GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluations:
Research Contractors
Institute of Arable Crop Research
The Institute of Arable Crops (IACR) is an independent, largely publicly funded, research organisation based at three main sites. Rothamsted (Hertfordshire) and Broom's Barn (Suffolk) are owned by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (A charity and company limited by guarantee) and the Institute's third site at Long Ashton is also a Department of the University of Bristol. Rothamsted is particularly noted as the oldest agricultural research station in the world, having started field experiments in 1843, some of which are still continuing and providing important results.
IACR works, often in partnership with others, to improve agricultural production in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable way. This is achieved through high-quality scientific research relevant to plant-based agriculture and a commitment to education and the dissemination of knowledge. The Institute aims to provide and exploit knowledge, technology and discoveries to keep UK farming and related industries competative, while enhancing biodiversity, the quality of soils and water, natural habitats and the appeal of the countryside. It is also widely involved in work with developing countries.
Four key themes encompass the range of activities across all sites of the Institute. These are Inherent Plant Productivity; Environment and Nutrients; Host-Parasite Interactions and Agricultural Systems. Examples of just a few research areas in which the Institute has internationally recognised expertise are given below.
Long-term experiments and environmental monitoring: The long-term Classical Rothamsted Field Experiments were started over 150 years ago and still continue. Particularly well known is the Broadbalk continuous wheat experiment, which is relevant to current concerns in organic farming, pollution and sustainability. The other internationally famous experiment is Park Grass, an area of old grassland with different fertiliser treatments, which is considered to be the oldest ecological experiment in the world and is currently being used to study the role of biodiversity in ecosystem function and to detect environmental change.
The Rothamsted Insect Survey has run national networks of traps monitoring aerial insect populations over the last 30 years. These provide data for studies on population dynamics, biodiversity and pest forecasting.
Rothamsted is also one of the founding terrestrial sites for the UK Environmental Change Network, monitoring a range of key physical and biological parameters for long-term studies on climate and other types of environmental change.
Biological Control: The Institute has a large programme committed to the biomanagement of pests, using biological control agents such as parasitic wasps, nematodes and fungi. Biological control is often not adequate on its own so these organisms have to be manipulated using non-toxic semiochemicals or through landscape management to maximise their effectiveness.
Precision agriculture: Simple diagnostic tests are being developed to assess nutrient stress and stress from pests and diseases. These can then be used to target fertiliser and pesticide usage to minimise unnecessary use.
Weed biology and ecology: Research is done on the management of weeds in conventional and herbicide tolerant crops. Gene flow is studied in terms of the maintenance of herbicide susceptibility in weed populations. The importance of field margins in weed ecology and the dynamics of seed banks are also studied.
Measuring impacts of pesticides and GM crops on non-target organisms: The temporal and spatial scales required to measure reliably environmental impacts are a major concern for the routine assessment of pesticides. Studies in the laboratory and field are helping develop strategies of use by policy makers. Similarly research to measure any effects of GM plants on non-target organisms is underway in the laboratory and will need evaluation at a range of scales and comparison with other crop protection methods.
Sugar beet research: IACR-Broom's Barn is the national centre for research on the production and protection of sugar beet crops and has an international reputation for its contributions to the crop. Staff in the Institute have unrivalled expertise in weed and pest management within sugar beet.
Biomathematics and statistical analysis: IACR-Rothamsted is known as the cradle of the modern discipline of applied statistics, initiated by R.A. Fisher and F. Yates; J.A. Nelder developed generalised linear models. Current biomathematical expertise leads the UK in the development of design and analysis guidelines for pesticide trials, and in spatial analysis. Development of statistical software such as GENSTAT is also an active area of work.
Bee research: IACR-Rothamsted has a long history of bee research. Currently its bee and pollination research is directed towards understanding the role of bees in the pollination of crop and non-crop plant species in sustainable agroecosystems, focussing on the foraging behaviour and ranges of bees of different species and bee-mediated pollen and gene flow at different spatial scales.
Soil biology: IACR is an international centre for research on nematodes and their interactions with microorganisms in the rhizosphere. Molecular and immunological methods are used to study biodiversity in rhizosphere communities and the impacts of environmental changes including host plant and xenobiotics.
The Bright Project: The Institute is running two of the five sites for the project Botanical and Rotational Implications of the Management of Herbicide Tolerance (BRIGHT). This is exploring the management implications of growing herbicide resistant winter oilseed rape and beet, on relatively large plots (0.25 -0.5ha) in rotations (including both conventionally bred and GM herbicide resistant varieties). It will investigate effects on the level of weed control and the control of herbicide resistant volunteers.
The Life Project: Two farm scale experiments (MAFF and EU funded) in which a range of agronomic, ecological and environmental monitoring are carried out at Long Ashton. The LIFE project (Integrated and lower input crop management), begun in 1989, is a long-term experiment, occupying ca 23 ha, with large fields each divided into three or four, 1 ha, field units. The 21 field units are used to compare three systems of production in fully phased 7-course rotations and are providing vital information on the economics and agronomy of less intensive arable farming systems.
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Page published 13 August
1999;
Page last modified
10 August, 2002