A three year project, seeking to secure critical potato nematology expertise for the future and aiming to ensure continuity of scientific skills for the industry, is being led by Dr Jon Pickup, Head of Virology & Zoology at Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).
One of three AHDB Potato Fellowship Awards, the project, worth a total of £220,000, with 50 per cent of the funds contributed by SASA itself, will include a critical review of the current nematode management practices deployed across Britain to produce a strategy for their future management. This will support growers in meeting their requirements imposed through the European Union Control Directive on Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN), 2007/33/EC.
Appointed Fellow, Dr Kim Davie, will take up the mantle, building on her background knowledge of nematology, the seed potato regulatory system and her doctorate study on damaging potato viruses.
AHDB Potatoes Head of Research, Dr Mike Storey added “The aim of these Fellowship Awards is to help retain key technical capacity within the industry. This Study in particular will enable a quality new entrant to equip themselves with the research skills to continue to meet the challenges presented by PCN, arguably the biggest long term issue for the potato industry.”
Source: farminguk.com
