Helping the world from a country estate

Dr Athole Marshall from IBERS has been working on new varieties of oats.

Helping the world from a country estate

The remarkable research work is taking place in rural mid-Wales.

Welsh farmers, families in India and Ghana and fresh meat lovers everywhere should thank the research work taking place in the grounds of one of Wales’s most famous mansions.

At Aberystwyth University’s IBERS buildings in Gogerddan – former country house of one of the country’s leading families – a team of scientists and researchers are carrying out pioneering work that will transform the lives of many millions of people.

This is one of the ‘big ideas’ that Aberystwyth University is contributing towards ‘What’s the Big Idea: Universities Week’.

For the first time, universities throughout the UK are joining forces to celebrate the university sector’s vital contribution to the state’s economic and social life.

Hundreds of events have been organised to show how the big ideas generated in our universities lead to growth, prosperity and development.

As the largest team of its kind in the UK and with more than 90 years’ history behind it, IBERS – the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences – is developing new varieties of plants to take on some of the world’s most pressing problems.

They are using the revolution in biological sciences to develop crops that can offer more food, water and energy security. At the same time, they are improving the health and wellbeing of animals and people across the planet.

Greener grasses
Scientists at Aberystwyth have long understood that better feeding crops lead to better animals and meat. So they are developing types of grasses that offer more nutrition and higher sugar levels and are easier to digest.

The result? Better meat with less fat, and crops that are used more efficiently by the animals, leading to less waste and emissions.
 
Dry pearls
Pearl millet is one of the most valuable staple food crops in very arid parts of India and Africa. But it can be affected by severe drought and the disease downy mildew. After identifying the gene clusters that help plants withstand drought and disease, scientists at IBERS cross-breed the different varieties to create new varieties that are more resistant and productive.

The result? Crops that can withstand some of the effects of climate change and can transform the lives of farmers and poor families in some of the world’s most difficult habitats.
 
Markers for meat
One of the greatest threats to the meat industry are outbreaks of food poisoning caused by contamination. One of the possible causes is tiny traces of animal waste coming into contact with the meat. IBERS’s scientists have devised a technique that uses chlorophyll markers on feed crops which makes it possible to screen for contamination.
 
The result? Greater security for the public, less danger of public health crises and of unexpected costs for the agricultural and meat industries.
 
The best oats
Varieties of winter oats developed at IBERS dominate the UK market. For many years, they have been creating a series of new and better varieties. Many have won awards and have been included on the industry’s recommended lists. They are more productive and resistant, easier to grow and need less chemical fertiliser.

The result? More efficient crops and more profit for farmers. Less effect on the environment.
 
“These are only a few of the many projects taking place at IBERS,” said Aberystwyth University’s Vice-chancellor, Professor Noel Lloyd. “The aim of our work is to create benefits for the agricultural industry, the environment and society.

“These are all fine examples of how world class expertise and detailed research work can be turned into practical solutions for some of the major challenges facing the planet.
 
“All of this is happening at Aberystwyth and, as part of the University, the expertise and experience at IBERS is being transferred to the next generation of scientists.”

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