BOFIN seeks growers to drive discussion on precision breeding and share insights with the wider agricultural community
The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) is looking for farmers to become ‘PROBITY Pathfinders’, taking a vital role in the Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield (PROBITY) project.
The main responsibility of the PROBITY Pathfinders will be to drive discussion on precision breeding and share insights with the wider agricultural community.
Tom Allen-Stevens, founder of BOFIN said: “The Sequence Circle is our community to lead discussion on precision-bred crops and help steer the PROBITY project. It launches next month and we need farmers who are motivated to generate open discussion and help us push forward with the project. As with all BOFIN projects the Pathfinders will receive a payment for their involvement.”
The Sequence Circle includes a moderated discussion forum and resource hub which will be launched as part of a special event at this year’s CropTec.
Allen-Stevens added: “Our Pathfinders will act as project ambassadors and help build the community to include as many farmers as possible. Then together with scientists, plant-breeding representatives and other industry innovators our ambition is that it becomes a hive of activity, with ongoing discussion to steer the project going forward.”
The PROBITY project launched in August this year. It is a three-year, £2.2m farmer-led project, funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme. Defra is working in partnership with Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation agency, who are delivering the programme.
In 2025/26 up to 25 English farms will participate in on-farm trials which will see the first gene-edited crops to be grown on commercial farms in Europe. In the meantime the project’s activities include multiplying up seed of three varieties created through gene-editing.
Allen-Stevens concluded: ” This project has the potential to bring about a revolution in how we grow cereals. I encourage anyone wanting to be part of this pivotal project to apply to become a PROBITY Pathfinder.”
Suitable candidates for the role are arable farmers who are seen as thought-leaders within the industry, with effective credible networks and existing platforms with which they engage with other farmers. They do not have to support precision breeding but should have a track record of supporting evidence-based and informed opinion and preferably a passion for innovation.
For more information on the project and the PROBITY Pathfinder role, visit probityproject.co.uk
