Four new interdisciplinary projects received £1.8 million to improve the sustainability of UK farming.
Funded in the third round of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC), the grants have been awarded by BBSRC and NERC, alongside 12 other industry partners. SARIC supports interdisciplinary projects which develop solutions to key challenges affecting the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of the UK crop and livestock sectors.
The projects include exploring biological management strategies to control insect populations, and investigation of the use of sheep in arable rotations. The funded translational projects include a novel soil health monitoring approach for livestock farming and development of a farmer decision support tool to assist with systemic grassland management.
Aligning with the research priorities laid out in the 25 Year Plan published by the Department for Environment, Farming, and Rural Affairs (Defra) in January 2018, these projects will improve the UK’s soil health and reduce the use of artificial pesticides.
Source: BBSRC