Warwick Crop Centre is part of the University of Warwick’s new School of Life Sciences and
is located on the Wellesbourne campus. Our expertise includes: crop breeding, plant
pathology, entomology, agronomy, crop nutrition and environmental research.
The Genetic Resources Unit forms part of the Crop Centre. This has a remit for the collection,
conservation, characterisation, documentation and research for a range of vegetable crops
and their wild relatives and is active in various international crop working groups and
networks http://www.ac.uk/go/gru
The Crop Centre team undertake interdisciplinary research within the School of Life Sciences
and throughout the University. In addition to their research expertise and specialist
facilities, the Crop Centre team offer a range of training opportunities including
postgraduate studies (research and MSc courses) and bespoke training.
Members of the Crop Centre work closely with industry through directly-funded projects, levyfunded projects and schemes such as TSB, LINK, BBSRC Industrial Partnership Awards
and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Current projects include:
•  Novel strategies for pest control in field vegetable crops (HDC/AHDB)
•  Biology and control of currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri) (HDC/AHDB studentship)
•  Plant pathogen populations in wild and agricultural hosts and interactions with plant
genotype (Defra)
•  The incidence of turnip yellow virus (TUYV) in overwintered cauliflower and Brussels
sprouts (HDC/AHDB)
•  Biological, semiochemical and selective chemical management methods for insecticide
resistant western flower thrips on protected strawberry (Horticulture LINK)
•  Life history variation in weed populations (Defra)
•  Disease management in organic brassica seed and transplants (HDC/AHDB)
•  Reducing the impacts of sclerotinia disease on arable rotations, vegetable crops and land
use (Defra)
•  The water footprint of selected UK produced and consumed products (Defra)
Technology Strategy Board
For further information, please contact the Director: Rosemary Collier
rosemary.collier@warwick.ac.uk Tel: 024 7657 5066
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/warwickcropcentre
The Vegetable Genetic Improvement Network (VeGIN) is a Defra-funded project bringing together
research focused on key vegetable crops. The Network encourages collaborations between
industry and researchers to address how genetic improvement of crop varieties can contribute to
a sustainable increase in food production to meet the twin challenges of food security and climate
change.
VeGIN encompasses research on the genetic improvement of brassica, lettuce, onion and carrot
and will use the genetic resource collections in the Genetic Resources Unit (GRU). It will benefit
from knowledge arising from satellite projects funded by industry and other government funders
and provide underpinning resources for such projects.
The aims of VeGIN are:
•  To develop the genetic resources and tools to accelerate breeding for “sustainability traits” in field
vegetables
•  To establish an effective network with industry, for knowledge transfer to promote market delivery
of R&D
The major UK vegetable crops all make an important contribution to a healthy UK diet and our "5-aday". Diversity sets are being developed for brassica, lettuce, onion and carrot. These are for
future use in assessing genetic variation for traits such as resistance to key pests and diseases.
Traits being investigated include:
Brassica
Nitrogen content variation in Brassica oleracea
Sources of resistance to turnip mosaic and turnip yellows viruses
Sources of resistance to diamond back moth (Plutella xylostella)
Lettuce
Resistance to currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri)
Genetic analysis of nitrate accumulation in lettuce
Genetic analysis of post harvest discolouration
Onion
Sources of resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cepae
Sources of alleles for improved compatibility with mycorrhizal fungi
Carrot
Sources of beneficial alleles for improved seed/seedling vigour
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/vegin
For further information, please contact: Rosemary Collier
rosemary.collier@warwick.ac.uk Tel: 024 7657 5066