Despite being earmarked for closure in cost-cutting measures announced by AFBI in 2015, the future for the AFBI site at Crossnacreevy outside Belfast now looks more secure.

At an AFBI/AHDB arable open day held at Crossnacreevy this week, Dr Lisa Black from AFBI outlined a number of on-going and also new projects being taken forward by staff based at the site.

Among them is a project, funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme, looking at innovations in plant variety testing. It involves 21 partner organisations across Europe, and is being co-ordinated by AFBI. The project is due to start this autumn and will receive €8m in funding over the next five years.

“We are really excited to be part of that project,” said Black.

As well as being an official seed-testing station, AFBI Crossnacreevy conducts variety trials for the AHDB cereals and oilseeds Recommended Lists.

It is also involved in a DAERA-funded project looking at soil health, aligned to which is a study investigating the potential role for cover crops.

In addition, a new study into arable weeds in NI will initially involve a survey of growers. Part of the work will focus on the potential source of blackgrass in NI crops.

A further new DAERA-funded PhD study will involve on-farm work looking at the identification, characterisation and fate of bacterial pathogens in a range of organic manures applied to arable soils in NI.

In NI, over 24m livestock produce approximately 10m tonnes of slurry and organic manure each year.

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Reprieve for AFBI site at Crossnacreevy

20 minutes with Liz Glynn, Corteva Agriscience