Tozer Seeds has been awarded funding by the UK Governments Farming Innovation Pathways competition. The funding will be used for research into alternative treatments to conventional chemical-based methods of controlling crop diseases and seed germination.
Field of celery plants
The funding:
The Farming Innovation Pathways funding was created in partnership between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Transforming Food Production challenge and DEFRA’s Farming Innovation Programme. The funding was made to allow UK businesses to collaborate with research organizations on industrial research to address the challenges of productivity, sustainability and net-zero emission farming.
Dr. Frances Gawthrop is the project leader
Dr. Matthew Walker, project manager
The project:
Many pesticides that were approved have been pulled. This has prompted the search for other products that are effective, but do not leave any residue in the surrounding environment. This project combines two strategies for seed treatment: a physical laser treatment and a novel natural bioactive chemical.
These strategies can be used for the disinfection of vegetable seeds from seed-borne pathogens. These strategies will also be used to increase germination, seedling growth, establishment, growth rate, yield potential, and yield potential. The project is currently focusing on three core crops: celery, parsnip and coriander. However, we expect that the approach can be applied to other vegetable seed varieties.
The project is in the midst of construction and funding is available for 18 months.
For more information:
Tozer Seeds