§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the research projects currently carried out at his experimental centres at Brogdale, Lizcombe, Luddington and Rosewarne.
§ Mr. RyderThe following Government-funded R and D projects are currently being carried out, in whole or in part, at the experimental centres indicated.
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Publicly funded projects (whole or part) at Luddington EHS 1989–90 CP27 Investigations to assist in the interpretation of data from surveys of pesticide residues in agriculture and horticulture produce FNO2 Container grown nursery stock production FNO3 Field grown nursery stock selection and propagation FNO4 Field grown nursery stock production GTO1 Apples and pears variety trialling GTO2 Apples and pears—production GT03 Plums and cherries variety trialling GT04 Plums and cherries production GT05 Cider apples and other fruit for juicing GT10 Strawberries variety trialling GT1I Strawberries production GT12 Cane bush and other fruits variety trialling
GT13 Cane bush and other fruits production GT21 Fruit, soil management and crop nutrition GT22 Top fruit pest and disease control GT23 Soft fruit control of pests and diseases PC02 Lettuce production and varieties PC04 Tomato production VG01 Brassicas, variety evaluation VGO2 Brassica crop production VG05 Salads, variety evaluation VG10 Alliums, variety evaluation VG11 Albums production VG20 Other vegetables variety evaluation VG21 Other vegetables—crop production VG25 Field vegetable, soil management and nutrition VG26 Field vegetable pest control VG29 To develop improved post harvest handling and storage techniques for minimising wastage and extending market life Commercial contract and levy-funded R and D is not included.
Publicly funded projects (whole or part) at Rosewarne EHS 1989–90 FN10 Narcissus variety trialling propagation stock selection and evaluation FN11 Narcissus production FN12 Other bulbs and bulb flowers varieties and propagation FN21 Bulb diseases AR01 Early potatoes-variety testing AR03 Early potatoes-production agronomy VG01 Brassicas, variety evaluation VG02 Brassica crop production VG13 Roots production VG25 Field vegetables, soil management and nutrition VG27 Diseases of field vegetables and their control 614W
Publicly funded projects (whole or part) at Brogdale EHS 1989–90 GT01 Apples and pears variety trialling GT02 Apples and pears—production GT03 Plums and cherries variety trialling GT04 Plums and cherries production GT10 Strawberries variety trialling GT11 Strawberries production GTI2 Cane bush & other fruits variety trialling GT13 Cane bush and other fruits production GT21 Fruit, soil management and crop nutrition GT22 Top fruit pest and disease control
EC22 Propagation weaning and growing on farm woodland nursery transplants FN01 Container grown nursery stock selection and propagation
Publicly funded projects (whole or part) at Liscombe EHF1989–90 BC02 Reproduction and rearing of beef cattle BC03 Finishing systems EC20 The establishment and management of small farm woodlands BN02 Evaluation of the resistance to deterioration of alternative floor surface treatments in bunker GR02 Sward establishment and management for grazing and conservation GR10 Grass and forage conservation SH01 Genetics—sheep breeding SH02 Reproduction rearing and the nutrition of the ewe an suckling lamb SH03 Nutrition and management of the weaned lamb SH04 Multicomponent studies housing and handling
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff are currently employed at the Institute of Horticultural Research at Littlehampton; how many staff will be made redundant when the institute closes in three years' time; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonI have been asked to reply.
The complement of full-time staff employed at IHR Littlehampton is 177. There are 33 part-time staff. The number likely to be make redundant when the Littlehampton site closes cannot be forecast but will be kept to a minimum by redeployment of staff between sites in the institutes and elsewhere in the AFRC and by natural wastage in the period until the closure. The timetable for restructuring is still uncertain. A start will depend on extra funding for a building programme and transfer costs and three years will be needed to complete the process.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the projects currently undertaken at the Institute of Horticultural Research at Littlehampton; if he will indicate which projects are due to be relocated when the site is closed in three years' time; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonI have been asked to reply.
The programmes currently undertaken at the AFRC Institute of Horticultural Research, Littlehampton are:
- Energy saving in glasshouses.
- Production systems for protected crops.
- Control of pests and diseases of protected crops.
- Evaluation of biological and other novel methods for pest control.
- Mushrooms.
- Production of ornamental bulbs and corms.
- Control of diseases and pests of ornamental bulbs and corms.
- Development of integrated control techniques for pests of outdoor crops.
- Molecular and cell biology of strategic plant processes.
Other programmes undertaken jointly at Littlehampton and at the East Mailing and Wellesbourne sites of IHR, are: 615W
- Breeding and selection of hardy ornamental nursery stock.
- Propagation and production of hardy ornamentals. Crop protection of hardy ornamentals.
- Optimum harvesting, storage and marketing conditions for top fruit and soft fruit.
- Horticultural crop improvement by non-conventional methods.
- Physiology and biochemistry of crop development.
- Root development and function.
- Investigation of host/pathogen relationships.
- Development of novel methods of pest and disease control.
There are also several industrially-supported projects which supplement AFRC funded programmes.
Under the AFRC's restructuring plan, implementation of which will depend on the extra funding for a building programme and transfer costs, most Littlehampton programmes will be transferred to the principal IHR research station at Wellesbourne.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the projects that are currently undertaken at the North Wyke research station; if he will indicate which projects have been identified as near market and which of these have definite funding from outside bodies and industry; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonI have been asked to reply.
The information requested is as follows:
Current (1989–90) Programme Funded by MAFF Commissions and if Near Market
- Comparison of the yield potential of permanent grass swards, and re-seeds of contrasting ages. Yes.
- Productivity and clover compatibility of late-maturing tetraploid perennial ryegrass under cutting and grazing. Yes.
- Yield potential of low-input grazing legumes.
- Production and utilisation of grass grown with broad-leaved trees.
- Nitrogen cycling in grazed grassland as influenced by sward composition, fertiliser input and drainage.
- Effects of soil conditions on nutrient availability.
- Fertiliser strategies to reduce leaching losses from grazed grass.
- Establish responses to grazing management with cows grazing permanent grass swards. Yes.
- To improve by supplementation the utilisation of grazed pastures and nutrients derived from them. Yes.
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£000 Local Authorities Yield of Districts Domestic Rates 1988–89 Yield of Regional Domestic Rates 1988–89 Total Yield of Domestic Rates 1988–89 Orkney 1,258 1,258 Shetland 3,310 3,310 Western Isles 2,576 2,576 Berwickshire 480 2,323 2,802 Ettrick and Lauderdale 919 3,879 4,799 Roxburgh 1,073 4,115 5,189 Tweeddale 386 1,929 2,314 Clackmannan 2,098 5,687 7,785 Falkirk 5,265 17,493 22,758 Stirling 5,317 11,906 17,224 Annandale and Eskdale 1,067 4,359 5,425 Nithsdale 1,697 6,936 8,633 Stewartry 692 3,250 3,942 Wigtown 714 3,569 4,282 Dunfermline 4,114 17,746 21,860 Kirkcaldy 5,955 20,470 26,425 North East Fife 2,941 11,273 14,215 Aberdeen City 8,622 26,606 35,228 Banff and Buchan 2,356 8,141 10,497 Gordon 1,869 8,075 9,944 Kincardine and Deeside 1,111 5,854 6,966 Moray 2,003 8,240 10,243 Badenoch and Strathspey 240 1,562 1,802 Caithness 627 2,608 3,235
- To develop optimum strategies for low-input beef production on long-term grassland including grass/clover swards.
- The utilisation of grass-white clover swards for milk production.
- Physiology of plant/animal interactions in grazing systems.
- Develop lamb production systems based on long-term grass-white clover swards. Yes.
- None of the near-market identified work has yet been picked up by alternative sponsors.
Current (1989–90) Contract programmes showing sponsor
- Fertiliser effects on productivity and botanical composition on permanent in Somerset Moors. NCC, MAFF, DOE.
- Forms of phosphate fertiliser for grass-clover swards. Timac.
- Pests and disease control in grassland. Various.
- Effects of fertilisers and other inputs on grass and grass-clover productivity. ICI, Farrant.