HDC Soft Fruit Sector R&D Priorities and Strategy for

Transcription

1 The UK soft fruit sector hs grown stedily nd is now the second lrgest sector in the HDC, ccounting for round 18% of the nnul HDC income. The sector covers ll commercil soft fruit crops grown in the UK including strwerries, rsperries, lckcurrnts, lueerries nd ll other ries nd ruus species. Reserch on lckcurrnts is mnged in collortion with the Blckcurrnt Growers' Assocition see the lckcurrnt strtegy. In common with other HDC sector pnels the HDC Soft Fruit Pnel hs identified the mjor chllenges fcing the industry over the next decde s eing lour, crop protection, wter, soil/sustrtes, genetics, energy nd wste. Crop protection remins mjor priority re nd with the reduction in numers of pproved pesticide products it is essentil tht crefully trgeted work is undertken tht will enle fruit growers nd propgtors to control the key pests, weeds nd diseses of fruit crops. The HDC Soft Fruit Pnel will continue to support growers vi the HDC progrmme to otin Extensions of Approvl for Minor Uses (EAMU, previously SOLA). The focus is on improving the effectiveness of crop protection progrmmes through new conventionl nd iologicl controls, monitoring, forecsting nd prediction techniques. This pproch is helping growers to ddress oth legisltion nd the incresing interest of consumers in how their food is produced, prticulrly their perceived desire for reduction in oth pesticide use nd in the environmentl impct of crop production. More efficient use of inputs including lour, wter nd fertilisers re vitl to the future success of the industry. The HDC Soft Fruit Pnel is keen to explore new opportunities for incresing yield, improving qulity, extending the seson nd improving the consistency of supply. Identifying nd pssing on est prctice in ll of those res ffecting production nd profitility is the mjor focus of the HDC Soft Fruit communiction nd knowledge trnsfer progrmme. The development of new vrieties offers mny potentil enefits to growers nd consumers, including incresed yield, qulity, flvour, shelf-life, seson extension nd resistnce to pests nd diseses. In ddition, well-presented fruit cn gretly ssist hrvesting efficiency nd my offer the potentil to increse mechnistion. The Soft Fruit Pnel therefore continues to plce high priority on reeding nd vriety trilling. The soft fruit sector strtegy contins three ojectives: 1 Improve crop qulity nd supply; 2 Develop integrted mngement of pests, diseses nd weeds; nd 3 Improve efficiency nd minimize costs. These sector ojectives link with two of the five ojectives in the AHDB Corporte Business Pln 2012/15: 2 - Improve efficiency nd productivity in the industry to help levy pyers hve thriving usinesses; nd 5 - Improve wys in which the industry contriutes to sustinle development. The soft fruit sector strtegy is revised nnully nd only covers the most importnt res, shown s inititives under the three sector ojectives. The need for new projects in these importnt res hs een deemed to e high, moderte or low depending on recently completed nd current work. The key priorities hve een distilled from the inititives nd listed first. Where the need for new work in n re is deemed to e low the HDC Soft Fruit Pnel nevertheless my consider new innovtive pproches nd interesting ides focussed on res not identified in this strtegy. Additionlly, considertion would e given to emergency issues rising in the 2013 seson. Andrew Tinsley HDC Reserch Mnger 1

2 Key priorities for This list summrizes the key sujects tht the HDC Soft Fruit Pnel, on ehlf of the industry, wishes to see ddressed in 2014 It is drwn from the 34 inititives under the three soft fruit sector ojectives, tking into ccount work in progress The pursuit of full pprovls nd EAMUs for ll soft fruit crops remins high priority It is importnt to see the instructions in the Notes overlef Potentil Soft Fruit Pnel support Breeding & vrietl development Rsperry reeding Soil-grown strwerry vriety trils Potentil strtegic HDC or externl (BBSRC, Defr, etc.) support Breeding & vrietl development Strwerry genetics Rsperry genetics Crop protection Phytophthor root rot in rsperry Dieck in ush fruit Spotted winged drosophil Rsperry lef nd ud mite Blckerry mite Appliction technology for CPPs nd BCAs Crop protection Soil helth nd ecology Soil sterilistion Vine weevil Nemtodes Biologicl control gents (BCAs) New pests nd diseses Appliction technology for CPPs nd BCAs Irrigtion nd nutrition Soil ecology effects on wter nd nutrient uptke Wter use efficiency (WUE) Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) Soil nd sustrtes Re-use of sustrte Soil nd sustrtes Alterntive sustrtes for rnge of crops Lour efficiency Improve efficiency nd mechniztion nd reduce costs 2

3 Notes 1. Considertion will lso e given to emergency issues. 2. Considertion will lso e given to prticulrly interesting innovtive ides on res not identified in the key priorities list. 3. To minimise wsted effort nd ensure tht only the most pproprite ides re considered for funding y the Pnel, ll ides for new work should e discussed well in dvnce with oth: - The HDC Soft Fruit Pnel Chirmn Mrion Regn T: ; M: ; E: mrion.regn@hlf.co.uk - The HDC Soft Fruit Reserch Mnger Andrew Tinsley T: ; M: ; E: ndrew.tinsley@hdc.hd.org.uk 4. Concept notes will e considered t the 23 Septemer 2013 meeting of the Soft Fruit Pnel nd must e sumitted y 23 August Not ll concept notes will proceed to the full proposl stge nd not ll full proposls my e funded. 6. Concept notes for res of work tht pply to more thn one sector should e discussed with the relevnt HDC Reserch Mngers for guidnce. Generlly such cross sector ides will not e sumitted to the Soft Fruit Pnel ut insted to the HDC Bord for them to consider under the Strtegic Development Frmework. 3

4 Ojective 1 Improve crop qulity nd supply 1 To improve the qulity, vilility, consistency of supply nd shelf life of British fruit cross n extended seson Improve consistency of yield, qulity nd flvour through support of reeding nd development progrmmes for new vrieties of strwerry. The recently strted project SF 96 on strwerry reeding finishes in 2018 nd so the need for new work on strwerry reeding is low t present. Improve consistency of yield, qulity nd flvour through support of reeding nd development progrmmes for new vrieties of rsperry. The current project SF 35 on rsperry reeding finishes in The need for new work on rsperry reeding is high. c Vriety trils. The recently strted project SF 128 on strwerry vrieties in sustrte finishes in 2015 nd the current soil-grown project SF 134 in The need for new work on strwerry vriety trilling in soil is high. d Vriety trils. The recently strted project SF 41d on rsperry vrieties finishes in The need for new rsperry vriety trilling project is low t present. 4

5 Ojective 2 Develop integrted mngement of pests, diseses nd weeds 1 To increse the vilility of effective integrted crop mngement (ICM) comptile crop protection products (CPPs), iologicl control gents (BCAs) nd other crop protection methods for key diseses Pursue pproprite EAMU pplictions for key diseses for ll crops. The need for new full pprovls nd EAMUs is high. New diseses to the UK. Monitoring diseses overses tht hve potentil to spred to the UK nd liison with Fer Plnt Helth on these is stndrd prctice. Once threts re identified then the need for new work ecomes high. c Strwerry powdery mildew. The recently completed project SF 94 HL 0191 explored strwerry IPDM nd CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) is seeking lterntive controls. The need for new work on strwerry powdery mildew is moderte t present. d Verticillium wilt in strwerry. The strwerry reeding progrmme (previously SF 96 nd now SF 96 running until 2018) is developing resistnt vrieties, the recently completed project SF 122 focussed on nemtode nd wilt interction nd the new project SF 97 is continuing the development of moleculr quntifiction dignostic soil test. The need for new work on strwerry verticillium wilt is moderte t present. e Strwerry red core. The strwerry reeding progrmme (previously SF 96 nd now SF 96 running until 2018) is developing resistnt vrieties, The need for new work on red core of strwerry is moderte t present. 5

6 1 continued f Crown rot in strwerry. The strwerry reeding progrmme (previously SF 96 nd now SF 96 running until 2018) is developing resistnt vrieties nd the current project CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) seeks to develop lterntive controls. The need for new work on strwerry crown rot is moderte t present. g Soft rots of strwerry fruit (mucor, rhizopus etc.). The current project CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) is seeking lterntive controls. The need for new work on fruit rots of strwerry is moderte t present. h i j Soil sterilistion ginst soil-orne diseses. The need for new cross-sector work on soil sterilistion is high. Rsperry root rot (Phytophthor rui). The rsperry reeding progrmme SF 35 (finishing in 2014) is developing resistnt vrieties, the current project SF 123 (finishing in 2014) is evluting controls, CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) is seeking lterntive controls nd SF 130 (finishing in 2014) is developing dignostic test. The need for new work on rsperry root rot is high. Verticillium wilt in rsperry. The recently completed project SF 122 focussed on nemtode nd wilt interction. The need for new work on rsperry verticillium wilt is moderte t present. k Dieck of lckcurrnt, lueerry nd gooseerry. Work is currently underwy on lckcurrnt under project SF 12, on lueerry in SF 132 (finishing in 2014) nd ws recently completed on gooseerry in SF 131. The findings from these projects could led to further work. The need for new work on dieck of ush fruit is high. 6

7 2 To increse the vilility of effective integrted crop mngement (ICM) comptile crop protection products (CPPs), iologicl control gents (BCAs) nd other crop protection methods for key pests Pursue pproprite EAMU pplictions for key pests for ll crops. The need for new full pprovls nd EAMUs is high. New pests to the UK. Monitoring pests overses tht hve potentil to spred to the UK nd liison with Fer Plnt Helth on these is stndrd prctice. Once threts re identified then the need for new projects ecomes high. c Biologicl control gents (BCA). The recently completed project SF 94 developed IPDM in strwerry, SF 120 HL01107 (finishing in 2015) is ddressing the control of western flower thrips in strwerry, CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) is seeking lterntive controls nd SF 133 (finishing in 2015) is evluting predtors for trsonemid mite control. Greter understnding of the effective use of BCAs is still required. The need for new work on BCAs is high. d Vine weevil. A numer of projects hve recently een completed nd the pproved BCA metrhizium is undergoing further commercil development. The need for new work is high. e Spotted winged drosophil (SWD). The SWD Working Group hs identified numer of mjor ojectives ddressing this serious pest. The need for work on SWD is high. 7

8 2 continued f Trsonemid mite. Two projects hve recently finished (SF 124 on dignostic test nd SF 125 on control) nd the current project SF 133 (finishing in 2015) is evluting predtors for trsonemid mite control. Further work my e required. The need for new work on trsonemid mite is moderte t present. g Nemtodes. With the decresing numer of control options ville the prolems cused y nemtodes re incresing. The need for work on nemtodes on rnge of crops is high. h Rsperry lef nd ud mite. No work hs een done since project SF 81 on control finished in The need for new work on rsperry lef nd ud mite is high. i Midges in cne fruit. The recently strted project SF 139 is developing rsperry cne midge pheromone trp following on from the studentship CP 73 nd SF 141 is exploring the control of lckerry lef midge. The need for new work on the control of midges in cne fruit is moderte t present. j Blckerry mite. A serious pest ddressed in SF 116 ut with no current projects specific to this pest. The need for new work on lckerry mite is high. 8

9 3 To increse the vilility of effective integrted crop mngement (ICM) comptile crop protection products (CPPs), iologicl control gents (BCAs) nd other crop protection methods for key weeds Pursue pproprite EAMU pplictions for key weeds for ll crops. The need for new full pprovls nd EAMUs is high. Weed control. The recently completed projects SF 91 on strwerry, SF 129 on rhur nd SF 119 on rsperry nd CP 77 SCEPTRE HL01109 (finishing in 2014) ll ddress weed control issues. The need for new projects on weed control is low t present. 4 To improve the ppliction of crop protection products (CPPs) nd iologicl control gents (BCAs) nd the mngement of other crop protection methods for for pest, disese nd weed control Spryer design, volume nd cover. Penetrtion nd cover from currently ville equipment is not lwys sufficiently effective for dequte control nd my not e suited to the ppliction of BCAs. The need for new work on effective ppliction of CPPs nd BCAs is high. 9

10 Ojective 3 Improve efficiency nd minimize costs 1 To mximize the yield nd qulity of soft fruit crops whilst minimising wter use Wter use efficiency (WUE). The recently completed projects SF 83 HL0187 on field grown strwerry, SF 107 on strwerry in sustrte, SF 136 on strwerry in sustrte in commercil environment nd SF 118 on rsperry in sustrte ll ddressed wter use efficiency. The need for new cross-sector work on wter use efficiency is high. 2 To improve the efficiency of use of plnt nutrients to mximise yield nd qulity of soft fruit crops whilst minimising run-off risks to groundwter Nutrient use efficiency (NUE). The recently completed project SF 107 on strwerry in sustrte nd current projects SF 136 on strwerry in sustrte in commercil environment oth ddressed nutrient nd wter use efficiency. The need for new cross-sector work on nutrient use is high. Soil ecology. Improved understnding is required of the interctions etween the roots of crop plnts nd microorgnisms in the soil, prticulrly if sustrtes ecome hrd to source. The need for new cross-sector work on soil ecology is high. 3 To improve mngement of currently ville sustrtes nd explore the potentil of new ones Re-use of sustrte. Methods re required for re-using used sustrtes, in prticulr coir, to mximise output nd minimise cost nd disese risk. The need for new work is high. Sustinle sustrtes. Due to the Defr pet use reduction progrmme nd the potentil scrcity of coir in the future lterntive sustrtes re required. The need for new cross-sector work is high. 4 To improve lour efficiency nd mechnistion Improved efficiency, incresed mechniztion nd reduced costs. Further improvements in efficiency re required to minimise production costs per kilo. The need for new cross-sector work is high. 10