Drought is one of the major abiotic factors, responsible for reduced wheat yields across the globe and is one of the main concerns for the world's food security. With the prediction of more extreme weather conditions in the future, a better understanding of how water stress affects the wheat crop is becoming more crucial. Studies indicated that drought stress is a significant cause of pollen sterility and affects pollen development which could ultimately result in lower crop yield (Dong et al. 2017). Some factors of pollen sterility have been described as reduced pollen starch accumulation, changes in hormone pathways and altered gene expression under water stress conditions (Yu et al., 2019). Research has revealed that pollen development can be improved if moisture stress can be decreased by reducing the transpiration rate from leaves. Earlier field experiments in HAU have shown that application of film antitranspirant on leaves at critical stage of wheat plants could improve pollen development by increased starch accumulation which results in improved grain number and crop yield (Weerasinghe et al., 2016). The main aim of this study is to test the improvement of wheat yield and pollen starch accumulation responses under different water stress conditions including from film antitranspirant spray, along with studies at a molecular level e.g., transcriptomic responses, gene expression studies etc. to investigate this in more depth. Further hypotheses will be developed later after thorough review of literature. This research will be helpful in future studies for understanding the mechanism of drought tolerance not only at a physiological level but also at a molecular level, which would be useful in managing wheat crops better under water stress conditions and also in breeding varieties for drought tolerance.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The aim of the EU Soil Strategy is that by 2050 all soils in the EU are healthy. However, cost-effective indicators for soil biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services are missing, and so are cost-effective measures for restoring soil health. SOB4ES will contribute to the Mission A Soil Deal for Europe by: (1) elucidating soil biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and services for major land uses and land use intensity changes; (2) testing cost-effectiveness of existing indicators for soil biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and services; and, (3) evaluating how policy incentives may enhance protection, sustainable management and restoration of soil systems and soil health. By focusing on nine major pedoclimatic (soil type-climate) regions and land uses, including soils from urban, agriculture, forest, (semi)-natural, wetlands, drylands, industrial and mining environments, SOB4ES will cover most relevant EU climate-soil type-land use conditions. SOB4ES will further develop the mapping and assessment of ecosystem conditions (MAES) approach. For agricultural land uses, envisaged sustainable agricultural practices will be compared with conventional high input-output practices. Ultimately, SOB4Es will deliver well-validated and applicable indicatorsforsoil biodiversity and ecosystem servicesfor policy evaluation to be used in EU-wide soil health monitoring from the field to the landscape level. SOB4ES will also analyse how networks of soil biodiversity relate to aboveground biodiversity and ecosystem services by advanced artificial intelligence-based machine learning approaches, and scale monitoring up to being applied by remote sensing. Finally, SOB4ES will support a more effective adoption of indicators by large-scale European surveys, such as LUCAS and SoilBON and contribute to the development of the EUSO dashboard and national soil monitoring programmes.

The value of seed and ware potato crops is reduced by a range of aphid transmitted viruses. These viruses are transmitted aphids, such as the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) and the potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae). Production of sufficient high-quality certified seed has become more difficult in recent years with the withdrawal of key insecticides. This situation has been compounded by development of widespread resistance in aphid populations to available insecticides. Effective alternatives are urgently required in order to minimise the spread of viruses in potato crops. 'Push-pull' or 'stimulo-deterrent diversion' is a crop protection method in which an intercrop or repellent is applied to the crop ('push') and a highly attractive trap crop is grown around the main crop, which acts as a lure for the pest ('pull'). When effectively applied this approach minimises damage to the crop and concentrates the pest in field margins where natural enemies are more numerous where flowering strips are used. Project aim: to improve management of aphid pests of potato crops through development of a 'push-pull' system. Specific project objectives include; confirming positive behavioural responses, e.g. landing behaviour of aphids to one or more potential trap crops; confirming negative behavioural responses, e.g. landing behaviour of aphids to one or more plant essential oils and/or companion crops; investigating aphid landing behaviour within prototype push-pull systems; optimising push-pull systems e.g. modifying plant mixes within trap crop, spatial arrangement of trap crop plants, use of novel formulations of plant essential oils (nano-formulations and microencapsulation technologies) as repellents; optimising push-pull system under commercial conditions working with colleagues at NIAB and CUPGRA to secure suitable sites. Recording aphid numbers and virus transmission within crops

To secure a continued supply of safe, tasty, affordable and functional/healthy proteins while supporting Net Zero goals and future-proofing UK food security, a phased-transition towards low-emission alternative proteins (APs) with a reduced reliance on animal agriculture is imperative. However, population-level access to and acceptance of APs is hindered by a highly complex marketplace challenged by taste, cost, health and safety concerns for consumers, and the fear of diminished livelihoods by farmers. Furthermore, complex regulatory pathways and limited access to affordable and accessible scale-up infrastructure impose challenges for industry and SMEs in particular. Synergistic bridging of the UK's trailblazing science and innovation strengths in AP with manufacturing power is key to realising the UK's ambitious growth potential in AP of £6.8B annually and could create 25,000 jobs across multiple sectors. The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), a cohesive pan-UK centre, will revolutionise the UK's agri-food sector by harnessing our world-leading science base through a co-created AP strategy across the Discovery?Innovation?Commercialisation pipeline to support the transition to a sustainable, high growth, blended protein bioeconomy using a consumer-driven approach, thereby changing the economics for farmers and other stakeholders throughout the supply chain. Built on four interdisciplinary knowledge pillars, PRODUCE, PROCESS, PERFORM and PEOPLE covering the entire value chain of AP, we will enable an efficacious and safe translation of new transformative technologies unlocking the benefits of APs. Partnering with global industry, regulators, investors, academic partners and policymakers, and engaging in an open dialogue with UK citizens, NAPIC will produce a clear roadmap for the development of a National Protein Strategy for the UK. NAPIC will enable us to PRODUCE tasty, nutritious, safe, and affordable AP foods and feedstocks necessary to safeguard present and future generations, while reducing concerns about ultra-processed foods and assisting a just-transition for producers. Our PROCESS Pillar will catalyse bioprocessing at scale, mainstreaming cultivated meat and precision fermentation, and diversify AP sources across the terrestrial and aquatic kingdoms of life, delivering economies of scale. Delivering a just-transition to an AP-rich future, we will ensure AP PERFORM, both pre-consumption, and post-consumption, safeguarding public health. Finally, NAPIC is all about PEOPLE, guiding a consumers' dietary transition, and identifying new business opportunities for farmers, future-proofing the UK's protein supply against reliance on imports. Working with UK industry, the third sector and academia, NAPIC will create a National Knowledge base for AP addressing the unmet scientific, commercial, technical and regulatory needs of the sector, develop new tools and standards for product quality and safety and simplify knowledge transfer by catalysing collaboration. NAPIC will ease access to existing innovation facilities and hubs, accelerating industrial adoption underpinned by informed regulatory pathways. We will develop the future leaders of this rapidly evolving sector with bespoke technical, entrepreneurial, regulatory and policy training, and promote knowledge exchange through our unrivalled international network of partners across multiple continents including Protein Industries Canada and the UK-Irish Co-Centre, SUREFOOD. NAPIC will provide a robust and sustainable platform of open innovation and responsible data exchange that mitigates risks associated with this emerging sector and addresses concerns of consumers and producers. Our vision is to make "alternative proteins mainstream for a sustainable planet" and our ambition is to deliver a world-leading innovation and knowledge centre to put the UK at the forefront of the fights for population health equity and against climate change.