Scott Raffle has been appointed to the role of senior knowledge exchange manager at NIAB EMR.
Widely known within the UK fruit industry for his previous work at ADAS, and more recently his work disseminating AHDB-funded fruit research, Raffle is taking on a newly created role to improve the information flow of research results from NIAB EMR and to raise its profile within the industry.
NIAB EMR’s head of science, Professor Xiangming Xu commented: “It is hugely important to recognise that communication out to industry is an integral part of the world-leading science we undertake. Furthermore, this is an exciting time for Scott to be joining NIAB EMR. With the new facilities that have been developed on site through Growing Kent & Medway, the opportunities for the industry to support fruit and other horticultural research here are endless.”
This new role will also allow Raffle to continue working directly with growers, technologists and industry agronomists on projects which encompass invasive pests/diseases such as spotted wing drosophila, fruit breeding programmes and centres of excellence such as NIAB EMR’s WET Centre and Plum Demonstration Centre. He will also work with the Growing Kent & Medway team to promote the new scientific and research facilities being developed at NIAB EMR to bring the industry ever closer to the research base that already exists.
Part of the NIAB Group and the UK’s largest horticultural R&D organisation, NIAB EMR undertakes work in perennial and clonally-propagated crops. Based at East Malling in Kent it provides scientific research, technical services and practical advice to improve the yield, efficiency and resilience of crop production across the sector.
NIAB is the UK’s fastest growing crop science organisation, with rapidly expanding research capabilities in plant genetics, agronomy, farming systems and data science, the largest national field trials capability, and strong research links with industry, Government and academia. With headquarters in Cambridge, and regional offices across the country, employing more than 400 people across the UK, NIAB provides scientific research, technical services and practical advice to improve the yield, efficiency and resilience of crop production across the arable, forage and horticulture sectors.
