Origin Enterprises has officially opened a new 480m2 research and development glasshouse at its Technology Centre based at Throws Farm in Essex. The bespoke facility is designed to accelerate trials of new crop production technologies and bring innovations to market faster.
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The new centre will mainly be used by Origin’s UK agronomy services business Agrii but will also be available to other Group businesses such as Origin Soil Nutrition and the environmental and amenity horticulture operations.
The £1 million infrastructure investment is equipped with the latest technologies to provide Agrii with evidence-based insights at the forefront of applied crop research in the UK and further afield. It has enhanced control and year-round trial capabilities to allow accelerated product testing across the crop protection, biostimulant, adjuvant and microbial product sectors, as well as soil nutrition and seed treatment and delivery trials, together with studies into the environmental conditions affecting pest and water management.
Agrii says the new glasshouse will allow it to bring cutting-edge innovations to field trials faster, helping farmers, growers and amenity professionals stay ahead through evidence-based crop research they can trust.
“This investment will further strengthen Agrii’s – and the wider Origin Group’s – ability to deliver innovative and sustainable agronomic solutions that drive productivity, resilience, and environmental performance of food producers and amenity professionals,” said Origin Enterprises chief executive Sean Coyle at the opening event last week. “Our leading applied crop research capabilities provide evidence-based insights, offer a platform for industry collaboration and enable us to help shape future policy on critical issues such as biological crop protection and gene editing.”
Agrii managing director Ronan Hughes added: “This facility will attract research investment from across the agriculture, horticulture and amenity sectors, where supporting data for products is often limited or focused on niche crops. What makes this investment so exciting is the ability to explore broader applications and test ‘what if’ scenarios across a range of crops and growing conditions – which is essential for addressing future regulatory and climate challenges.”
Dr Ruth Mann, Agrii’s head of integrated crop technologies, commented: “This investment elevates our research capacity, setting a new benchmark and transforming how we approach crop science. The glasshouse’s highly controlled environment enables us to extend trial seasons, accelerate learning through a rapid ‘fail/fast’ approach and gather year-round data on emerging products and technologies.
“This is especially critical for biological crop protection products, where performance is often shaped by environmental and application factors rarely captured in conventional trials. With advanced technologies like subsurface sensors, hyperspectral imaging and precision application systems, we can deliver precise, high-quality insights that drive effective, sustainable crop management,” said Dr Mann.