Weed control in ornamentals, fruit and vegetable crops - maintaining capability to devise suitable weed control strategies (EMT/HDC/HTA Fellowship)

Part of the EMT/HDC/HTA Fellowship Programme.

The fellowships are funded by the East Malling Trust (EMT), the Horticultural Development Company (HDC), and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA).    The funds provide essential underpinning funding to UK-based applied horticultural researchers working in fields of study crucial to the future efficiency and competitiveness of horticultural crops grown in Britain.  Each fellowship focuses on training the next generation of applied researcher whilst delivering outputs to industry through a flexible programme of work.  The work is flexible so that it can respond to the skills of the individuals undergoing training and the needs of the industry.  Each fellowship is managed by a Steering Group, on behalf of the Horticultural Fellowship Governance Committee.

Project Summary

Weed control is a difficult technical challenge for growers of horticultural crops.  The limited and complex horticultural market is unattractive for agrochemical manufacturers and the loss of approval for traditional horticultural herbicides under recent and impending EC legislation has made the situation more difficult.  There are only two researchers actively working on weed control in horticultural crops in the UK.  For succession it is vital that new recruits are trained in horticultural weed control research to be able to continue a programme of work of benefit to the horticultural industry in years to come. This Fellowship aims to mentor the next generation of horticultural consultants in weed control research covering the ornamentals, fruit and vegetables sectors. 

The work will be undertaken by ADAS trainee consultants Angela Huckle (vegetables), Harriet Roberts (fruit) and David Talbot (ornamentals) supervised and mentored by John Atwood, and weed biologist Lynn Tatnell and Sarah Cook.  Weed control research will therefore become an important part of these new consultants’ portfolio of work, running alongside their crop agronomy work.  In addition, Jessica Sparkes, a graduate weed biologist has been recruited. The fellowship will enable the graduate to work on horticultural weed problems such as perennial weed management and herbicide resistance within current arable work.  Liaison with the European Weed Research Society (EWRS) will be important.