosperm cell walls 1. Thackeray et al, 2016, Nature 535: 241-5, The unique contribution of Rothamsted to • Lysenko et al, 2013, PLoS One 8: e67926, Network- Chromosomal Contributions and a Variation on DESIGNING SEEDS from RNAi lines with suppression of genes Phenological sensitivity to climate across taxa ecological research at large temporal scales; based data integration for selecting candidate the Hemibiotrophic Lifestyle Definition; 1. Lovegrove et al, 2013, Plant Phys 163: 95-107, responsible for backbone synthesis and trophic levels; virulence associated proteins in the cereal • Stroud et al, 2016, App Soil Ecol 108: 72-75, infecting fungus Fusarium graminearum; 6. Coelho Filho et al, 2013, Plant Soil 371: 81-94, RNA interference suppression of genes in and decoration. 2. Lester et al, 2016, J Anim Ecol 86: 337-347, Population collapse of Lumbricus terrestris in The involvement of gibberellin signalling in the glycosyl transferase families 43 and 47 in wheat The long-term population dynamics of common conventional arable cultivations and response • Urban et al, 2015, Front Plant Sci 6: 605, Using effect of soil resistance to root penetration on starchy endosperm causes large decreases in CROPPING CARBON wasps in their native and invaded range; to straw applications; the pathogen-host interactions database (PHI- leaf elongation and tiller number in wheat; arabinoxylan content; 1. Corol et al, 2014, Metabolites 4: 946-976, base) to investigate plant pathogen genomes • Bell et al, 2015, J Anim Ecol 84: 21-34, Long-term • Hawkins et al, 2014, Molec Biol & Evol 31: and genes implicated in virulence; 7. Jin et al, 2015, Plant Soil 392: 323-332, The 2. Freeman et al, 2016, Plant Biotechnol J 14: An efficient high throughput metabotyping phenological trends, species accumulation rates, 1793-1802, Paralog re-emergence: a novel, effect of impedance to root growth on plant 109-116, Effect of suppression of arabinoxylan platform for screening of biomass willows; aphid traits and climate: five decades of change historically contingent mechanism in the • Urban et al, 2015, Nucleic Acids Res 43: D645- architecture in wheat; synthetic genes in wheat endosperm on chain 2. Wu et al, 2016, Nat Prod Res 30: 1731-1739, in migrating aphids; evolution of antimicrobial resistance; 655, The Pathogen-Host Interactions database length of arabinoxylan and extract viscosity; (PHI-base): additions and future developments; 8. Asseng et al, 2015, Nature Climate Change 5: Acutifoliside, a novel benzoic acid glycoside • Fox et al, 2013, Butterfly Conservation & • Owens, 2013, Nature 495: 300-303, Long-term 143-147, Rising temperatures reduce global 3. Shewry & Hey, 2015, Food Energy Secur 4: from Salix acutifolia; Rothamsted Research, The State of Britain’s research: Slow science. • Pedro et al, 2016, Nucleic Acids Res 44: D688- wheat production; 178-202, The contribution of wheat to human 3. De Jong et al, 2015, Phytochem 117: 90-97, Larger Moths 2013; 693, PhytoPath: an integrative resource for plant diet and health; NORTH WYKE FARM PLATFORM pathogen genomics; 9. Trnka et al, 2014, Nature Climate Change 4: Characterisation of the willow phenylalanine • Martay et al, 2016, Ecography doi: 10.1111/ 637–643, Adverse weather conditions for 4. Shewry et al, 2016, Nature Plants 2: 16097, ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene family reveals ecog.02411, Impacts of climate change on • Li et al, 2017, Sci Total Env 603-604: 27-37, • Rodriguez-Iglesias et al, 2016, Front Plant Sci European wheat production will become more Is modern wheat bad for health?; expression differences compared with poplar; national biodiversity population trends; Assessment of soil water, carbon and nitrogen 7: 641, Publishing FAIR Data: an exemplar frequent with climate change; 5. Ruiz-Lopez et al, 2014, Plant J 77: 198-208, 4. Gregory et al, 2016, Eur J Soil Sci 67: 421-430, cycling in reseeded grassland on the North Wyke methodology utilizing PHI-base; • Martay et al, 2016, Ecological Indicators 68: 126- Farm Platform using a process-based model; 10. Virlet et al, 2017, Functional Plant Biology 44: Successful high-level accumulation of fish oil Long-term management changes topsoil and 133, An indicator highlights seasonal variation in the • Brown et al, 2016, FEMS Microbiol Rev 40: 19-40, 143-153, Field Scanalyzer: An automated robotic omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids subsoil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics response of Lepidoptera communities to warming; • Eludoyin et al, 2017, Hydro Sci J 62: 1243-1254, The trans-kingdom identification of negative field phenotyping platform for detailed crop in a transgenic oilseed crop; in a temperate agricultural system; An evaluation of the hysteresis in chemical regulators of pathogen hypervirulence; • Sheppard et al, 2016, Nature Climate Change 6: monitoring; 6. Tejera et al, 2016, J Nutrition 146: 227-235, 5. Richter et al, 2015, Agr Ecosyst Env 200: 169-177, concentration–discharge (C–Q) relationships • Urban et al, 2017, Nucleic Acids Res 45: D604- 610-613, Changes in large-scale climate from drained, intensively managed grasslands 11. Sadeghi-Tehran et al, 2017, Front Plant Sci 8: 252, A transgenic Camelina sativa seed oil effectively Sequestration of C in soils under Miscanthus can alter spatial synchrony of aphid pests; 610, PHI-base: a new interface and further Automated Method to Determine Two Critical replaces fish oil as a dietary source of be marginal and is affected by genotype-specific in southwest England; additions for the multi-species pathogen-host Growth Stages of Wheat: Heading and Flowering. eicosapentaenoic acid in mice; root distribution; • Züst et al, 2012, Science 338: 116-9, Natural • Granger et al, 2017, Geoderma 285: 64-75, interactions database.

2016 2012—2017

Published papers Average Impact Factor Papers with Impact Factor >9 Published papers Av citations/paper Rothamsted Research H-index 338 3.71 20 1,460 13.3 58

24 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 25 OUR PEOPLE

Claudia Harflett Rachel Matthews Jason Rudd Carly Whittaker Mohammed Islam OPERATIONAL Asmaa Shariff Guilherme Rossato Paul Harris Tim Mauchline Gianluca Ruvo Mark Wilkinson Andrea James SUPPORT Katie Simmons Augusti Sandra Harvey Steve McGrath Kasra Sabermanesh Martin Williamson Helen Jenkins Muralitharan Suppiah Heather Ruscoe Steven Harvey Kirsty McInnes Pouria Sadeghi-Tehran Wendy Wilmer Kaeli Johnson Kirsty Abbott Jing Zhang George Savill Richard Haslam Vanessa McMillan Karen Saunders David Withall Eleanor Kay Olumuyiwa Ajireloja Christopher Shortall TALENT AND Kirsty Hassall Christopher McQuaid Olga Sayanova Abigail Wood Kay Keen Alan Anderson Susana Silvestre Keywan Hassani-Pak Andrew Mead Theresia Schaedler Christine Woodcock Stephen Laidler Andrea Arvai APPRENTICES Amma Simon Alison Haughton Guillaume Menard Stefanie Schlaeger Lianhai Wu Kerry Lapworth John Booth Heather Angus Cassie Sims Malcolm Hawkesford Louise Michaelson Susanne Schreiter Thomas Yaxley Denise Legg Javier Capmartin Alice Bellisai Patrycja Sokolowska Nichola Hawkins Adam Michalski Tony Scott Hongtao Zhang Anne Leverton Paul Compton Matthew Berridge Marijke Struijk Jane Hawkins Alice Milne Mikhail Semenov Xiaoxian Zhang Mingyu Lim Robert Copley David Steele Kamrun Suravi Denise Headon Melissa Minter Ryan Sharp Yusheng Zhang Coralie Little Daniel Cornwall Hannah Walpole Olivia Tasker DIVERSITY Craig Davey Peter Hedden Thomas Misselbrook Anita Shepherd Fangjie Zhao Damon Lowes Amy Thomas Tony Dimmock Joseph Helps Rowan Mitchell Peter Shewry Jing-Jiang Zhou Harriet Lowor PhD STUDENTS Gareth Thomas More than 500 people were working across our Javier Hernandez Valerie Mitchell Ian Shield Xiaoyun Zhou Khalid Mahmood Ben Edwards Chris Till Sigrid Heuer Ramiro Morales-Hojas Christopher Shortall Bharat Makwana Trevor Edwards John Addy Catherine Walker Penny Hirsch Shibu Muhammed Ajit Singh Ian Mattinson John Elliott Laura Baggaley Aakriti Wanchoo-Kohli sites on 1 January 2017, representing over BUSINESS Benjamin Flannery Katherine Beadle Christopher Hodgson Olaya Munoz-Azcarate Hadewij Sint SUPPORT Wendy Meade Martin Worsley Rafael Homem Philip Murray Ruth Skilton Margaret Mills Allen Flay Daniel Blumgart Alan Fox 35 nationalities and collaborations with over Antony Hooper Johnathan Napier Gancho Slavov Mark Adams Nayna Mistry Lea Carlessso ROTHAMSTED Claire Horrocks Andrew Neal Lesley Smart Christopher Andrews Sally Murdoch Rudiger Gerlach Sandrine Chaillout Geoffrey Goodman EXECUTIVE 50 countries, making us one of the most diverse David Hughes Vladimir Nekrasov Richard Smith Guzenfar Asghar Lisa-Jane Neil Harry Child TEAM Richard Hull Vanessa Nessner Caroline Sparks Laurence Benjamin Carol Newman Robert Greener Achilleas Christou international research organisations in the world. Lucy Hunt Kavamura Noguchi Melloney St. Leger Samuel Benson Erin OʼRourke Philip Griffiths Andrew Cooke Achim Dobermann John Hunt Paul Neve Jonathan Storkey Adam Birch Henry Osim Fiona Hale Duncan Coston Angela Karp Alison Huttly Lieselot Nguyen Jacqueline Stroud Sheila Bishop Julie Pain Jillian Handley Stelian Curceac Donna Lipsky Lucy Hyde Alessandro Occhialini Jennifer Swain Susan Breese Louise Plumer Donald Harkness Matthew Dale Neil Brown Tegan Darch Lucy Gannon SCIENCE Elizabeth Isger Linda Oliphant Anna Szyniszewska William Brown Karen Richards Andrew Henderson Shaoli Das Gupta Toby Bruce Thomas Davies Mark Gardner LAT BOARD Maider Abadie Christopher Jones Robert Orr Taro Takahashi Assunta Bucci Stephen Rider Adrian Hobbs Thomas David Peter Buchner Claudia De Jesus Martin Gardner Graham Birch (Chair) Elsy Akkari Adrian Joynes Richard Ostler Ahmed Tawfike George Carberry Caroline Ridgewell Gerald Kelly Darja Dobermann Enrique Cancer-Berroya Femke De Jong Yaoxiang Ge Tina Barsby 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Science (% Female) Science (% Male) Business (% Female) Business (% Male) Operations (% Female) Operations (% Male) Students (% Female) Students (% Male) 46 54 59 41 30 70 50 50

26 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 2527 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 2016—2017

AGRONOMY CHALLENGE Best crop: 19 teams from our science and service sections ACTIVITIES juggled with wheat variety, seed rate, sowing date, fertilisers, fungicides and plant growth regulation to make unfamiliar farming decisions for field plots where they will reap what FOR ALL they have sown. Results are eagerly awaited.

INTERNAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS RELATED At home: More than 550 people attended five Together: In the wake of the Brexit vote in June 2016, we public events at Rothamsted, endorsed the Royal Society’s statement on the importance of NOBEL DIALOGUE WEEK with topics ranging from DIGITAL EVENTS international research. This initiative led to #ScienceIsGlobal Noble talking: Six of our PhD students went off to insect flight and sustainable on social media and had reached 10 million people across Stockholm in December to attend Nobel Week Dialogue agriculture, healthy crops Online: We entered the world of the world within a week of its launch, by 1 August. where Nobel Laureates, other experts and policymakers and healthy food, to digital events in 2016. Using the met to discuss “Your Plate. Our Planet: The Future of Food”. celebrations of willow and online platform, Reddit, Rothamsted The sextet recorded an entertaining road trip on social of 160 years of the Park Grass experiment, with positive results: “Always scientists led three global discussions: media, found the event “fantastic”, says Megan Rafter, and interesting to hear staff talking about their work”; “It brought the experiment on targeting crop pathogens; on the SCHOOL EVENTS were then surprised with tickets to the post Nobel Award of high-flying insect pests; and, to life”; “Informative, interesting”; “I'm delighted to have made contact with Schools: Eight outreach Ceremony party where they mingled with the Laureates. with Claire Horrocks, on healthy soils. helpful scientists”, among many verbatim quotes. activities brought many schoolchildren to Rothamsted SOAPBOX VIDEO DIARIES AND BLOGS during the year. We ran popular tours of SCIENCE Life story: We recorded video diaries Bioimaging, hosted a Soapbox: Laura Crook of that showcased the work of four PhD delegation of young the weed ecology group students, including Lucy Hyde, and Chilean innovators, spoke from her soapbox posted them on our YouTube channel: and challenged Year 7 for an hour to shoppers in students (11-12 year https://www.youtube.com/user/ Milton Keynes. She talked olds) to create posters RothamstedResearch/videos. about blackgrass and and make presentations during a “Fascination of Plants herbicide resistance, and We also recorded a series of seven Day”. We also ran a photo-story competition, “Illuminating her role in understanding blogs for the website entitled “A day Life: Personal Encounters”; in the 11-14 years age group, we both (and “enjoyed the in the life of a research scientist”, in awarded first prize to Zoe Birch of St George’s School whole experience”, she says). Laura was one of 12 speakers, which young researchers discussed in . Zoe’s image, “A Welcome Break”, depicts organised as part of Soapbox Science, a platform for their work and motivations. an agricultural landscape in the Lake District. promoting women and the science they do.

28 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 29 INTERNATIONAL 2016—2017 Main image: Longsheng rice terrace, iStock.com/shunjian123; below left, irrigated wheat, Joseani Antunes/ Embrapa; middle, farm soil, Rothamsted; right, Philippines PARTNERSHIPS workshop group, IRRI WITH IMPACT

Our international partnerships are based on complementary scientific excellence, strategic relevance and potential.

We collaborate in many countries but (FAPESP) and to the headquarters of COLOMBIA, KENYA, MEXICO, PHILIPPINES focus our institutional efforts in those the Brazilian Agricultural Research regions having the greatest potential Corporation (Embrapa) in Brasilia to We undertook several networking, and at the International Rice Research for co-developing and delivering discuss current and future collaborations. exchange and research activities Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. We excellent science with impact. Two new projects with Embrapa under a Global Challenges Research focused on strengthening collaboration partners also began. Fund – Impact Acceleration Award in the areas of molecular plant Our efforts in China concentrated (GCRF-IAA). science, sustainable intensification, on our first call for seed funding through In Europe, we focused on applications plant and livestock nutrition, and Our main activities were three the joint UK-China Centre for Sustainable to Horizon 2020, the EU’s research wheat and cropping systems. We also strategic workshops. These events Intensification of Agriculture with and innovation programme, and on supported five R&D projects and nine were co-hosted by partners at our partners at the Chinese Academy working with the European Technology “small-group” exchanges through our the International Maize & Wheat of Agricultural Sciences, the China Platform, Plants for the Future. We also GCRF-IAA. Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Agricultural University, the Nanjing welcomed new Marie Curie Fellows Mexico, at the Biosciences eastern and These activities involved nearly 100 Agricultural University, the North to Rothamsted. central Africa – International Livestock staff and more than 165 overseas West Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) in Kenya, researchers, advisors and industrialists. University and at the Chinese Rothamsted International continued Academy of Sciences. to support researchers from developing BRAZIL BRAZIL, CHINA, INDIA countries through Fellowships to train Activities in Brazil involved visits to at Rothamsted. This year’s fellows came We lead two BBSRC/Embrapa/ We lead two BBSRC/Newton-funded the São Paulo Research Foundation from Kenya, India and Pakistan. Newton-funded projects: the role centres that deliver training, capacity of the rhizosphere microbiome for building and research for the sustainable sustainable wheat production with use of agricultural nitrogen; the UK-China Embrapa-Environment, and the control Centre for Improved Nitrogen Agronomy of Fusarium Head Blight disease (CINAg) and the Indo-UK Centre for the with Embrapa-Wheat. improvement of Nitrogen use Efficiency in Wheat (INEW). We are also a partner in a Brazilian-UK nitrogen centre known as NUCLEUS.

30 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 31 AfSIS 2016—2017

The service aims to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers and to promote policy changes AFRICA SOIL towards more sustainable agricultural production in Africa. Soil health is our focus. We monitor it using innovative dry spectroscopic INFORMATION analyses and associated geospatial information. The results identify areas at risk of soil degradation and lead to appropriate preventive and Gifty Acquah is a dry spectral Cathy Thomas is a GeoPhenomics SERVICE rehabilitative interventions. specialist. She is developing methods expert. She is studying how nutrients This year, we set up a new dry and calibrations for analysing a range transfer from soils to crops or pastures. spectroscopy laboratory at Rothamsted of materials including soil, plant, Her results could enable us to develop Rothamsted has led AfSIS, funded by to analyse samples more quickly and fertilisers, pasture samples, manure, new ways of using soil measurements cheaply than conventional wet chemical organic sludges and dung samples. to improve fertiliser recommendations. the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, methods, and hired two new postdocs, since December 2016. Cathy Thomas and Gifty Acquah, to run it. Dry spectroscopy Cathy’s focus is GeoPhenomics, how the can map soil fertility parameters across soil affects the performance of a plant large areas. Shown phenotype; Gifty will develop ways of are spatial patterns analysing the many different types of of predicted total nitrogen (in permilles), material that come into the laboratory. for topsoil for Kenya. White pixels indicate Our new instruments can perform excluded areas mid-infrared (MIR) diffuse reflectance (water bodies and deserts). Each soil spectroscopy to measure nutrient property is modelled availability, pH, organic carbon and independently and mineralogy; laser diffraction particle can thus show quite different spatial size analysis to gauge soil texture patterns and micro-aggregate stability; X-ray diffraction spectroscopy to determine soil mineralogy; and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy to assess a sample’s content of elements. Rothamsted also serves as a reference laboratory for AfSIS by using wet chemistry as well as dry techniques to analyse samples; this cannot be done easily in Africa but is essential Source: Hengl et al, 2015, PLoS ONE 10(6): e0125814, Mapping soil Diverse crop samples for calibrating the dry spectroscopy loaded in a 96-well properties of Africa at 250m resolution: random forests significantly plate for high throughput labs that are in operation in several improve current predictions MIR analyses countries across the continent.

32 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 33 AGRI-TECH CENTRES 2016—2017

AGRIMETRICS CENTRE FOR INNOVATION THE CROP HEALTH AND EXCELLENCE IN LIVESTOCK PROTECTION CENTRE EXCELLENCE Agrimetrics is UK agriculture’s centre The Centre for Innovation Excellence The Crop Health and Protection of excellence for big data. It was in Livestock (CIEL), another Centre for Centre (CHAP) is a partnership of launched in October 2015 as the first Agricultural Innovation, runs across research institutions and commercial Centre for Agricultural Innovation. 12 research sites. Its focus is to develop organisations that focus on current & CREATIVITY Headquartered at Rothamsted, the industry-led, commercially sustainable and impending issues of crop centre serves the agri-food industry, innovations for the livestock sector. protection. It is sited at Rothamsted. from farm to consumer, connecting At Rothamsted, CIEL has invested in our The centre promotes effective research the sector through data. Rothamsted is founding partner of North Wyke Farm Platform, improving that will allow farmers and growers Agrimetrics has two primary ambitions: our ability to measure greenhouse gases to adopt new, more efficient and three of the four new Centres for to become a valued independent broker using eddy covariance (for carbon dioxide sustainable approaches. As a founding Agricultural Innovation. by facilitating data sharing; and to be the and methane) and an Aerodyne monitor partner of this Centre for Agricultural most reliable and innovative evidence (for nitrogen dioxide) at the landscape Innovation, Rothamsted has set up base for the sector, enabling it to become scale for each of three farmlets. two research capabilities. more resilient and profitable, and to achieve sustainable intensification. These techniques have two advantages: The first is a “Fine Phenotyping Unit”. they provide continuous measurements This unit uses cutting-edge imaging The centre has made significant progress of gas concentrations and fluxes, and technology to assess plant responses over the past year in what was, in effect, also capture short term bursts that might to biotic threats (pathogens, pests and its first year of activity. Staffing has otherwise be missed; and they cover weeds) and develops behavioural/ increased from three to 16, and they small-scale heterogeneity in the soil. mortality assays to assess insect are located on every site of the sensitivity to pesticides. centre’s four founders: Rothamsted, CIEL investment on the farm platform the University of Reading, NIAB and has also improved the measuring of The second is a “Molecular Diagnostics Scotland’s Rural College. It has forged ammonia at low levels from the water Facility”. This facility identifies new links to the other three agri-tech centres; flumes, and improved soil moisture mutations that underpin pesticide made substantial progress in developing measurements and precipitation resistance and creates DNA-based its data platform; completed industry instrumentation. Further investment is diagnostics for medium throughput projects; and obtained further funding planned in the development of a state-of- assays that can be further developed from Innovate UK. the-art small ruminant research facility. for field monitoring.

These agri-tech centres started to operate over the past year as part of the government’s Agri-Tech Industrial CHRIS RAWLINGS MICHAEL LEE LIN FIELD Strategy, announced in 2013. They aim to translate agricultural innovation into commercial opportunities, “Better integrated “We nurture “CHAP will allow to stimulate inward investment and to revolutionise farming practices. The centres cover big data, livestock, and accessible data sustainable and us to deliver our crop protection and technology, and Rothamsted helped are essential for commercially viable science to many to establish the first three. innovation” livestock production” more stakeholders” Left:Molecular biologist Kirsty McInnes prepares insect DNA for genetic analysis on the NanoDrop spectrophotometer, in the Crop Health and Protection Centre at Rothamsted

34 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 35 RoSy ALLIANCE 2016—2017 Magdalena Sadyś and Jon West set up samplers to study pollen dispersal for optimising production of hybrid vigour seed in cereal crops

During 2016, we reached the For hybrid cereals, we studied the Through a cluster of projects on halfway stage of the Rothamsted- dispersal of pollen to develop a tool Fusarium and Septoria fungal Syngenta (RoSy) alliance, a partnership for more efficient seed production in pathogens, we developed a new SHARING that aims to translate our excellence hybrid barley. Syngenta adopted this virus-based protein expression system in wheat science into new insights and project’s results and began to develop for cereals and began to use this approaches that the company can commercial varieties. system to identify disease-resistant use to develop better products and wheat genotypes. We also began Using a variety of winter wheat, we services for farmers. to assess the role of small-RNA in developed and introgressed a series KNOWHOW wheat-fungal interactions. The alliance had evolved in 2013 of novel semi-dwarfing alleles, both from existing relationships, and the semi-dominant and recessive, and “The alliance has enhanced knowledge ten complementary, multi-disciplinary began to assess the impact of these exchange between our scientists projects that ensued have begun alleles on crop height and other and the Syngenta researchers,” says TO LIFT to yield impressive results. canopy and flowering traits. Malcolm Hawkesford, who leads wheat Rothamsted scientists In crop efficiency, we analysed Under crop health and protection, research at Rothamsted. “This has wheat germplasm in the field for we validated a unique source of helped to facilitate the delivery of the OUTPUT the photosynthetic traits that tolerance to Take-all, a root pathogen; results and put them into practice.” contribute to biomass and grain the source was hidden in the Syngenta “Our experience has shown that 37 yield, and determined associations wheat germplasm. outputs can be substantially enhanced to genetic markers to exploit Using modelling supported by field by having strategic alliances,” adds Sometimes, simply sharing knowledge these characteristics. experimentation, we demonstrated Achim Dobermann, Rothamsted’s is not enough to deliver impact in Syngenta researchers We demonstrated that there is that it is more sustainable to integrate Director and Chief Executive. “We agriculture. We need to engage and work useful diversity in the field-rooting and balance chemical and genetic crop look forward to seeing the results, behaviour of UK wheat lines, which protection than to attempt to replace for farmers, from our joint work under with businesses to help them to translate cannot be predicted easily from chemical control with genetic control this alliance and hold high expectations our science into new solutions for farmers. 27 laboratory studies. or rely entirely on chemical control. for the future of this relationship.”

36 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 37 #ROIF 2016—2017 ROTHAMSTED OPEN INNOVATION FORUM

Our inaugural Rothamsted Open Innovation Forum, in January, featured over 30 speakers and secured generous support from Syngenta, Bayer, the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, the International Fertiliser Association and AgFunder, an online equity crowdfunder.

Organised jointly by the Rothamsted of workshops to address some of the partnerships that emerged, including Centre for Research and Enterprise main problems identified by industry the opportunity to become part of (RoCRE) and our Knowledge Exchange leaders; the resulting projects are being AgRIA, our new Agricultural Research and Commercialisation team, the event developed to make a real difference and Innovation Accelerator for pre- drew on the best thinking from leading on the ground. competitive ideas, which is based in European markets and from as far afield The forum attracted significant press the Lawes Open Innovation Hub. as Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, and social media interest; for a period, During 2018, the global food challenges Singapore and America. “#ROIF” became one of the five highest under the ROIF name will be developed The forum sought to use “open trending UK-based terms on Twitter. further leading, it is hoped, to ongoing innovation” to inspire key global We are providing ongoing support collaborative projects involving security solutions. It included a series for the nascent collaborations and Rothamsted and its key partners.

Monitoring both what is seen and unseen to make the most informed decisions possible – Delegates Countries represented Organisations represented Maarten Bekaert, top left, of the phenotyping group at Bayer Crop Science and ROIF panel member for “The future of Agrifood: 250 22 137 views from the innovators”

38 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 39 NFU 2016—2017

Wheat trials to gauge The case for investment in the agri- for research, knowledge exchange greater returns on investments, the potency of Take-all fungus in the New food science base has been made by and skills development with long-term wealth creation, higher Zealand field on the Agri-Food Technology Leadership government investments. productivity and environmental INVEST, Rothamsted Farm Council and follows the Industrial stewardship. These factors all lead to Policy across government and its Strategy Challenge Fund consultation. agencies should be aligned to deliver an more innovative farm businesses that Outside the EU, the UK’s agricultural improved model for agri-science through are able to seize new opportunities science has an opportunity to work to four main mechanisms. First, clarify the and adapt to change. COLLABORATE, an improved model and become more challenges and goals for UK agriculture, effective at delivering what is needed. and ensure research and innovation Many organisations attended The government should invest a strategies can support and deliver the workshop and engaged proportion of the funds that would solutions. Second, demonstrate return in the development of these DEVELOP, have contributed to the EU budget on investment, in terms of performance recommendations: and competitiveness, with better impact (and to the Common Agricultural ADAS Policy) in to measures and incentive systems. Third, attract a skilled labour force for science, AHDB (Agriculture & Horticulture make farming highly competitive Development Board) in the new market environment. industry and farming. Fourth, channel REAP investment within domestic policy to Agrii (Agri Intelligence) Building on the success of the Agri-Tech support knowledge exchange, on- Agri-Tech East Strategy, the UK could remain a leader farm innovation, and adoption of new in the field internationally. AIC (Agricultural Industries We convened a workshop with the NFU at practices and technologies. Confederation) Improved funding models and Rothamsted in November on “How to deliver an UK policy should seek to provide AICC (The Association of mechanisms should be set up with four effective frameworks that are conducive Independent Crop Consultants) improved UK agri-science sector outside the EU”. main aims. First, encourage greater for both responsible innovation and Bayer AG Attendees included leading organisations involved collaboration with more concrete international competitiveness. outputs by being more strategic, less CPA (Crop Protection Association) Collaboration should be increased in agricultural science, technology and knowledge bureaucratic, better joined-up and Cranfield University accessible. Second, improve balance between groups of stakeholders: transfer, and our discussions yielded the following Harper Adams University between needs of fundamental, applied research organisations (including edited statement of recommendations. and translational R&D that specifically Agri-Tech Centres); funders and their IBERS (Institute of Biological, address long-term needs of agriculture. funding mechanisms; public/academic Environmental & Rural Sciences) Third, agree spending on agricultural and private/industrial (including farm Innovate UK businesses and NGOs); countries, in research, relative to our competitors and to meet our productivity, efficiency the EU and internationally; and government departments and LEAF (Linking Environment & and environmental goals. Fourth, Farming) negotiate continued access to EU and agencies, and their policies. NIAB (National Institute of international funding streams, such Effective coordination and collaboration Agricultural ) as Horizon 2020. will require long-term and reliable NFU (National Farmers’ Union) UK agri-science must look at and learn funding mechanisms, demonstrating from funding mechanisms that are value, driving culture change, providing Rothamsted Research working well in other countries, in career opportunities and facilitating BBSRC and Defra representatives, other sectors and at various scales. This genuine knowledge exchange between and Anthea McIntyre, MEP West investigation must include models that and within all these stakeholders. Midlands, attended the workshop are demand-driven and that better Measures of success include more as observers. integrate levy-based support impactful research, faster adoption,

40 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 41 STUDENTSHIPS 2016—2017

In November, the BBSRC introduced Training (CDT), a consortium of Lancaster Environment Centre of the Collaborative Training Partnership universities and research organisations Lancaster University. Ten students (CTP) scheme with industry to fund that offer Soils Training and Research are already enrolled on inter-institute OPPORTUNITIES 189, 4-year PhD studentships starting Studentships (STARS) funded by the collaborative projects focusing on in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Ten CTPs, BBSRC and the Natural Environment three themes: sustainable agricultural each led by a non-academic research Research Council; and through the intensification; earth observation and organisation, succeed the BBSRC’s Waitrose CTP. environmental informatics; and soil FOR LEARNING Industrial CASE Partnerships (ICPs). and water resources. Rothamsted is accepting 15 students We also decided to build on the legacy of our founders, John Bennett under the CTP led by Waitrose, with The Lawes Open Innovation Hub Lawes and , by its international food production and will soon be hosting its first doctoral Rothamsted again offered successful offering the Lawes and Gilbert PhD supply companies, and in association intake within Rothamsted’s own studentship. Funded by the Lawes doctoral training and a diverse portfolio with the University of Warwick, intellectual hothouse for agricultural Agricultural Trust, the first student Lancaster University, and the University entrepreneurship, our new Agricultural of exciting projects for postgraduates. will start in October 2017 on projects of Reading. The first cohort will join us Research and Innovation Accelerator aligned with two of our strategic in October 2017 to address challenges (AgRIA). Five PhD students, registered research programmes, Achieving in sustainable crop production, at Cranfield University on the Soil Sustainable Agricultural Systems sustainable soil and water, and AgRIA Programme, arrive in October (ASSIST) and Soil to Nutrition (S2N). biodiversity and ecosystem services to work on projects that have an More studentships under the scheme in agriculture. entrepreneurial component. are due to become available in 2018, Rothamsted is supporting opportunities our 175th anniversary year. to engage with industry in three ways: The projects are designed to through two of the BBSRC’s Doctoral Masters and PhD students now have accelerate the application of science Training Partnerships (DTPs), one access to the new Joint Graduate and engineering advances to soil led by the University of Nottingham School for the Environment, launched technology development, and so tackle and the other led by the University of in October 2016 and combining the widely-acknowledged constraints Bristol (for South West Biosciences); expertise of Rothamsted, the Centre to soil and land management, both through the Centre for Doctoral for Ecology and Hydrology, and the nationally and globally.

Joe Moughan, pathogens Sofia Iqbal, insects Cassie Sims, odorants Beth Ellis, wheat Sarah-Jane Osborne, genetics Byoung Min, lipids

42 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 43 READ ALL ABOUT US 2016—2017 IN THE MAY 2016 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016 NEWS

APRIL 2016

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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017

44 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2016—2017 45 DIRECTORʼS VISION

Main image: Harvesting By this time, hopefully, we will have the use of agrochemicals. Increased wheat in central Brazil, João Leonardo Pires/Embrapa; revitalised growth rates in yields of the productivity will come from fewer below, bringing agricultural world’s staple cereal crops within the inputs. And we won’t need a neonics CHALLENGING, science to Chinese farmers range of 1.2 to 1.5% per year. In the debate any more. There will be more in Quzhou UK, wheat yield has been pretty flat integrated pest control that, yes, at about 8-8.5 tonnes per hectare for involves chemicals but in a targeted, the past 20 years. But that, obviously, smarter manner. EXCITING, won’t make us very competitive. In 2030, I hope we can clearly say and And maybe a new generation of measure what a healthy soil looks like. wheat varieties will have entered the We will have new tools that allow us market by then, bred with knowhow to go to a field and tell a farmer on the REWARDING and breeders toolkits that have come spot: “This is really healthy. What you’re out of our Designing Future Wheat doing here is moving the soil in the right programme. Varieties that have direction.” As a result, governments will We set tough targets because they are the ones the right architecture and are more finally be able to implement policies nitrogen efficient; that combine disease that reward farmers for doing the right worth hitting; let’s make the most of the ride. and insect resistance and are enriched things, for building natural capital for with dietary fibre and micro-nutrients future generations. Looking ahead in the last annual report culturally how more nutritious food is Nutrition, as well as through a wide that can make white bread much (2015/16), I spoke about all the thinking produced and used. Each of our three range of grants from other sources. healthier than it currently is. These By 2030, we also want to ensure we had done, about having to secure science portfolios will address two would be fantastic outcomes. that every farmer in the UK is able Secondly, I want us to lift our heads to close existing yield gaps through the next round of strategic funding and challenges apiece. In 2030, I can imagine half a million regularly from current pre-occupations a combination of agronomic about demands to lift our grant income acres of our Camelina-omega-3 growing Under Superior Crops, we want to and remind ourselves of where we are improvements, other technologies and significantly. in North America and supplying more accelerate improvements in yields while going. For me, as I noted in May 2017 also the systematic and proper use of than half of the world’s aquaculture I mentioned the need to infuse new using resources more efficiently; and when we launched our new strategic environmental enhancement features. fish oil needs sustainably. By then, talent into our science and to develop to design or discover novel traits with plan, it’s 2030, the year when the farmers in East Anglia could have effective partnerships with national better nutritional or industrial value. current 17 Sustainable Development In 2030, and not only in the English started to grow GM Camelina too, and and international institutions and Under Securing Productivity, we want Goals of the United Nations end. west country of our colleagues at North be supplying fish oil for the Scottish organisations. I stressed how important to be able to monitor and forecast the Wyke, we will have healthy cattle and and Norwegian, salmon and sea bream it is for us to establish solid relationships spread of pests, weeds and diseases That is all the time we have to make the ACHIM DOBERMANN sheep that produce high quality beef aquaculture industries. Wouldn’t that with the UK farming community. Now in real time; and to protect crops from more transformative changes towards and lamb in a natural environment “By 2030, we need be something? A new crop, a new more than ever, the UK needs a strong them with smart innovations.Under a more sustainable development path. that is managed sustainably with industry, in our country. and competitive agricultural industry Future Agri-Food Systems, we want And if we fail, it’s going to be incredibly to have made low environmental footprints and hard to catch up afterwards. So, in our no toxic leaks into air or water. and Rothamsted must play a leading farmers to achieve at least 80% of their changes towards a By 2030, we may already have seen crops’ production potentials; and to context, what does that mean? other newly engineered plants from our role with this. In conclusion, let me emphasise my produce more nutritious crops and Tailoring Plant Metabolism programme In 2030, there’ll be at least 8.5 billion more sustainable ambition. In the UK and globally, Well, we have come a long way. We livestock with lower impacts. with novel traits, and maybe, a first new people on earth. But, if we’ve been development path, in collaboration with industry, we have a new strategic plan and can now drug is entering the market that has We’ll implement the portfolios doing the right things, we should have must focus on solutions, and I stress look ahead to the next five years, to otherwise it will be come out of substances discovered in through five new Institute Strategic eliminated extreme forms of poverty by solutions, for agriculture. Just as 2022, and also beyond that. our fantastic willow collection. Programmes: Designing Future Wheat; then, and extreme hunger, and many incredibly hard to importantly, our goals must also First, we have set ourselves six Grand Tailoring Plant Metabolism; Smart of the most severe under-nutritional catch up” By then, I’d also like to believe that we meet high environmental standards Challenges as we pursue our plan to Crop Protection; Achieving Sustainable problems, as well as some of those have broken the cycle of intensification and not only productivity targets. improve sustainably, economically and Agricultural Systems; and Soil to related to over consumption. and of being heavily dependent on We can do this.

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