On Thursday, three of the UK’s research councils announced that ten interdisciplinary research projects will each receive a share of a £3.2 million pot aimed at improving the sustainability of UK farming.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) announced details of the public funding, which was awarded under the second round of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC), in partnership with 12 industry partners. SARIC was formed in 2014 with the input of agricultural levy boards, trade associations and academics with the aim of translating research findings into solutions and knowledge in the field.

The public-private partnership has a total budget of £10m for use in supporting projects that will bolster the sustainability of UK agriculture. SARIC backed six projects with £4.7m of funding in 2015.

Among the funded research studies is work to improve the weather resilience of crops, sensing soil nitrogen, and advanced technologies for crop management. Work to improve slurry usage and potato cyst nematode management is also being funded, alongside devices to assess and improve the use of animal nutrients, and an assessment of the risks of pesticide run-off.

Speaking on behalf of the collaborating UK Research Councils, BBSRC spokesperson Dr Karen Lewis said, “The projects recommended for funding through this round of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club will contribute to addressing issues relevant both to sustainable intensification of farming and the agricultural industry.

“We are pleased that the projects will investigate a diverse range of topics that explore biological, environmental and social issues in agriculture. The SARIC community is well placed to ensure the results of these studies can be translated into benefits for society.”

SARIC was formed following consultation with trade associations, levy boards, policy makers and academia. The discussions identified a need to bring together researchers from the environmental, biological and social sciences with industry, to translate knowledge for the purpose of progressing towards more sustainable agricultural systems.

Industry partners pay a subscription fee to be part of SARIC and benefit from improved connectivity with the UK research base and early access to research and translation outcomes. This five year public-private partnership will result in approximately £10M being invested to address key challenges identified by industry.

For more information about SARIC visit the website here. 

The funded research projects are:

The translational research projects backed under the scheme are: