Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom
March 18, 2010
Scientists at Aberystwyth University are once again leading the way in developing new varieties of one of the UK’s most important crops. And they’ve even beaten the Tardis in the process!
The University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) has had two new winter oat varieties placed on the definitive crop list recommended by the Home Grown Cereals Authority, the body that promotes the production, wholesomeness and marketing of UK grain.
There is increasing awareness of the value of oats both for human consumption and as a high value animal feed. Both varieties build on decades of success at IBERS and provide farmers, millers and feed compounders with oats that are more productive, resilient and easier to grow.
“We are delighted to see our work once again being recognised in this most authoritative list of crops,” said IBERS Director, Professor Wayne Powell.
“Even more important is that these new oat varieties will help make UK farmers more profitable and will benefit the environment.”
Winter oats developed at IBERS now account for 70% of the UK’s £2 million-a-year market in oat seeds. One variety, called Gerald, is the market leader, accounting for 45% of the total crop of winter oats.
This year, IBERS’ new varieties are the only winter oats to be added to the Recommended List. They join a long roll call of successful oat varieties from the innovative IBERS oat breeding programme that are marketed by Senova Ltd.
- Balado is a conventional husked variety of oat that offers a bumper crop for farmers – 5% more even than IBERS’ other well known winter oat, Tardis.
- Fusion has no husk and is called a ‘naked oat’. Aimed mainly at farm animals– it is a great energy source, particularly for poultry.
The Institute’s scientists were praised for successfully combining fundamental research on plant genetics with plant breeding techniques to develop commercially viable plant varieties that help meet the challenges of food, water and energy security, and environmental sustainability.
“We are very pleased to see two more of our oat varieties being included on the recommended list,” said one of the research team, Athole Marshall. “We are continuing with the outstanding success of IBERS and its predecessors over more than 90 years.”
Rhagor o lwyddiant gyda chnydau i wyddonwyr Aberystwyth - Sefydliad byd enwog yn parhau i arwain gyda mathau newydd o gnydau
Mae gwyddonwyr ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth unwaith eto’n arwain y ffordd wrth ddatblygu mathau newydd o un o gnydau pwysicaf gwledydd Prydain. Ac, wrth wneud, maen nhw wedi curo’r Tardis!
Mae Sefydliad Gwyddorau Biolegol, Amgylcheddol a Gwledig y Brifysgol (IBERS) wedi llwyddo i gael dau fath newydd o geirch gaeaf wedi’u rhoi ar y rhestr awdurdodol o gnydau sy’n cael ei chyhoeddi gan yr ‘Home Grown Cereals Authority’ (HGCA). Dyna’r corff sy’n hyrwyddo cynhyrchu, maeth a marchnata grawn yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol.
Mae’r ddau fath yn ychwanegu at ddegawdau o lwyddiant yn IBERS gan gynnig ceirch mwy cynhyrchiol, gwydn a haws eu tyfu i ffermwyr, melinwyr a gwneuthurwyr porthiant anifeiliaid.
“R’yn ni wrth ein boddau’n gweld ein gwaith yn cael ei gydnabod unwaith eto yn y rhestr gnydau awdurdodol yma,” meddai Cyfarwyddwr IBERS, yr Athro Wayne Powell.
“Yn bwysicach fyth, bydd y mathau newydd yma o geirch yn helpu i wneud ffermwyr y Deyrnas Unedig yn fwy proffidiol ac o fudd i’r amgylchedd.”
Erbyn hyn, ceirch gaeaf o IBERS sy’n cymryd 70% o’r farchnad gwerth £2 filiwn y flwyddyn mewn hadau ceirch yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Mae un math, Gerald, yn arwain y maes, yn gyfrifol am 45% o gyfanswm y cnydau ceirch gaeaf.
Eleni, mathau newydd IBERS yw’r unig geirch gaeaf i’w hychwanegu at y Rhestr Gymeradwy. Maen nhw’n ymuno â rhes hir o fathau llwyddiannus o geirch o Aberystwyth.
- Math confensiynol gyda phlisgyn yw Balado ac mae’n cynnig cnwd toreithiog i ffermwyr - 5% yn fwy na’r math adnabyddus arall o geirch gaeaf o Aber, Tardis.
- Does gan Fusion ddim plisgyn ac mae’n cael ei alw’n ‘geirch noeth’. Ac yntau wedi’i anelu’n benodol at anifeiliaid – heblaw rhai sy’n cnoi cil – mae’n ffynhonnell wych o ynni sy’n gallu gwneud heb gemegau i reoli ei dwf.
Cafodd gwyddonwyr y Sefydliad eu canmol am lwyddo i gyfuno ymchwil sylfaenol i enynnau planhigion gyda thechnegau bridio sy’n datblygu mathau masnachol o blanhigion, a’r rheiny’n cyfrannu at ddiogelwch bwyd, ynni a dŵr, ac amgylchedd cynaliadwy.
“Rydym yn falch iawn o weld fod dau fath arall o’n ceirch wedi cael eu cynnwys ar y rhestr gymeradwy,” meddai un o’r tîm ymchwil, Athole Marshall. “Rydym yn parhau gyda llwyddiant rhyfeddol IBERS a’i ragflaenwyr tros fwy na 90 mlynedd.”
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