A look behind the scenes at one of the UK’s most important scientific research establishments was on the agenda when Jonathan Shaw, minister for the South East and MP for Chatham & Aylesford, visited East Malling Research (EMR) last week.
Accepting an invitation from EMR and the East Malling Trust for Horticulture Research, which is a major funder of research into top fruit and soft fruit in the UK, Shaw had the opportunity to meet leading scientists in plant breeding, entomology and water management.
Shaw said: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to learn about the excellent work at EMR.”
During the visit the minister saw how, through scientific research, EMR has been able to reduce the amount of water used to grow a tonne of strawberries from 50 tonnes to only 8t, which has major implications not just for UK growers but also for producers in Spain and southern Europe.
Oliver Doubleday, chairman of EMR, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet the minister and showcase some of the groundbreaking work being undertaken by our scientists. At a time when the world is facing the challenge of a growing global population, increased pressure on resources such as water, and the impact of climate change, the scientific endeavours at EMR are even more important than ever.”
The tour also included the new intensive Conference Pear orchard, developed at EMR, in partnership with Sainsbury’s and Chingford Fruit Ltd. The aim is to persuade British growers who have been grubbing up their Conference pear orchards at an alarming rate that the crop can be commercially viable, as the EMR orchard will increase yields from 20-22t per hectare to 55t/ha.
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