Soft Fruit sector strategy
The UK soft fruit sector has grown steadily, almost doubling in turnover over the last five years. Soft fruit is now the second largest sector in the HDC, accounting for around 16% of the annual HDC income. The sector covers all commercial soft fruit crops grown in the UK, including strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, blueberries and all other ribes and rubus species. Research on blackcurrants is managed in collaboration with the Blackcurrant Growers' Association and GlaxoSmithKline, for which there is a separate strategy.
The HDC Soft Fruit Panel has been successful in attracting additional funding from various sources, including Defra, RERAD and HortLINK, helping to build a wide ranging R&D programme for the UK industry. The HortLINK programme is now being wound down so HDC is exploring opportunities for similar collaborations in the future. The aim is to ensure that the UK soft fruit industry derives the maximum benefit from combined funding sources invested in R&D.
With the continued loss of pesticides as the result of the EU reviews and legislation (such as the Sustainable Use Directive and the replacement of Regulation 91/414 with Regulation 1107/2009), it is essential that carefully targeted work is undertaken that will enable fruit growers to control the key pests, weeds and diseases of fruiting crops and during propagation. In addition to seeking specific off-label approvals (SOLAs) there is also an increased emphasis on improving the effectiveness of crop protection programmes through improved monitoring, biocontrol, forecasting and prediction techniques.
The effects of other legislation, such as the Water Use Directive, are also of concern to the industry. The HDC Soft Fruit Panel is keen to address these issues and to explore new opportunities for increasing yield, improving quality, extending the season and improving the consistency of supply. More efficient use of inputs including water, fertilisers and labour are key. Identifying and passing on best practice is the major focus of the Panels communication programme.
The development of new varieties also offers many potential benefits to growers and consumers, including increased yield, quality, flavour, shelf-life, season extension and resistance to pests and diseases. In addition, well-presented fruit can greatly assist harvesting efficiency and may offer the potential to increase mechanisation. The Soft Fruit Panel therefore continues to place a high priority on breeding and variety trialling.
The 2011-12 soft fruit sector strategy has been condensed into three objectives which link with the AHDB Corporate Business Plan 2011/14. The strategy has been extensively revised and only covers important areas, shown as initiatives under the three objectives. The need for new projects in important areas has been deemed to be high, moderate or low depending on whether work is currently being done, its findings to date and when it will finish. Where the need for new work in an area is deemed to be low the HDC Soft Fruit Panel nevertheless might consider new innovative approaches. Additionally, consideration might be given to particularly interesting ideas focussed on areas not identified in this strategy.
Please note that all ideas for new work should be discussed well in advance with the HDC Soft Fruit Panel chairman, Harriet Duncalfe, and with me before a concept note is drawn up. This is to minimise wasted effort and ensure that only the most appropriate ideas are considered for funding by the Panel.
Andrew Tinsley
HDC Research Manager
Research priorities for blackcurrants
This review of research priorities for blackcurrants takes an overview of the whole spectrum of research avenues, rather than just those which the HDC may need to pursue. In practice, many of the objectives will be best met through the GSK breeding programme, Defra HortLINK sponsored research, commercial company research and international research, with HDC sponsored work filling in the gaps for the UK growers.
The market for processed blackcurrants is almost exclusively juice, where legislation, processors and end consumers seek to prescribe ever more specific qualities for products in the overcrowded cordial market. Research can allow UK growers to lead the internationally competitive market by exploiting the close links with GSK, and building on long term pre-eminence in breeding and harvesting technology.
To date the whole industry has shared the same broad objectives for blackcurrant product and has benefitted from the focus provided by GSK. The advent of retained varieties with specific properties may make a common research strategy more difficult.
The main focus over the next 5 years should be:
- To improve the reliability of yields in the face of unreliable weather patterns, specifically insufficient winter chill.
- To work towards supplying specific qualities that the processors require, such as vitamin content, sugar level, colour etc.
- To find effective means of controlling the big bud mite/reversion complex, including resistant varieties.
- To develop zero residue control strategies for pests, diseases and weeds using IPM.
- To develop effective control measures for LERAP buffer zones where certain pesticides may not be used.
Priority can be given to such areas as weed control, nutrition and irrigation when there are specific reasons for thinking there will be a rapid payoff.
Andrew Tinsley
HDC Research Manager
Rob Saunders
GSK Blackcurrant Agronomist, UK
Download SF sector strategy 2011-2012 (XLS - 16K)
Download R&D Strategy Tables for blackcurrants (DOC - 52K)
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