To address wastage and processing inefficiencies in vining peas by predicting yield and quality to enable efficient scheduling of harvest and processing.

**SECURESeed II: Scaling Sustainable Seed Coatings for Field Trials** is a critical project aimed at addressing the urgent need for sustainable plant protection products. This highly innovative project is focused on improving the performance of **Plant Beneficial Microbes (PBMs)** through advanced seed coating technology using 100% plastic free, natural and waste materials. Led by MarinaTex, in collaboration with **Cranfield University, Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) and Elsoms Seeds** the project aims to scale field trials of this innovative coating, designed initially for **vining pea seeds**---a key crop for UK agriculture. Vining peas are predominantly grown in Eastern England, with the majority cultivated east of the A1, spanning from Lincolnshire to Essex, covering approximately 34,000 hectares from East Anglia to Dumfries in Scotland. At the heart of SECURESeed II is the goal to **enhance the effectiveness of PBMs in the field,** which play a critical role in promoting plant health and resilience. PBMs can boost crop growth, protect against pests, and improve resilience to environmental stress, but they need the right conditions to thrive. This is where SECURESeed's **coating technology** comes in. By creating a **protective, nutrient-rich coating**, the project ensures that PBMs can stay viable longer, adhere more effectively to seeds, and deliver maximum benefits to crops. This project doesn't just stop at improving crop performance. The coating is also **plastic-free**, offering a sustainable alternative to the synthetic materials traditionally used in seed treatments. With the upcoming **2028 EU ban on microplastic seed coatings**, SECURESeed II positions itself as a future-ready solution for farmers who want both improved yields and environmental compliance. Field trials will be conducted by **PGRO** across Lincolnshire under the scientific guidance of **Cranfield University**, to ensure the technology performs under real-world agricultural conditions. These trials will focus on demonstrating improved **germination rates, better yield,** healthier plants, and overall better crop resilience, directly addressing the challenges farmers face today. As the agricultural sector grapples with the need for **sustainable intensification**, SECURESeed offers a timely, practical solution. By improving the survival and efficacy of PBMs while reducing the environmental footprint, this project supports the UK's broader goals of achieving **net-zero emissions** and advancing **sustainable farming practices**.

There are growing market demands for plant-based proteins and crops that add diversity to the crop rotation. This reflects consumer trends towards "sustainable" foods and the need for farmers to increase incomes whilst reducing environmental impacts. In these respects, field beans provide considerable opportunity. They naturally fix nitrogen (N), can be used for low environmental impact animal/human foods, and play a critical role in crop rotation, not least as a fill-in for oil seed rape where production is constrained by the lack of critical pesticides. Field bean net zero credentials are significant; they are grown without synthetic N and provide residual N for later rotations. By comparison, synthetic nitrogen is responsible for 83% of all UK field GHG emissions (16,873TCO2e, Crippa\_et\_al\_2021). Despite this opportunity, only 4.2% of UK arable land is used for bean production, but it can be extended to 20%, offsetting the carbon footprint for 2.3 million tonnes of soybean imports. This low acreage reflects highly variable yields (5.1t/ha, range 1-8t/ha) and low gross margins, but the potential yield is 13.7t/ha (White\_et\_al\_2022\_AnnAppBiol). Recent studies by PGRO, Yara and the BEAN-YEN network (White\_et\_al\_2022) have shown a considerable opportunity to improve yields and gross margins. These studies proved that poorly understood nutrient requirements are a key barrier to further scaling. For instance, across 318 farms, Yara showed substantial proportions of faba beans are deficient in K, Mg, Mn, Mo and B. Such nutrient deficiencies impair nodule activity, nitrogen fixation, and plant resilience to environments. New varieties have great potential to improve yields, but nutrient interactions are not understood. ANSWERS is a bold initiative which will resolve these challenges by: * Creating new research to develop practical nutrition plans to enhance nodule activity and nitrogen fixation, productivity, yield stability, protein content and climate resilience. * Developing new selection methods to accelerate UK-grown field beans. * Demonstrating profitable and sustainable net zero UK plant protein production supply chains. To deliver these outcomes, we will 1) manage cross-sector collaboration and research between leading technology providers (LSPG, Yara and PGRO), key UK farmers (Sentry Group, 20000ha) and HEI (University of Lincoln, UoL). 2) create novel nutrition plans specific to spring and winter beans, and 3) develop on-farm KE, co-creation and demonstration to drive adoption at scale. ANSWERS has high adoption potential, and all farmers will have access to know-how nutrient management plans that increase bean yields and margins whilst reducing environmental costs.

The aim of BELIS is (i) to increase the competitiveness of the EU and Associated Countries legume breeding industry by improving the methodologies and the governance structures of the breeding sector; (ii) to design conditions that allow an efficient delivery of the achieved genetic progress to the breeders and seed industry, and to the other actors (registration offices, extension services, feed and food industry, farmers). The project will focus on seven forage crops and seven grain crop that are currently grown to produce feed (for ruminants – cattle, sheep, goat and monogastric animals – pig, poultry), food (as is or after processing) or to deliver ecosystem services. BELIS has three main objectives: (1) To develop tools and methodologies for cost-effective breeding programmes and deliver proofs of concept, with and for breeders, (2) To facilitate the economic and regulatory environment: variety registration, variety recommendation and business models, (3) To implement an efficient, ambitious and durable transfer of innovation through the BELIS platform that includes a network of breeders and actors from scientific research, extension services and seed, food and feed industries, as well as a training portfolio. By enabling the creation of improved varieties in many species, adapted to different areas and uses in Europe, this project is relevant for the destinations towards “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, mainly contributing to “Access to a wider range of crops and breeds with a broadened genetic base is improved in line with global biodiversity commitments”. It also supports the “Practices in agriculture and forestry support biodiversity and the provision of other ecosystems services”. In addition, BELIS will have a positive input on natural biodiversity, reduction of air and water pollutions and farming system sustainability.

The UK Processors and Growers Research Organisation will lead this ambitious national research programme with 200 UK farms and 18 partners to design an environmentally transformative, economically sustainable arable rotation system to optimise crop rotations for climate benefit. UK farming accounts for 10% of the UK's total GHG emissions p/a (46.3 MT), 68% of total UK nitrous oxide emissions, 47% of total methane emissions and 1.7% of total CO2\. Arable cropping significantly contributes to these figures, utilising 596,496T of Nitrogen fertiliser p/a. Existing emission estimates are for individual crops, and the impact of these in successive rotational cropping remains unquantified. This project will investigate three opportunity gaps: (i) replacement of 20% of national grain crops with pulses and legumes rotations to establish a net zero farming pathway, (ii) the nutritional and financial feasibility of replacing feed grains (currently representing 70% of the UK grain market) with legumes in 30% national livestock feed and (iii) create a market for this additional yield. The proposed system outputs would contribute to UK Net Zero goals with a total potential reduction of 1.5MT CO2e p/a of the maximum potential 2.8MT for UK agriculture (Defra Agri Climate Report, 2021) in the following ways. * Removal of 233,000T of nitrogen fertiliser and 0.55MT (CO2e) - a 1.2% national reduction - by increasing pulse and legume cropping areas to the rotational optimum of 20% (1M Ha) across UK farms. * Use of subsequent produce in animal feed substitution (replacing 50% of imported soya meal) delivering a further 0.7MT CO2e reduction. * Delivery of a residual N benefit to following crops, leading to an additional 0.25MT CO2e (0.5%). * Delivering a national cost saving to farming of £1032M p/a, by removing 20% of N fertiliser across UK growers and 1.8MT soya imports respectively from the UK farming supply chain. * A policy tool that leads to the adoption of more measures and cost-effective solutions for reducing agricultural GHGs that fit with the farm business' (source: Defra Agri-Climate Report, October 2021). * A set of farmer and grower case studies that can be used to educate and inform the national farming community of the environmental and financial benefits of the research solution. We propose a technologically and financially accessible system for farmers/growers to achieve 100% uptake of a nationally resilient and sustainable food system. Secondary benefits will be the reduction of carbon footprint associated with the domestic replacement of 1.8MT of soya imports p/a.

The biggest consumer trend in the UK food sector is in plant-based food, with sales of meat alternatives expected to be £1.1 billion by 2024, with a 30% year to year growth, and £565 million for dairy alternatives (48% and 38% growth year on year for milk and cheese alternatives, respectively). Currently the largest source of plant-based protein is soy derived, with around 70% of UK soy imports (c.2.7million t soybean equivalents in 2021) coming from South America with associated problems of environmental sustainability. The production of soy in England is not practicable due to a lack of suitable varieties and sub-optimal growing conditions to reliably produce harvestable crops of even the earliest maturing varieties. **PeaProtein addresses the urgent need** to replace soy imported protein with English grown protein crops that can meet the market demand for quality and sustainability. However, problems of cultivation and of nutritional value limit their uses as a protein crop and their value to end-users which limits market opportunities and consequently their attractiveness to farmers. While pulses such as pea are more suited to English agriculture and provide an attractive alternative to soy protein, a major limiting factor to widespread use in processed meat and dairy alternatives is their flavour profile and the presence of anti-nutritional and allergenic proteins. Volatile organic compounds associated with the aroma and flavour of the pulse in its unprocessed state are detected as off-flavours in processed food. Overcoming the barriers of agronomic performance and residual flavours will enable the wider use of pea protein in plant-based foods is the primary objective of this project. **PeaProtein** will exploit innovative and game changing research in pea genetics as the basis for a new pea breeding programme that will breed novel pea varieties without the problems of grain composition, creating a new resource efficient and low emission source of proteins for the UK market. Robust testing of potential varieties for grain composition and agronomic performance will ensure that only varieties which have the attributes for the UK protein industry and end-users and meet the needs of English farmers will be entered into official trials. Extensive dissemination and KE of the potential of these new varieties to farmers and industry end-users will demonstrate the opportunities and how this novel approach matches industry priorities.

Vining peas mature rapidly in warm weather and must therefore be harvested within a 1-2-day window to ensure optimal tenderness and high quality. Once harvested, they must be transported and frozen within 150 minutes to maintain this quality. These limitations often lead to inefficient processing schedules and wasteful crop bypassing during periods of rapid maturation or unexpectedly high yields. The utilisation of remotely-sensed multispectral canopy reflectance measurements and meteorological data is a novel approach that allows yield and quality to be estimated with high accuracy prior to harvest. This project aims to further expand on prototype harvest date and yield prediction models developed by PGRO and the University of Nottingham, through the development of an online platform for use by the UK vining pea industry. The platform will provide an interface through which users can exploit the prediction models, whilst contributing to automated, sustained model improvement and refinement. We further aim for the platform to become an integrated part of regular harvest activities so that PGRO can better support the vining pea industry into the future, with the potential for expansion into other legume and non-legume crops.

Midges and weevils are significant global pests of legume food production. Management of these pests provides a potentially lucrative and growing market in the pest management industry globally, including in the UK, continental Europe, North Africa and North America, where these pest problems are well established. Management of midges and weevils is problematic; the food harvest can potentially be exposed to pesticides when targeting specific stages of their life cycles, and these pesticides may subsequently enter the human and animal food chain. There is a growing global trend to move away from reliance on chemical pesticides in food production in favour of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The need for IPM strategies is driven by loss in efficacy of pesticides, reduced availability due to legislative regulation, and environmental issues associated with pesticide use. Pheromones form a critical component of IPM strategies, but compared to other crop pests, there are virtually no legume midge and weevil pheromones currently available on the market. In this project, PheroSyn will, for the first time, develop synthesis routes for commercial-scale production of the pea midge sex pheromone and pea & bean weevil aggregation pheromone. Efficacy of the pheromone products in trapping and monitoring populations of midges and weevils in legume production systems will be undertaken by the UK Processors and Growers Association (PGRO), a centre of excellence for peas and beans, with a long and highly valued track record of providing authoritative, up to date information and project work based on solid, reliable research. With production capacity and product validation achieved, Koppert Biological Systems, a leading supplier of pheromone products to end-users (farmers and growers) in the UK and continental Europe, will market the pheromones for use in legume production systems from 2021\. Koppert have already confirmed their interest in marketing the pheromone products in these territories. The project will establish a supply chain (manufacture -- validation -- distribution) for sale of hitherto-unavailable products that are in demand, into the agribusiness sector, thereby disrupting the long-established chemical pesticides market. The project will help PheroSyn accelerate its' business growth, supplying effective, long-lasting, safe and affordable pest management tools to farmers and growers worldwide. Availability of the pheromones for use in climate-smart IPM of legume pests will provide significant social and economic benefit to the UK by producing affordable, safe-to-eat food in a way that promotes zero-carbon agriculture through reduced chemical pesticide manufacture and deployment.

To address wastage and processing inefficiencies in vining peas by predicting yield and quality to enable efficient scheduling of harvest and processing.

"Each year the UK imports \>3Million Tonnes of soya protein for use in the pig, poultry and dairy sectors, 98% from South America (the growth of soy plantations being a key factor in the forced eviction of many rural communities, excessive pesticide use and deforestation). It is widely recognised that the UK could cut its dependency on imported soya by \>50% by encouraging farmers to switch to home-grown alternative protein crops notably pulses - field beans and peas. However, yield instability, slow rate of germination, challenges in crop management including soil health and lack of confidence in gross margins, have limited efforts to increase home grown protein production. The potential for increased UK production in pulses is higher than in any other crop, however this can only be achieved by creating greater confidence across growers for the inclusion of legumes into crop systems. Improved understanding of factors impacting yield performance and field variability are critical, and whilst precision agriculture techniques such as the use of satellite imagery and ground sensors for plant health data capture are being trialled across wider crops, no form of remote sensing exists specifically to accommodate the crop physiology and growing requirements for pulses with none truly capable of direct application. The partners (Hummingbird and PGRO whose members account for 80% of the UKs legume market) aim to address this market gap through the development a solution which uniquely combines UAV collected imagery along with handheld and historical data with a proprietary data analysis and Artificial Intelligence based crop monitoring platform specific to pulses, to provide real-time actionable intelligence across the crop cycle to give an accurate depiction of in-field performance. Data generated will support growing decisions from varying seed rates through to weed classification, disease detection and accurate prediction of crop prior to harvesting, all aimed at improving crop management, enhancing yields/quality and growth confidence. To date, concept design has been completed with IUK support now required to develop the platform into a proof of concept prototype and based on two seasons of data collection and system testing. If successful, the solution will represent the first remote sensing software analytics for peas and beans growers with the potential to double yields, optimise inputs and gross margins, and alleviating the environmental burden of sustainable intensification of agriculture. The project will deliver significant export led growth for Hummingbird, increased employment with future R&D application across wider crops."

Foot rot disease in peas causes great yield losses and reduces the quality of peas. The disease is caused by several pathogens in soils which cannot be chemically controlled. Severity of disease is determined by pathogen levels in soils, soil structure and weather conditions. Measuring pathogen levels in soil before planting peas holds the potential to reduce disease development. The project will develop molecular tests to quantify foot rot pathogens in soils and levels will be linked to yield loss. This will provide a risk assessment tool for pea growers helping them to choose fields with healthy soils for growing high quality peas. Efficiency of pea production in the UK will be increased and the use of land, water, energy and fertilisers will be reduced.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

This project aims to design and produce a control system for beetle pests of peas and beans, which does not use blanket sprays of insecticides. Instead, the beetles will be lured to simple devices, baited with beetle specific attractive odours, where they will be coated with spores of an insect fungal disease. When they leave the device they will spread the disease to other beetles like them. This will reduce pest beetle numbers and damage to the crops, but, unlike insecticide sprays, will not affect the environment or other beneficial and non-target insects such as pollinating bees. The insect fungal disease occurs naturally in the soil in the UK and does not pose a risk to other animals. The attractants used are either insect produced (a specific pheromone) or are odours produced by flowering peas and beans. The spores and the attractants will be prepared in a novel formulation that is electrostatically charged and sticks to the beetles body and is passed on to other beetles when they meet.

The project will aim to analyse field bean produce for human consumption for the the presence of adult Bruchus rufimanus (bean seed beetle) and larval damage. The study will review, test and develop computer state of the art vision algorithms suitable for detecting, selecting and classifying the beans most effectively. A methodology/demonstrator will be proposed to meet the industry's requirements. This will employ computer cision and machine learning techniques in order to automatically analyse images generated from samples from a number of bean crops. These will be classified as good or damaged. Samples will also be analysed by hand using the existing system to calibrate and test the effectiveness of the automated vision based approaches. The study will consider the potential to develop hand-held instruments using the technology that can be employed for rapid analysis of damage and insect presence. Potential uses of the technology for identification of contaminants in food processing, such as poisonous berries and insects will also be considered. The innovative aspects of this project include a fully automatic, robust and accurate system for detecting and classifying samples from digital images, the application of state-of-the-art vision techniques to food technology and development of a prototype system to classify samples from images taken with a simple camera or handset.

Lupins, as a high protein, high energy, nitrogen-fixing grain legume, are the only UK crop with a protein and oil composition that can effectively compete with imported soya and provide a comparable UK-grown vegetable protein source for farmed animals. Through innovative approaches to breeding, agronomy, feed processing and nutrition we will develop the market for yellow and narrow leaf lupins as sustainable protein sources for UK agriculture and aquaculture. We will employ three approaches focussing on: Germplasm Improvement and Variety Testing; Agronomy; and Livestock. The Livestock workpackage will comprise three strands: poultry; aquaculture; and ruminants. The project will develop ways to overcome technical and economic barriers and provide incentives for lupin use in terrestrial and aquatic farm animal production.

PROJECT TITLE: Protein content vs yield in legumes:releasing the constraint Summary: The demand for vegetable protein in the UK feed industry, coupled to supply constraints, creates a market opportunity for sustainable farming in the UK. To take advantage of this opportunity farmers need a high yielding, protein rich product. Legume seeds (pulses) have high protein content and so are the product of choice, and they also contribute to environmental sustainability. For legumes and other crops there is a negative correlation between seed yield and protein content so breeding for yield does not ensure increased protein production. We will establish the protein content required by feed compounders and identify the genetic determinants that sustain this production without detriment to seed yield. We aim to deliver novel plant genotypes to breeders to benefit feed industries, sustainable agriculture and the environment

PROJECT TITLE: Improving the availability of UK sourced protein feed through new faba bean varieties, production and utilisation systems Summary: The shortfall in sustainable protein produced in the UK and the EU creates an opportunity to evaluate and improve an established crop with previously untapped potential. The high protein content and acceptability of faba beans by some, but not all, of the feed industry offers the opportunity of market expansion for home produced legumes through advanced feeding trials. Faba beans are self sufficient in nitrogen and leave residual N for following crops, so contributing to environmental sustainability. However, the yield potential, and thus protein yield, of faba beans is seldom maximised. This project will establish the effects of advanced agronomy on faba bean output, and address the issue of yield stability by genetic selection and improved breeding processes to generate new varieties of faba bean optimised for feed markets

PROJECT TITLE: Application of SNP genotyping and rapid screening procedures to enable commercialisation of faba bean varieties with stem nematode resistance Summary: Stem nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci, is a major pest of Vicia faba beans in the UK. It reduces yield and quality, and its persistence in soil imposes a major constraint on faba production. Sources of resistances are known in faba bean germplasm, yet there are no resistant varieties available appropriate for the UK and its markets. Recent developments in the generation of molecular markers in faba bean, and improvements in phenotypic screens for nematode resistance provide an opportunity for the application of biotechnological approaches to the development of resistant varieties. The objectives of this project are to identify markers linked to stem nematode resistance and to validate their use in breeding a new generation of faba bean varieties that are well-adapted, high-yielding and nematode resistant.

To enable improved control of the bean seed beetle, the project will develop a novel integrated pest management (IPM) strategy based on a monitoring system and defined treatment thresholds to rationalise pesticide use, and will represent a more sustainable longer-term approach to allow continuity of supply of high quality field beans for the UK export market and improved quality of broad beans for processing and the fresh market. The project will address three main objectives: 1. To optimise a prototype monitoring trap - accomplished by detailed studies of bruchid response to host plant and insect produced volatile odours, thereby producing a lure based on the most attractive blend of components. The optimum position for traps will be established and the trap catch will be calibrated in relation to bruchid infestation patterns, crop phenology and crop damage. 2. To develop a Decision Support System specifically for bean producers and based on meteorological data, trap catch data, crop growth stage and thresholds. The sytem will indentify the risk to the crop of damage from the pest and advise on the need for and the optimum timing for treatment. It will be developed as a web-based system. 3. Support and deliver the System to UK bean growers via the unique PGRO knowledge transfer portal. The Project aligns well with the TSB New Approaches to Crop Protection competition since it seeks to enhance crop quality and productivity by targeting a particularly damaging pest (the bean seed or bruchid beetle), which is difficult to detect/control and has a highly detrimental effect on UK bean production and quality, for both national and export markets. This will allow UK growers to rationalise insecticide use by eliminating unnecessary applications and enabling more efficient, precisely timed and better targeted spray application, thereby reducing costs and prolonging the useful life of the insecticide products available. This approach also supports existing and new EU policy, regulations and requirements. In addition, by rationalising insecticide sprays and eliminating prophylactic treatment the effects on the natural enemies of the pest will be greatly reduced and the overall environmental impact of crop protection will be minimised and thus more sustainable for this part of the Agricultural Industry. The IPM decision support package will be co-ordinated and made available to UK bean growers by PGRO, which is sponsored by UK pea and bean growers, merchants and processors. It provides a research and development programme, together with an advisory and technical service, to support the production of UK pulses and to deliver knowledge and information through the PGRO knowledge transfer portals. Since 2004 direct damage by bruchids, despite intensive insecticide application, resulted in a dramatic loss of income for the industry. Bruchid infestation is the main limiting factor to growth in export and home markets for beans for human consumption since damage tolerance levels are so low. UK field beans failing to meet export quality standards because of bruchid damage can be used for animal feed, which has a considerably lower value. Crops with heavy damage are unsuitable even for animal feed. The export quality criteria for beans include a maximum acceptable level of damaged beans of 2% and no live Bruchids within the seed. In some years, the maximum damage level in some crops of beans has been as high as 40%. Blemishes to broad beans caused by bruchid larvae can result in total crop rejection by processors/retailers, with no other outlet. Thus failure to control bruchid has resulted in many UK growers abandoning bean production altogether. Currently the pest can be found in southern and eastern counties of England, but as beans expand in England and in the borders of Scotland, the risk of further dispersal of the pest is increased and in particular, if weather patterns change over time, then summer temperatures may be more favourable for bruchid survival in the more northerly and western parts of UK. In the UK, field bean or faba bean (Vicia faba) is an important and economically valuable legume break crop since it provides a source of home-grown protein for livestock, a lucrative quality export market for human consumption, and environmental benefits through the requirement of no artificial nitrogen fertiliser but a return of fixed nitrogen to the soil and a source of food for pollinating insects. In order to maintain a continuing crop with export potential, growers need confidence in agronomic practices to be able to produce beans of consistently high quality. The additional potential of an increase in the area grown will add further to the diversity of cropping and the environmental benefits of a legume crop. The provision of a reliable local Decision Support System for UK growers will restore grower confidence by ensuring: a) bruchid damage levels are more predictable, and b) insecticide applications are effective, accurately timed to give optimum control levels and that no unnecessary applications are made. An increased UK production of high quality, unblemished beans for human consumption, with an export potential of £9.8m p.a. in all markets, will allow growers to compete more effectively with growers in other countries. The proposed Decision Support System is unlike any currently used in UK or Europe since it combines a web-based forecasting system and a monitoring trap to allow growers to monitor on farm but to access a nationally available forecasting system to enable local decisions on crop management to be made. Although the pest is also present in France, the local warning system available to French growers is based entirely on local weather forecasting and any treatment is recommended in the absence of knowledge of pest activity in individual crops. The proposed system will not only improve timing of sprays but will eliminate the need for prophylactic treatments where the pest may not be present, thereby improving the economics of pest control for UK growers. The main challenge for the provision of the Decision Support system will be the development of an effective monitoring trap. A prototype trap already exists and will be developed and improved to provide growers with an alert to the pests arrival in the crop. However, alternative monitoring methods such as field counts will be compared throughout the project during the calibration and determination of damage thresholds. Trap catch will be calibrated with the number of pests in the crop at particular crop growth stages and with the damage resulting from that level of pest and the information fed back into the DSS. The design and operation of the DSS will be based on an existing forecasting system used successfuly for potato blight. The working DSS will provide the grower with advice about the need for and timing of insecticide application by relating local meteorological conditions, including maximum day time temperature, which is important for bruchid activity, to the growers trap catch and crop growth stage.