A groundbreaking research project has been launched to combat the devastating pre- and post-harvest losses caused by Fusarium Basal Rot (FBR) to onion cultivation.
FBR represents a significant threat to the UK onion industry, with losses reaching 40% and costing the industry over £10M per year. FBR is driving onion growers out of business and, with climate change exacerbating the issue, innovative solutions are urgently needed.
How are we tackling FBR?
A 24-Month project funded through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK seeks to transform the management of FBR through a comprehensive strategy. By integrating state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics, agronomic expertise, and sensor technology, this £1M project aims to equip UK onion producers with resources to effectively address the threat of FBR throughout the cultivation cycle.
The project consortium is led by R&D company B-Hive Innovations Ltd, in collaboration with the UK Agri-Tech Centre, The University of Warwick, RSK-ADAS, VCS Agronomy, and AB Centre. The project is further supported by G’s Growers, Moulton Bulb Company, Stourgarden, Bedfordshire Growers and the British Onion Producers Association.
The initiative has ambitious goals to reduce FBR prevalence by 50%, representing a large saving in annual losses and improving the industries sustainability over the long-term.
Dr. Alex McCormack, Field and Veg (Agronomy) Specialist at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said:
“I look forward to delivering this project alongside the UK Agri-Tech Centre staff and delivery partners at the Digital Phenotyping Facility and Crop Storage and Post Harvest Solution. Together, we will help to answer some of the questions around how technologies such as imaging and novel sensors can be used to detect disease as early as possible. We hope to inform grower interventions and management practices by combining and applying these technologies.”
