Presentation: AWBD

In this presentation given at the Biomass Connect Showcase on 7th November 2024, Ian Shield outlines the Accelerating Willow Breeding and Deployment (AWBD) project.

Ian has 30 years plus experience in agronomy in temperate agriculture, largely UK based. As Head of Long-Term Experiments and Agronomy, he supports the agronomic research conducted by Rothamsted Research and assists colleagues in applying their research under field conditions. As Chair of the Farm and Field Experiments Committee Ian is responsible for the oversight of the use of the Rothamsted Farms as a platform for field experimentation, working closely with the Head of Farms and Field Trials Managers.

Ian is responsible for the management of the Large-Scale Rotations Experiment (LSRE) contributing to the Institute Strategic Programmes and other projects. The complex experiment is investigating many aspects of what is being termed Regenerative or Conservation Agriculture such as effects of crop rotation, cultivation regime, organic amendments and cover crops on a wide range of metrics. Along with all Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments the LSRE provides a platform for specific, detailed, studies in field conditions that take many years to create and are therefore beyond the timescale of most research projects.

The Rothamsted work on biomass crops is also managed by Ian. This includes the national scale demonstration of potential crop options within Biomass Connect and the Rothamsted Willow Breeding Programme. The Accelerating Willow Breeding and Deployment project is developing Genomic Selection as a tool for the willow breeder.