Rothamsted will take part in the UK and Europe’s first trials of gene edited (GE) GE crops on conventional farms. The farmer-led trials will use experimental lines, the goal being to gain valuable information about the viability of gene edited traits in a variety of field conditions, with feedback from farmers, and to produce enough grain for testing in real-world food production systems, according to a press release from Rothamsted Research.
The trials, referred to as PROBITY (Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield), are being coordinated by the British on-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) in collaboration with Rothamsted, the John Innes Centre, University of Nottingham, UK Agri-Tech Centre, Newby Partnerships Ltd, Elsoms Seeds, Dyson Farming, Cereal Partners Worldwide, Nestec York Ltd, First Milk, and Aberystwyth University. The initiative may eventually involve up to 25 farms.
“This is a very exciting project, but it is important that expectations regarding the commercial prospects of this research are kept in perspective. It could take several years before foods derived from gene edited crops grown in the UK become generally available, not least because the secondary legislation to implement the Precision Breeding Act is still being finalised for introduction to Parliament later this year,” said Rothamsted’s Prof Nigel Halford. “The fact that the Precision Breeding Act only applies to England, not the whole of the UK, is also an issue for breeders.”
Two gene-edited crops developed at Rothamsted are being tested in these farm-based field trials. The first is a barley variety engineered to produce a higher lipid content in its leaves, which has been associated with reducing methane emissions when fed to cattle. Normally, lipids make up about 2 percent of barley’s dry weight, but this edited version could potentially increase that to around 4 percent.
Professor Peter Eastmond of Rothamsted, who led the development of this new barley line, explained: “On-farm trials are a logical next step to determine whether the genetic modifications will allow the plant to perform well in real-world conditions. We’ll gain valuable insights into how this new variety responds to different weather patterns, soil types, and potential pests and diseases.”
The second crop is a wheat variety gene-edited to lower the levels of the amino acid asparagine in the grain. Developed by Professor Nigel Halford and his team, the aim is to reduce the formation of acrylamide — a probable carcinogen — when the wheat is cooked. Food manufacturers are eager for such varieties to ensure compliance with expected stricter EU regulations on acrylamide content, particularly since the EU is the UK’s largest export market.
This year’s trials are on a relatively small scale, but the project partners aim to produce enough seed for more extensive on-farm trials during the 2025-26 growing season.
