Rothamsted will have ‘deeper’ programmes, and fewer jobs

Rothamsted Research, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Hertfordshire-based institute, is set to announce the closure of three departments in the coming weeks.

As part of its strategy, the laboratory will cut research in nematology, non-food-related agroecology, herbicide resistance, fermentation microbiology and anaerobic digestion. According to a spokesman, its focus will shift to increasing wheat productivity, reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture, boosting seed nutrition and creating sustainable farming systems, as well as translating results into technologies.