Resources for Crop R & D
Warwick HRI Wellesbourne Warwick Warwickshire CV35 9EF Tel: +44 (0)24 7657 4455
www.warwickhri.ac.uk
We work closely with industry partners, funding bodies and levy boards to address real issues affecting growers and producers today. Please view all our current projects with industry at: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/whri/research/crop
For more information on Warwick Plant and Crop Sciences, visit:
www.go.warwick.ac.uk/plantandcropsciences
About Warwick HRI Warwick HRI is the Department of the University of Warwick which specialises in plant, crop and environmental science. It was recently ranked number one for research excellence in the UK Universities Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) - in the category for agricultural, veterinary and food science. The department has strong links with research institutions, business, and industry, both in the United Kingdom and overseas, working to develop innovative and exciting areas of research and technology. Warwick HRI is situated between Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. There are modern laboratories and 192 hectares of prime Warwickshire countryside, half of which is farmed conventionally, whilst the other half (including over one hectare of glasshouses and polytunnels) is used for scientific research and field trials. The range of resources and facilities is outstanding and they are used for R & D projects on plants, soils, microorganisms, invertebrates and other aspects of the environment. Some facilities are unique and many are geared towards applied research on protected and outdoor crops. Warwick HRI scientists use these excellent resources and facilities to undertake a diverse range of work for research councils, government and industry. In addition, most of the facilities are also available for use by other organisations.
Outdoor Crops Our site covers 192 hectares and the soil type is predominantly a sandy loam (sand over gravel). We have an on site reservoir with an 18 million litre capacity to service most of the fields directly from a borehole. Whilst half of the land is farmed conventionally, there are centralised fields available for outdoor trials and a range of unique specialised areas maintained for more specific requirements. Weather records are taken on a daily basis, from our Agro-Met station. The readings form part of the Met office historical data set and date back to 1959.
............................................ Crop Production
Crops grown currently include field vegetables, oil seed rape, cereals and potatoes, herbs, narcissus, hardy nursery stock and willow.
Our facilities include: • •
Over 12 hectares, available annually for field vegetable and associated trials work.
•
Mobile rain shelters (4 x 12 m polytunnels on 2 x 100 m length tracks) providing excellent facilities for controlled irrigation studies.
•
Glasshouses and frames for plant raising.
•
A range of shelf life facilities for assessing prepared salads, pot plants and harvest produce.
•
Assistance with experimental design and data analysis provided by a team of biometricians.
12 hectare organic site registered with the Soil Association (G2085) with full history, two stage conversion from conventional farming to arable/ organic vegetable production.
Contact: sally.mann@warwick.ac.uk
Environmental Studies The site provides plenty of opportunities for studies on soils, plants and animals.
Our facilities include: • 20 hectares of arable reversion with full soil history, sown with various grass mixes as part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme inviting ecological and environmental studies. • 14 hectares of land in permanent grassland located in small meadows next to the River Dene (managed as set-aside). • 6127 m hedgerow management (on both sides). • 856 m half ditch management. • 3 protected in-field trees including black poplar. • Maintenance of traditional farm buildings. • Field corner management. • Beetle banks.
Contact: bill.finch-savage@warwick.ac.uk
Pest, Disease and Weed Management This site is ideal for studies on pest, disease and weed control .
Our facilities include: •
Official Recognition to undertake efficacy trials (ORETO 211).
•
Clubroot infected site.
•
Allium White Rot infected site.
•
Specific site with perpetual carrot fly population.
•
Specific site for cabbage root fly trials .
•
Specific site for lettuce root aphid trials.
•
Cavity spot infected site.
• An organic site (12 Ha) registered with the Soil Association (G2085) with full history; two stage conversion established in 1995 from conventional farming to organic arable/vegetable production. •
An insect rearing unit which provides material for laboratory and field experiments.
•
Containment facilities for work on plant viruses and exotic insects.
•
Assistance with experimental design and data analysis provided by a team of biometricians.
Contact: rosemary.collier@warwick.ac.uk
Soil and Nutrient Management We have a number of specialised facilities to support studies on soil and nutrient management.
Our facilities include: • Site with depleted P & K status for soil nutrient studies. • Precision fertiliser application technology. • Hydroponic and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) growing facilities for accurate supply of nutrients. • Non-destructive root growth assessment facilities. • On-site soil and plant analytical laboratory. • Compost mixing equipment. • 12 hectare organic site registered with the Soil Association (G2085) with full history, two stage conversion from conventional farming to arable / vegetable production.
Contact: john.hammond@warwick.ac.uk
Protected crops The site at Wellesbourne has a wide variety of specialised structures ranging from state of the art glasshouses offering precise environment control, to basic polytunnels and cold frames. These facilities can be used for a wide range of studies on both protected edible and ornamental crops. We have official recognition to undertake efficacy trials (ORETO 211).
Glasshouse Facilities
We have over 6000 m2 of glasshouse (Gh) space split into various sizes of houses and compartments (6 m2 – 160 m2) with a range of attributes including heating, supplementary lighting, forced fan ventilation, air conditioning, shade screens, blackouts, night-break lighting, CO2 enrichment, insect proofing and specialised containment facilities.
............................................. Gh A A soil-based basic glasshouse (160 m ) ideal for growing an assortment 2
of crops under glass; currently benched out as large plant raising area. This facility has been used for: seed production and artificial infection of plants with sclerotinia to evaluate biological control agents.
Gh B A linear array of 13 compartments (12 x 90 m and 1 x 60m ) ideal for growing 2
2
semi-commercial crops. The block is controlled by a modern Priva Integro computer and has independent environmental recording to ensure precise environmental control. CO2 enrichment and monitoring is available in all compartments, and some compartments are equipped with individual heat and electricity meters for work on energy saving. The irrigation room has two Priva nutriflex irrigation rigs to enable hydroponic crops to be grown with different feed recipes, and low EC water is available via a reverse osmosis plant. The block also contains a suite of 12 automated photoperiod chambers (across 3 glasshouse compartments) enabling the effects of daylength and temperature to be examined. Crops grown in Gh B include hydroponic, high wire crops such as tomatoes and peppers, and soil grown cut flowers such as chrysanthemums and lisianthus. Four compartments have been benched out, with lighting and blackouts, to accommodate pot and bedding plants.
Gh C Quarantine heated and lit glasshouse facility with shade screens offering
negative pressure, pollen filtration and conditions for containment level A and B work (2 x 40 m2, 19 x 20 m2 & 4 x13 m2 compartments) with restricted entry; own potting area with autoclave. This facility has been used for various genetic studies on a wide range of crops.
Gh D A multi-functional house with 12 compartments; 6 x 40 m with blackout screens, 2
night break and supplementary lighting; 6 x 20 m2 with shade screens and supplementary lighting – four of which have air conditioning. This facility has been used for Brassica pollination, sclerotinia and white rot studies, and environmental control based on infra red monitoring of plant temperatures.
Gh E A linear array of 8 x 40 m compartments equipped with supplementary 2
lighting, shade screens, CO2 enrichment and benching. Most compartments also have blackout screens and night-break lighting for the manipulation of daylength. All of the compartments are equipped with forced fan ventilation and one has air conditioning. The block has independent environmental logging to ensure precise environmental control. This facility has been used for investigating different temperature integration strategies to save energy for pot and bedding plants, and the effects of nutrition.
Gh G Simple, basic, isolated houses (6 m compartments) ideal for small scale pest 2
and disease work. This facility has been used for studies on thrip and red spider mite on cucumbers and rearing pest insects e.g. Thrips tabaci. Miscellaneous other houses offer a range of plant growing areas and conditions.
Contact: sally.mann@ warwick.ac.uk
Polytunnels We have approximately 7000 m2 of polythene structures and cold frames for work on protected crops which do not require precise environmental control.
Our facilities include: •
Thermogradient tunnels (2 x 270 m2) providing large areas with 4°C differential from one end to the other, ideal for investigating crop response to increased temperature associated with climate change.
•
Tygan houses – 5 straight sided tunnels with soil based floor, mesh sides, polythene porch and insect proofing. Ideal for isolation studies.
•
Gallas Leys polytunnels – straight sided, either benched out or fitted with individual insect proof cages, ideal for pollination work.
•
Standard polytunnels – 15 structures (16.5 m x 5.5 m). Ideal for seed production and small scale outdoor crops requiring some protection from the elements.
•
Spanish tunnel – 6 bays 8 m x 40 m providing an ideal outdoor environment with flexible polythene roof cover and sides, if necessary.
•
Dutch Light frames – 10 soil based frames; all with glass or bird netting covers. 6 standing out frames filled with gravel and /or covered in mypex. Ideal for hardening off transplants.
•
4 sand beds for capillary irrigation of nursery stock.
Contact: sally.mann@warwick.ac.uk
Booking a Field or Glasshouse Trial To book your trial, please contact us and request a proposal form. Once completed, we ask that you return it with a full experimental protocol and any necessary risk assessments. Once the enquiry has been approved in principle we will contact you to discuss individual trials in detail and agree potential locations. Biometricians may be available to assist with experimental design.
For further information, please contact us: Sally Mann
Experimental Coordinator sally.mann@warwick.ac.uk Tel: 024 7657 5007
Julian Brandreth
Field Services Manager julian.brandreth@warwick.ac.uk Tel: 024 7657 5044
Peter Watson
Protected Crops Manager peter.watson@warwick.ac.uk Tel: 024 7657 4971
Technical Services Controlled Environment and Shelf life studies We have two Controlled Environment (CE) buildings which house a variety of plant growth chambers from reach-in cabinets and shelf rooms to walk-in rooms. A central monitoring system logs temperature and humidity in most of the rooms and cabinets. In some cases, carbon dioxide concentration and light are also monitored. The system can also transmit control profiles to equipment with suitable programmable controllers. All of the cabinets/rooms are monitored with alarms connected to a 24hour dial out system.
Our facilities include: • nine Saxcil cabinets
• four refurbished ‘PEL’ shelf rooms
• four Weiss growth rooms
• two Tissue Culture Rooms
• four medium Sanyo cabinets
• three medium size Conviron shelf rooms
• six small Sanyo cabinets
• one CEC shelf room
• two small Fison cabinets
The Electronics and Control section has the facilities and expertise to design and build a wide range of equipment related particulary to control, instrumentation and sensors. It coordinates technical support for scientific projects and brings together the different disciplines within technical services, i.e. mechanical engineering/electronics/ controls and liaising with estates for electrical assistance. Data loggers are in widespread use for environmental monitoring and recording sensors on individual plants and within crops. Expert assistance is available for configuring data loggers and connecting the many different types of sensors and instruments. Modification and repairs to scientific and laboratory equipment is carried out including electronics repairs to component level.
............................................
Calibration facilities are available within the Department to calibrate
temperature and humidity sensors to a UKAS/NPL traceable source in the Technical Services Calibration Lab. Equipment includes a Rotronic Hydrogen temperature/humidity calibrator, an MBW dew point meter and a Fluke Hart Scientific digital thermometer. These units are portable so can be used where ever they are needed. CO2 monitors and controllers can be checked/calibrated using standard calibration gases and a zero column of soda lime on a portable rig. A process for calibrating Kipp and Zonen pyranometers is being developed and calibration of PAR light sensors is soon to be available. The section provides support and calibration for all the sensors, controllers, analysers, and alarm units in the Glasshouses, Controlled Environment and the Bioconversion Unit.
............................................
The Engineering Workshop is well equipped with a variety of modern
machine tools ranging from lathes to milling machines. There is also a sheet metal working shop including bending, cutting and welding facilities. The workshop technician has an extensive range of skills and experience. He has a wide experience of design using AutoCAD and is skilled in the use of a large range of machines, workshop techniques and materials.
Contact: alan.morgan@warwick.ac.uk
Shelf / Home Life of Ornamentals Performance in shelf life is an integral part of the quality of ornamental products. Life on the supermarket shelf can be assessed for plants still in packaging, which may then be followed by assessment in a simulated home environment on unpackaged plants. Examples of previous work includes the assessment of chrysanthemums grown using temperature integration regimes and new poinsettia varieties suitable for UK production, plus digital imaging to evaluate performance of bedding plants after planting out.
Our facilities include: •
Performance testing post harvest.
• Packaging plants according to commercial norms. • Exposure of plants to a simulated transport phase . • Simulation of chilled transport using cold rooms. • A range of controlled temperature facilities are available with lighting, which may be adjusted for quality, quantity and duration. Routinely monitoring is also available via inbuilt and/or independent temperature, humidity and light logging as required.
Contact: debbie.fuller@warwick.ac.uk
Shelf Life of Vegetables Including the Leafy Salads Laboratory The shelf life facility was set up to mimic the environment of a supermarket. It forms the end point of a simulated fresh produce supply chain (from field to shelf ). Housed within a controlled environment chamber, the local environment can be altered to suit the experimental regime. The leafy salads laboratory is a fully functional field laboratory, providing a bridge between the field and our controlled environment facilities. The laboratory has walk in cold rooms that can be used to mimic post harvest cold storage.
Contact: p.g.walley@warwick.ac.uk
Other Services and Facilities The remit of the Genetic Resources Unit is the collection, conservation, characterisation and documentation of research in a range of vegetable crops and their wild relatives.
Contact: charlotte.allender@warwick.ac.uk
............................................ The Genomics Resource Centre utilises the latest genomics
research techniques and provides expertise in genomics and access to modern robotics to perform high throughput experiments. In addition to the genomics laboratory we have a freezer archive, liquid nitrogen store, regeneration unit and seed store.
Contact: guy.barker@warwick.ac.uk
............................................
The Analytical Suite enables the routine analysis of crops, soil and
compost for nutrient status. Analyses typically include the major nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, but can also include trace elements to customer specifications. The laboratory uses modern instrumental methods and has a dedicated and experienced team of technicians who can provide high throughput analysis of samples. The team is also experienced in the analysis of pesticide residues and is able to undertake analysis of both organic pollutants and naturally occurring plant chemicals using HPLC, GC, HPLC-MS and GC-MS.
Contact: andrew.jukes@warwick.ac.uk
Insect Rearing The Insect Rearing Unit is dedicated to the production of high quality insects for experimental studies. The Unit consists of two laboratories and 10 controlled environment rooms of different sizes. A large laboratory is used for general insect work and the other, smaller, laboratory is used for the production of artificial diets for insect rearing. Insect cultures and experiments are maintained in the controlled environment rooms, where temperature and daylength can be set. A range of endemic pest insect species are reared for research projects (e.g. cabbage root fly, diamond-back moth, large white butterfly, several species of aphid). Elsewhere there are containment (controlled environment and glasshouse) facilities to rear exotic species under licence. Some of the controlled environment rooms are used to grow insect-free plants to feed to insects and one room houses a large chamber which is used to conduct studies on insect behaviour.
Contact: rosemary.collier@warwick.ac.uk
Mushroom Production The unit has facilities for production of button mushrooms and exotic species such as oyster mushrooms and shii-take.
Our facilities include: •
Phase I compost production in turned windrows and controlled in-vessel.
•
Compost pasteurisation (Phase II) and bulk spawn-running (Phase III) in four 6-tonne and two 20-tonne capacity computer-controlled bulk tunnels.
•
Mushroom casing mixing facilities.
•
Mushroom cropping in four larger rooms with 160 tray capacity and six smaller rooms with 40 tray capacity; computer controlled environment.
............................................ Composted Growing Media Organic wastes (green wastes, paper, cardboard, wood fibre etc) are composted to produce peat-free growing media.
Our facilities include: •
Large-scale mechanical shredding and blending of compost feedstocks.
•
Controlled in-vessel composting facilities for composting 1–25 m3 batches of materials.
•
Large-scale blending equipment for mixing composts with other growing media ingredients.
Contact: ralph.noble@warwick.ac.uk
Biorefinery The development of novel technologies based on innovative science with an industryfocused outlook is critical for the production of sustainable feedstocks and materials. The University of Warwick has developed a multidisciplinary approach utilising expertise from the physical and life sciences and engineering to exploit plants and plant
Our facilities include • Large-scale fermentors with capabilities up to 300 Litres. • Large-scale mechanical shredding and blending of compost feedstocks. • A pilot scale anaerobic digestor for the production of biogas and development of novel materials.
Contact: daniel.eastwood@warwick.ac.uk
Warwick HRI Conference Facilities The conference centre is the ideal venue for holding meetings, training events, conferences and ‘Away Days.’ Situated at the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, near Stratford-upon-Avon and close to the historic towns of Warwick and Leamington Spa, Warwick HRI Conference Centre is the perfect venue for hosting events for up to 150 delegates.
Contact: alyson.cummings@warwick.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)24 7657 5058 Web: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/whri_conferences
Warwick Enteprise Park Warwick Enterprise Park offers flexible laboratory and office accommodation, at reasonable rates suitable for small and start-up companies; especially those with a biological, scientific or horticultural / agricultural focus. The Enterprise Park has 24-hour access, kitchen facilities and high level security arrangements. Computer controlled glasshouses, cold storage and arable land can be rented either as part of a larger package to include office or laboratory space or individually, to suit tenants’ needs. Our rates are very competitive and include gas, electricity and water (charges may be applicable for high levels of consumption), cleaning and business rates. We have a flexible system of leases and licences to suit individual needs particularly with the start-up company in mind. Free car parking is available for tenants and their visitors.
For more information please visit: www.warwickenterprisepark.com
Knowledge transfer is as vital to Warwick HRI as it is to the industry it serves. We work closely with industry partners, funding bodies and levy boards to address real issues affecting growers and producers today. We share our expertise and we contribute to public understanding of science by hosting events for growers, industry, schools and the general public. For updates on our work and forthcoming events become a friend of Warwick HRI.
For more information please visit: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/whri/friendsof
How to find Us Warwick HRI is conveniently situated near the village of Wellesbourne, just 3 miles from Junction 15 of the M40. From Junction 15, M40 Follow signs for Wellesbourne and Cirencester along the A429. Warwick HRI is on the right after 3 miles. From Stratford upon Avon Take the B4086 (first on the left after the River Avon) to Wellesbourne. After 5 miles, just before the village, turn left onto the A429. Warwick HRI is on the left.
By Rail The nearest railway stations are Warwick, Warwick Parkway, and Stratford-upon-Avon (all approximately 5 miles away). Leamington Spa Station is approximately 8 miles from the site. Taxis should be available at these stations to bring you to the Conference Centre. Satellite Navigation Please note that some satellite navigation systems do not bring you to our site when you input our postcode. If you experience difficulties, please use the alternative postcode CV35 9EQ.
www.warwickhri.ac.uk