Cherry production throughout Europe is set to benefit from this month's signing of an EU Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) action initiative, involving scientists at East Malling Research (EMR).
The principal focus of COST is to enable scientific collaboration and networking, with cherry researchers at EMR and across Europe combining their expertise on plant genetics, physiology and pest and disease management to promote sustainable cherry production in the EU.
European breeding programmes will reportedly benefit from new technologies, helping to establish co-ordinated marker-assisted selection strategies to allow breeders to identify desirable traits at the seedling stage, optimising the development of new cultivars.
Peter Gregory, chief executive of EMR, commented: “The COST programme, like much of the work at East Malling, is placing emphasis on helping growers meet consumer demand, while at the same time promoting sustainable agriculture and adapting to climate change. By promoting collaboration between researchers and improving the co-ordination of European cherry research, UK growers should expect new varietal advances and the development of novel production techniques that will further underpin competitive UK production.”
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