Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/215151
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EAST MALLING RESEARCH An aerial view of East Malling Research in 2013. storage of fruit. Along with extensive research on the preharvest factors that affect storage potential (nutrition, harvest time, storage diseases and disorders), this enabled consumers to enjoy affordable fruit year round. More than 120 new varieties of apple, pear, cherry and plum, strawberry, raspberry, ornamental plants, and hops have been bred at East Malling, many of which set new standards for flavor or extended the season. East Malling's exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2013 showed the the root ball of a fully excavated apple tree on a Malling 26 rootstock. East Malling led the world in developing techniques to characterize the incompatibility groups of cherry. Basic and practical research was conducted to optimize rooting of hardwood and softwood cuttings. Robert Garner's The Grafter's Handbook became an essential text for propagators. Throughout its existence, East Malling has focused on control of the many pests and diseases that attack We've Got You COVERED! • Impressive coverage with a CHINOOK Blade • Protect Over 15 Acres • Powerful V10 Engine with or without catalytic converter Introducing our newest dealer: Windworx, LLC Wind Machine Sales and Service www.hfhauff.com hfhauff@gmail.com Toll Free: 855-855-0318 32 DECEMBER 2013 GOOD FRUIT GROWER horticultural plants. Through understanding their biology, ecology, and epidemiology, East Malling has produced integrated control systems that minimize pesticide residues in fruit. Today, East Malling Research has the United Kingdom's largest team of scientists conducting research for application in commercial horticulture, focused primarily on perennial and clonally propagated crops and their interactions with the environment, for both public and private customers. There are three strands to the current research program. "Genetics and Crop Improvement" focuses on the genetic improvement of rosaceous crops with emphasis on strawberry improvement, molecular genetics, rootstock genetics, and commercial breeding. A fundamental advance has been enabled by the availability of molecular analysis. The molecular genetics of plants and individual traits are explored to facilitate marker-assisted breeding of strawberry, cherry, apple, and pear rootstocks. The second program, "Pest and Pathogen Ecology for Sustainable Crop Management," aims to understand the ecology of pests, pathogens, host plants, and natural enemies at the community, whole organism, and molecular levels in order to develop more effective and sustainable management methods for horticultural crops. The final program, "Resource Efficiency for Crop Production," aims to utilize and develop the perennial crop habit to provide a sustainable and economic means of securing food supplies with a growing population and in a changing climate. The main areas of research are in delivering resource-use efficiency, understanding crop and environmental interactions, and manipulating below-ground biotic interactions. East Malling has a key role in assisting the delivery of many government policies, especially in relation to food security and healthy diets. Over time, East Malling has had to adapt to the changing landscape of research need and opportunity. For the foreseeable future, East Malling must deliver innovations to increase production and cope with a more variable and changing climate, in ways that are profitable for producers. However, these innovations must also enhance the provision of other ecosystem services, increase the efficiency of resource use, result in less waste across the food chain, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. East Malling Research is rapidly emerging as the United Kingdom's preeminent center for horticultural research, still engaged in the issues that challenge growers. The future looks productive and assured, and international collaborations are increasing. • www.goodfruit.com