ANNUAL REPORT FLIPPING BOOK.pdf

WHFKQRORJ\ WR FKDUDFWHULVH '1$ YDULDWLRQ LQ the rust fungus and thus locate the origins RI WKH QHZ UDFHV 7KH UHVHDUFK LV VXJJHVWLQJ ways in their movement could be limited. Plant breeding is crucial for combatting GLVHDVHV %UHHGHUV H[SORLW NQRZOHGJH RI the genomes of crop plants in several ways. ,QGLYLGXDO '1$ YDULDQWV DUH XVHG DV PDUNHUV for useful traits because it can be easier to VHOHFW SODQWV ZLWK D '1$ WDJ WKDQ WR VFRUH WKH WUDLW LWVHOI WKLV DSSURDFK LV XVHG URXWLQHO\ LQ ) K\EULG FURSV VXFK DV PDL]H DQG LQFUHDVLQJO\ LQ VPDOO JUDLQ FHUHDOV *HQHWLF PDSV RI VHYHUDO '1$ PDUNHUV FDQ EH XVHG WR SURGXFH JRRG FRPELQDWLRQV RI VHYHUDO JHQHV my colleague Paul Nicholson has taken this DSSURDFK WR VHSDUDWH D JHQH IRU H\HVSRW resistance in wheat from one which reduces \LHOG )LQDOO\ EUHHGHUV FDQ XVH LQIRUPDWLRQ about the distribution of large numbers of markers to broaden the genetic basis of GLVHDVH UHVLVWDQFH -,& LV ZRUNLQJ ZLWK 1,$% &DPEULGJH 5HDGLQJ 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG ZKHDW breeding companies to develop this strategy. $ORQJVLGH JHQRPLFV EUHHGHUV QRZ KDYH EHWWHU ZD\V RI LGHQWLI\LQJ GLVHDVH UHVLVWDQW SODQWV $ EHQHÀW RI LQWHUQDWLRQDO WUDYHO LV WKDW they can run trial nurseries in areas where the climate is most favourable for a disease. ,Q D IHZ \HDUV WKH XVH RI GURQH WHFKQRORJ\ WR VFRUH ÀHOG WULDOV PRUH DFFXUDWHO\ DQG PRUH often will increase the precision of selecting for disease resistance and other traits. 'HVSLWH WKHVH DGYDQFHV SODQW EUHHGLQJ UHPDLQV D VORZ SURFHVV 7KH QHZ (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ UHJXODWLRQV RI SODQW SURWHFWLRQ

)URP P\ RZQ SRLQW RI YLHZ DV D SODQW GLVHDVH specialist, the greatest threats to reliable IRRG SURGXFWLRQ LQ WKH 8. DUH UHJXODWLRQV ZKLFK ODFN D VFLHQWLÀF EDVLV LQFUHDVHG JOREDO movement of diseases and the uncertainty arising from accelerating climate change. One RI WKH FRUQHUVWRQHV RI WKH *UHHQ 5HYROXWLRQ KDV EHHQ SODQW EUHHGLQJ ,W ZLOO FRQWLQXH WR EH important, especially when combined with the full range of agricultural technologies. 7KHUH DUH LQFUHDVLQJ VLJQV WKDW FOLPDWH change is changing the distribution and LPSDFW RI SODQW GLVHDVHV 7KH PLOG ZLQWHU RI VWLPXODWHG 6HSWRULD DQG \HOORZ UXVW RI ZKHDW 7KH KRW VSULQJ RI JHQHUDWHG the largest epidemic of wheat brown rust in OLYLQJ PHPRU\ 7DQ VSRW D GLVHDVH SUHYLRXVO\ common in warmer countries, has started to appear regularly in Britain. We do not know how the climate will affect other diseases, not OHDVW EHFDXVH H[WUHPH ZHDWKHU HYHQWV DUH predicted to become increasingly common. ,Q WKH VKRUW WHUP D JUHDWHU WKUHDW LV WKH spread of disease internationally as a result RI WUDYHO DQG WUDGH 7KLV VKRW LQWR SXEOLF consciousness in 2012 with the outbreak of ash dieback, a catastrophic disease native to (DVW $VLD ZLWK KXJH ORQJ WHUP LPSOLFDWLRQV IRU IRUHVWU\ DQG ZLOGOLIH LQ WKH 8. /HVV ZHOO NQRZQ LV WKH HTXDOO\ GUDPDWLF PRYHPHQW RI QHZ UDFHV RI ZKHDW \HOORZ UXVW 7KLV KDV EHHQ happening since 2001 and has accelerated LQ WKH ODVW WKUHH \HDUV 0\ FROOHDJXHV 'LDQH 6DXQGHUV DQG &ULVWyEDO 8DX\ DW -,& DORQJ ZLWK UHVHDUFKHUV LQ 'HQPDUN )UDQFH Pakistan and elsewhere, are using genomic

chemicals have been criticised by many in the farming industry for diverse reasons. )RU PH DV D SODQW SDWKRORJLVW LW LV ZRUU\LQJ that they do not consider how new diseases ZLOO EH FRQWUROOHG ,W WRRN \HDUV IURP WKH HPHUJHQFH RI 6HSWRULD DV DQ LPSRUWDQW GLVHDVH LQ WKH ODWH ¶ V EHIRUH EUHHGHUV FRXOG produce a stready stream of wheat varieties with moderately good resistance. )RU 5DPXODULD RI EDUOH\ DGYDQFHV LQ JHQHWLFV pathology and breeding are speeding things XS²LW ZLOO WDNH SHUKDSV \HDUV ,Q WKH meantime, farmers have controlled these diseases using fungicides effective against a wide range of pathogens. New technology is allowing scientists tomake newdiscoveries faster than ever before. Yet crop research is a slow business and there are nomagic bullets to deal with new threats. Farmers need to be able to use the best available varieties, chemistry and agronomy to protect our food supply.

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