UK: Hope on the horizon for onion farmers as DEFRA works to prevent crop loss

An astronomical 450,000 tonnes of onions are grown in the UK every single year, so ensuring the continued security of onion crops is essential, not just for food security, but for the livelihoods of the farmers who grow them and the economy as a whole. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is therefore prioritising the continued success of onion crops, launching a new research project, integrated fusarium early diagnostic and management or FUSED for short. Part of its Farming Innovation Programme, the one-million-pound project is setting out to find methods for detecting, managing and preventing crop loss as a result of fusarium Basal Rot (FBR), a devastating infection caused by a soil-borne fungus that costs the UK onion industry more than ten million pounds every year. The 24-month project is being led by Lincoln-based agricultural technology research and development company, B-hive Innovations. The project will collaborate with research experts including ...