Similar case studies

REF impact found 18 Case Studies

Currently displayed text from case study:

The breeding of novel types of oat with improved grain composition has changed retail and consumers’ habits to the benefit of the UK oat crop as a healthy human food and as a high value livestock feed.

Summary of the impact

Oats are recognised as a healthy grain reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and as a valuable grain for livestock feed. Research within BEAA has provided the genetic, physiological and agronomic knowledge that underpins the breeding of high yielding husked and naked oat varieties that meets the needs of end-users in the human food and livestock sectors. BEAA bred oat varieties account for approximately 65% of the UK market and have a significant impact on health and welfare, the economy and on production and support the expanding instant oat breakfast market sector that alone is worth £160million per annum.

Submitting Institutions

Aberystwyth University,Bangor University

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics, Plant Biology
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Crop and Pasture Production

The breeding of high sugar grasses (HSG) has had a positive effect on UK greenhouse gas mitigation and on livestock production

Summary of the impact

BEAA research on high sugar grasses (HSG's) led to the breeding of HSG varieties that have had a significant impact on the contribution of grassland to livestock feeding across the UK. Their impact on the economy, commerce and the production of livestock products has been significant in the UK and increasingly in other countries. HSG varieties currently account for over 28% of the perennial ryegrass seed sales in the UK, with over 150,000 ha sown in the UK alone of these varieties since 2008, as their positive benefit on the economics of livestock production from grass and environmental benefit through reduced N pollution from livestock production is recognised.

Submitting Institutions

Aberystwyth University,Bangor University

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics, Plant Biology
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Crop and Pasture Production

Novel genetic marker-assisted breeding produced a new pearl hybrid grown for 700,000 ha of drought-prone areas in northern India which has improved food security of three million people.

Summary of the impact

Research using novel techniques of genetic marker-aided selection enabled the development of new high yield, disease- and drought-resistant pearl millet hybrids, of which HHB67-Improved was released throughout India. HHB67-Improved is the first product of marker-assisted breeding to reach cereal producers in India and has spread rapidly since its release, preventing yield losses to downy mildew of up to 30% (valued at £7.8M) per year, and providing £2.6M additional annual grain yield. By 2011, it was grown on over 700,000 ha and currently three million people have improved food security as a direct result of this international development focused work.

Submitting Institutions

Aberystwyth University,Bangor University

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics, Plant Biology
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Crop and Pasture Production

1f. The development of genomic selection and application through optimal contribution theory in livestock breeding

Summary of the impact

Impact: Economic: Genomic selection has revolutionised, and is now standard practice, in the major dairy cattle, pig and chicken breeding programmes, worldwide and provides multiple quantifiable benefits to breeders, producers, consumers and animals.

Significance: Increased food production world-wide

Beneficiaries: Breeding companies, primary producers, consumers, livestock.

Attribution: Work led by Haley and Woolliams (Roslin Institute now part of UoE).

Reach: Methodologies applied worldwide in livestock improvement, and more recently applied in human genetics and plant breeding.

Submitting Institutions

University of Edinburgh,SRUC

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Animal Production

1h. The Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) is a reliable basis for genetic improvement of dairy cattle productivity, health, welfare, longevity and environmental impact

Summary of the impact

Impact: Economic / animal health and welfare / environment: Improved profitability and sustainability of the UK dairy industry.

Significance: The use of the Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) increased the profitability of the dairy sector by an estimated £634M in 2008-2013 and reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by an estimated 8.4%.

Beneficiaries: Dairy producers, breeding companies, general public/environment, dairy cattle welfare and health.

Attribution: Drs Wall, Mrode (SRUC), and Brotherstone (UoE), Profs. Coffey, Simm, Stott, Veerkamp, Oldham (SRUC), and Woolliams (UoE/Roslin)

Reach: UK dairy industry. Tools developed, such as the routine recording of body condition score, and using these data in national genetic evaluations, have been widely adopted internationally, including in major dairy genetics exporting countries such as the USA, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Submitting Institutions

University of Edinburgh,SRUC

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Engineering: Food Sciences

Novel applications for fractionation of plant biomass in the food ingredients industry

Summary of the impact

Yield of valuable biomass fibre components and their utilization in the food industry has been maximised by novel, cost-effective and environment-friendly plant fibre extraction methods developed by BEAA. Specifically, application of these methods enabled patenting and commercialisation of oat fibre extraction by the Swedish company BioVelop, directly resulting in commercial impact through international sales of five nutritional products released since 2010. The most successful of these is produced at a quantity of 180,000 kg, or € 600,000 per year. In May 2013, world-leading food-additive giant Tate & Lyle took over BioVelop, securing the success and lasting commercial impact of the BEAA technology.

Submitting Institutions

Aberystwyth University,Bangor University

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry
Biological Sciences: Plant Biology

1. Genetic data optimises conservation of endangered species

Summary of the impact

During the last 10 years Cardiff University researchers have developed and applied a range of genetic and molecular analysis techniques to inform conservation and biodiversity policy and practice in regions around the world where specific species and biodiversity are under threat. Genetic research on orang-utans and elephants in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Borneo has guided strategic action plans for these species. Cardiff's molecular censusing and genetic analysis of giant panda populations in China have directly informed the strategic relocation of individual animals into isolated populations in the wild to preserve the genetic diversity of the species.

Submitting Institution

Cardiff University

Unit of Assessment

Biological Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Environmental Sciences: Environmental Science and Management
Biological Sciences: Genetics

1k. Discovery that Ramularia collo cygni causes leaf spotting in barley and development of a diagnostic to target fungicide use, saving the industry £5.4M per annum

Summary of the impact

Impact: Economic: The first fungicide-based control schemes minimising UK barley yield losses (saving approx. 516K tonnes / £95.1M per annum). A risk assessment method, which minimised pesticide usage.

Significance: Barley is the second most popular cereal crop grown in the UK — in 2012, 5.52 million tonnes of barley were grown (market value £1.02 billion). The research led to savings to the UK farming industry of ~£5.4 million per annum

Beneficiaries: Farmers, malting and brewing industries, UK tax revenue.

Attribution: Drs. Oxley, Havis, Hughes, Fountaine, and Burnett (SRUC) identified the pathogen and produced a field test for early identification of infestation.

Reach: Barley growing, malting and brewing sectors, seed and agrochemical industries UK-wide and in Ireland.

Submitting Institutions

University of Edinburgh,SRUC

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics, Plant Biology
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences: Crop and Pasture Production

Improvement of Seed Vigour and Performance in Crop Production

Summary of the impact

Reliable seed performance is the cornerstone of crop establishment, an important trait that determines the cost and resource efficiency of crop production. In practice, seed performance varies, and this creates a substantial global problem for seed producers and farmers. From 1980 until the present time, Finch-Savage and Rowse have provided knowledge, patented techniques and genetic backgrounds from their research programmes to enhance the performance of seeds in crop production. Seed production businesses worldwide use and continue to adopt these techniques. These include both national (e.g. Elsoms Seeds, UK; Seed Enhancements, New Zealand) and global (e.g. Syngenta and Bayer) companies. Therefore, the work of Finch-Savage and Rowse has had, and continues to have, a direct impact on food security, sustainable crop production and the profitability of farming and seed production businesses.

Submitting Institution

University of Warwick

Unit of Assessment

Biological Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics, Plant Biology
Technology: Medical Biotechnology

09_Dairy farm profitability is enhanced by the application of quantitative genetics.

Summary of the impact

Impact on productivity, the economy and the environment: UK dairy farmers can select the best animals for breeding using analysis of a wide range of traits, leading to improved productivity, greater efficiency and reduced environmental impact, because of UoE research creating a UK Test Day Model (TDM) and an overall Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI)

Beneficiaries: The principal beneficiary is the dairy industry, specifically dairy farmers who are able to generate higher profits. This has benefits for UK consumers and the economy by keeping milk prices lower. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with more efficient dairy farming practices has global benefits.

Significance and Reach: The genetic evaluation system enabled by the PLI and TDM has resulted in a financial benefit to the UK dairy industry of an estimated £440M over the period 2008-2013.

Attribution: The quantitative genetic research was led by Dr Sue Brotherstone and Professor Bill Hill of the School of Biological Sciences, UoE, with colleagues at Roslin Institute (UoE; UoA6) and SRUC (also returned with UoE in UoA6) as described below.

Submitting Institution

University of Edinburgh

Unit of Assessment

Biological Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Biological Sciences: Genetics

Filter Impact Case Studies

Download Impact Case Studies