East Malling Research (EMR) has appointed Fiona Wilson to the newly created role of ornamentals co-ordinator.
Wilson will liaise regularly with growers to ensure development of focused relevant new programmes of R&D, aimed at improving all aspects of commercial production.
She will use her expertise in ornamentals breeding and trialling together with that of other EMR scientists to undertake research and commercial trials.
Wilson’s career in plant science research and horticulture has been developed at several organisations since she obtained a degree in Botany from the University of St Andrews. Most recently she was principal trials officer at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gardens at Wisley.
She has previously worked at EMR developing methods and breeding lines for genetic improvement of hardy nursery stock. She has also worked for Shell Forestry Ltd, Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) and Twyford Plant Laboratories Ltd.
EMR's ornamentals facilities include the East Malling Water Centre for irrigation research, glasshouse, containment units (for study of plant diseases), experimental and field scale plantings.
It also includes modern research laboratories including plant tissue culture, genomics and DNA fingerprinting and controlled environment units for scheduling and shelf-life research.
Wilson said: "I am very much looking forward to meeting growers from across the country, and to the challenge of developing solutions to the difficulties they are currently facing.
“Joining the ornamentals team at EMR is a great opportunity, as I can combine my keen interest in plant science with my enthusiasm for developing the UK ornamentals industry."
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