Sowing the seeds

Students working in the field at IBERS

For the first time Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) will be exhibiting at Cereals, the leading technical event for the UK arable industry, which takes place from 13-14 June in Lincolnshire.

IBERS will be showcasing research work with a focus on oats and miscanthus, also known as Asian elephant grass; along with the courses and study facilities available at Aberystwyth, which include state-of-the-art buildings, research facilities and laboratories.

Dr Iwan Owen, the course manager of the Agriculture degree schemes in IBERS, explains “There has never been a more exciting time to get involved in agriculture. There is a whole raft of changes taking place and exciting new opportunities which are appearing not only nationally, but on a global scale.

”The industry as a whole is enjoying great success at present and the future bodes well for those individuals thinking of a career in the agricultural industry. Careers include farm management, consultancy, local and national government, the agri-environment as well as research and development.”

Agriculture and Biological Sciences degree schemes provided by IBERS, achieved the top scores in last year’s National Student Survey (NSS) for the whole of the UK.

Institute Director Professor Wayne Powell commented on the results: “The commitment and expertise of staff, the excellent resources such as farms, laboratories and the wonderful Aberystwyth environment, all combine to make IBERS an obvious first choice.

“Research being undertaken here at IBERS tackles some of the pressing issues faced by the world today which includes climate change, food and water security, and the need to replace fossil fuels.

“Researchers based in the UK and internationally have the very latest technology at their disposal to develop new crop varieties that can thrive in challenging conditions and make a significant contribution to future food production.”

All of the courses available at Aberystwyth not only provide students with technological and scientific information and an awareness of cutting edge research but also the hands-on skills and experience needed to be successful, with work experience in the industry being a feature of each and every course.

More than 470 leading suppliers will come together at Cereals to update 26,900 visitors on the very latest products, ranging from seeds to sprayers, crop varieties to cultivation equipment, fertilisers to finance.

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