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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.
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.
BEAA has created a world leading collection of Miscanthus genetic resources. This collection and associated expertise has led to an impact on commerce through investments by industry in Miscanthus science and plant breeding. Miscanthus is a highly productive grass which naturally occurs in Asia and is of interest as an energy crop worldwide. A second impact has therefore also been achieved through the implementation of international policy on the fair and equitable use of natural resources. The experience and knowledge gained through this impact has provided an example for others to follow and is being used to support UK and EU legislation and policymaking.
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.
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.
Impact: Economic, animal health and welfare: Genetic markers have enabled selection of salmon lines with improved virus resistance
Significance: UK salmon industry benefit estimated at ~£26 million/annum GVA following identification of a genetic trait conferring resistance to an economically devastating viral disease.
Beneficiaries: Salmon farming industry, consumers
Attribution: Work performed by Houston, Bishop, Woolliams and Haley (Roslin Institute, now part of UoE).
Reach: Aquaculture industry internationally, i.e. Europe and South America (Chile).
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.
Impact: Economic, public policy and animal health and welfare: Selective breeding based upon identification of PRNP genotypes can eliminate animals that are susceptible to scrapie from the flock.
Significance: UK sheep meat exports are worth >£380million. Breeding for scrapie resistance protected the sheep industry from similar damage to that inflicted by BSE on cattle and the UK economy.
Beneficiaries: Farmers, animals, consumers
Attribution: Professor Hunter and Dr. Goldmann (Roslin Institute, now part of UoE) identified polymorphisms of the PrP (PRNP) gene linked to scrapie susceptibility and resistance in sheep.
Reach: International, programmes breeding for resistance to scrapie in sheep are now used in the UK, Europe and USA.
BEAA's large-scale research designing and testing alternative grazing management systems for the uplands has achieved impact on the environment and economy. Environmental policy and its implementation via agri-environment schemes has been directly and indirectly influenced, with the evidence provided by the research vital to the development of grazing prescriptions and related payment structures by government agencies and conservation bodies. The results have also benefitted the upland farming community by identifying opportunities for improved productivity and hence economic viability; through e.g. more efficient use of pasture resources leading to higher growth rates for forage-based systems and reduced reliance on purchased feed and fertiliser.
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.