What does IBERS offer?

IBERS is an internationally renowned centre for crop improvement, plant-animal-microbe interactions and developing plants for biorenewables. As such it has unique contributions to make to agricultural development.

• IBERS is a major centre for public sector plant breeding in Europe. Its innovative approach to variety development draws on strong underpinning science and state of the art facilities (including next generation sequencing and phenomics) to deliver both public good outcomes and commercial success.
• Our research in plant genetics has a long history of synergy with our related strengths in animal science, particularly ruminant nutrition, meat and milk quality and reducing green-house-gas emissions from livestock agriculture. 
• A third key area is biorenewables, including the development of bioenergy and biorefining applications and enhancing our understanding of the underpinning science.

These areas are complemented by capabilities in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem services, parasite control (Schistosomiasis and Fasciolosis) and disease and climate modelling (Tuberculosis and Malaria).  In this way IBERS is able to contribute to an holistic approach to finding solutions to the key challenges of food security and climate change.

Sustainable Livestock Systems

Food production in many of the world’s poorest areas is dominated by smallholder agriculture; this is complex, diverse and risk-prone. Intensification of smallholder agriculture is essential for enhancing food security and improving smallholder livelihoods.

Plant Breeding

 

We have a strong focus on forage crops (grasses and legumes) but also a major programme in the breeding of cereals, particularly oats. We aim to increase yield and quality while reducing environmental impact and enhancing adaptation to climate change. Successful public-private partnerships ensure on-farm impact.

 

Techniques of molecular breeding have been used to enhance drought tolerance and water use efficiency in temperate and tropical crops. New whole genome sequencing and automated phenotyping facilities will greatly enhance our ability to rapidly translate cutting-edge research into tangible impacts through breeding programmes.

 

Examples of Research

View our brochure - 'Partnerships for International Agricultural Development'

View examples of our research work.

 

Ruminant Systems

IBERS is a world leader in improving the understanding of interactions between ruminant farm animals and the microbes that live within them. This understanding enables farmers to enhance both the quality and sustainability of meat and milk production.  In particular, our research focuses on both reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture to improve sustainability and on identifying components present in meat and milk that contribute to a healthy diet and improve health in the human population. Our work encompasses an holistic view of livestock systems, linking plant, animal and microbial genomes to maximise productivity, reduce environmental impacts and therefore increase the health and wealth of smallholders in low income countries.

IBERS work on high sugar grasses provides an example of science which could be adapted to a developing world context. The utilisation of plant protein in sheep and cattle is inefficient.  Scientific insights regarding sugar accumulation in ryegrass and the activity of microbes in the rumen led to the hypothesis that the breeding of high sugar grasses for animal consumption would increase the capture of nitrogen within the animal and thereby reduce its excretion in waste. Our results have demonstrated that feeding high sugar grasses not only improves productivity in the animal but also reduces methane emissions. This knowledge of crop-microbe-livestock interaction has led to commercially successful varieties enhancing farm profitability and reducing pollution in the UK and increasingly other countries around the world.

Biorenewables

IBERS’ internationally renowned bioenergy work focuses on the development of non-food crops for local bioenergy production and biorefining. To avoid compromising food production, we work with crops that can grow on marginal or contaminated lands unable to support food crops. Such crops hold considerable promise not only to meet local fuel and energy needs but also in many cases to restore soil fertility and reverse desertification. As part of this work we have a major germplasm collection and breeding programme in the energy grass Miscanthus. In addition we are studying the use of bioenergy as a land management tool to maintain biodiversity and return poor quality and underutilized grasslands into productivity. Pioneering techniques to produce a carbon-rich kind of ‘charcoal’ from natural waste, plants and wood are being tested. This ‘biochar’ can improve soil, increasing its ability to retain carbon, water and nutrients.

• 'Biochar' Case Study

Ensuring Impact

IBERS’ impact on UK agriculture is well known. We will continue our commitment to impact by working with existing and new partners to ensure that our science is both tailored to development needs, and plugged into credible impact networks.

Research is a piece of the agricultural improvement puzzle.  Developing new crops and associated processing systems requires intense collaboration across disciplines. Ensuring that new technologies are adopted is equally challenging, and targeted interactions with policy makers and stakeholders along the entire value chain are essential.

Training

IBERS MSc programmes draw upon its research and strongly synergize with the work of its International Development Programme:

• MSc Food and Water Security
• MSc Livestock Science
• MSc Managing the Environment

 PhDs

We have an active and growing PhD programme covering the breadth of our research. This has an increasingly international focus. We intend to establish short-term training courses and fellowship programmes for scientists from low income countries and to enable IBERS staff to participate in visiting lecture programmes.