News

The University of Warwick is advertsing two PhD studentships to start in October 2017. These projects are part of a BBSRC-funded Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) between the Waitrose Partnership, their international food production and supply companies, the University of Warwick, Lancaster University, the University of Reading and Rothamsted Research. Between 2017 and 2023, the CTP will deliver 20 four-year studentships on the themes of sustainable crop production, sustainable soil and water and biodiversity and ecosystem services in agriculture.

Both studentships advertised by Warwick are in partnership with G's and one is in partnership with members of the Insect Survey team at Rothamsted Research. Further details are here:

PhD project: Enhancing spring onion yield and quality through an understanding of in-field variation

PhD project: Phylogeography and management of the aphid pest Nasonovia ribisnigri in commercial lettuce crops

School of Life Sciences/Warwick Crop Centre PhD student Daniel Wilson won first prize for his poster at the Royal Entomological Society Post-Graduate Forum held at Sheffield University on 2nd-3rd February. Daniel's project is funded by the Waitrose Agronomy Group and the University of Warwick. Daniel is seen here with fellow Warwick PhD student Victoria Woolley who also presented a poster.

The School of Life Sciences is proud to host a free Public Science event, 'The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust Food Security Lecture - Keeping plant disease at bay’ on Tuesday 7 February 2017.

Our ability to grow plants productively is under severe and increasing threat from climate change. Increasing global temperatures could decrease the amount of food on our shelves, leading to global food shortages of our favorite products such as beans. These rising temperatures may also lead to the spread of harmful plant diseases that destroy our crops and threaten farmers’ livelihoods. Discover how our research, which covers weeds and crops through to trees and even includes bananas, strives to understand and mitigate these threats to ensure that we can feed ourselves in the future. Interesting demonstrations and talks will explain how we keep our food secure via pest management, pollinators, and whole plant imaging.

The evening will be hosted by Professor Murray Grant who took up the role of Elizabeth Creak Chair in Food Security in June 2016. Professor Grant’s post has been funded by The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, which was established in memory of Elizabeth Creak - a highly capable and well respected farmer who brought many creative ideas to the world of farming.

Professor Murray Grant, said

“Warwick Crop Centre based at Wellesbourne, close to the original farm of Elizabeth Creak, provides the unique ability for translating findings from the lab into the field.”

Registration to attend the event is now open. All are welcome, and we are especially keen to see alumni and members of the local community attend. This event follows on from our previous highly successful Public Science events ‘A healthy brain for a healthy life’, ‘Getting to grips with antibiotic resistance’ and ‘The Fly Room’. This event is free to attend and will start at 18:00 and end at 20:00.