Grass and forage seed specialist Germinal is making a significant new investment in staff and equipment at Germinal Horizon, its research and development division. Germinal, part of the Belfast-based Openfolde Group, is marking the 200th anniversary of its founding in 1825.
The Horizon division has research centres at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University, with a long history of breeding grass and clover varieties, and a centre near Melksham in Wiltshire opened in 2017.
Germinal Horizon Aberystwyth has been selected as a trials operator to assess forage crop varieties for recommended use in England and Wales. This follows a competitive tendering process run by NIAB, which oversees the testing and recommendation of varieties for inclusion in the National Recommended List of Grass and Clover Varieties.
The company has now expanded its team of researchers at Germinal Horizon working on the development of new clover and grass varieties at Aberystwyth University. The full Germinal Horizon team, based at Aberystwyth and Wiltshire, now totals 18, including research scientists focusing on clover breeding and new technicians.
Germinal Horizon has recently taken delivery of a Haldrup F-55 forage harvester, designed specifically for research purposes involving field trials, which are fundamental to the development of new forage varieties. The £250,000 German-made machine is a unique piece of research equipment with a cutting width matched to standardised replicated trial plot sizes. It incorporates on-board NIR spectrometry to give instant feedback on the quality and composition of trial plots as they are harvested. The on-board technology allows for real-time sampling of key nutritional and quality parameters, including protein, fibre and carbohydrate/sugar content of the harvested plots.
“Scientific breakthroughs built on high quality research hold the keys to many of the production and sustainability challenges facing farmers and food producers,” notes Paul Billings, managing director of Germinal UK & Ireland. “As a breeder of grass, clover and other crop species, our research work is fundamental to what we do and our ability to support ruminant livestock farmers – helping them compete and farm in a climate smart way. This demands that we support and develop our research teams and give them the tools they need to make a difference.
“We are very pleased with the selection of Germinal Horizon Aberystwyth as trials operators for varietal testing of grass and clover varieties for inclusion in the England and Wales Recommended List. This is a fitting recognition of the work and commitment of our trial teams and scientists at Germinal Horizon to the future of farming and sustainable food production.”