An MP heard about expansion plans and was shown a new type of ‘superwheat’ during a tour of The National Institute of Agricultural Botany’s (NIAB) Park Farm research site near Histon.

Ely Standard: From left to right – Prof Andy Greenland (Director of Genetics and Breeding), Lucy Frazer MP, Dr Phil Howell (Senior Plant Breeder), Dr Tina Barsby (CEO, NIAB), Bill Clark (Head of External Affairs) and David Neill (COO, NIAB) – outside NIAB’s visitor centre, the Sophi Taylor Building, at NIAB Park Farm near Histon.From left to right – Prof Andy Greenland (Director of Genetics and Breeding), Lucy Frazer MP, Dr Phil Howell (Senior Plant Breeder), Dr Tina Barsby (CEO, NIAB), Bill Clark (Head of External Affairs) and David Neill (COO, NIAB) – outside NIAB’s visitor centre, the Sophi Taylor Building, at NIAB Park Farm near Histon. (Image: Archant)

South East Cambs MP Lucy Frazer was welcomed by CEO Dr Tina Barsby at NIAB’s ‘green’ visitor centre, the Sophi Taylor Building.

Dr Barsby outlined how NIAB is in the first stages of a restructure, building on its programme of investment over the past 10 years which has included an expansion of the research activities with investment in NIAB’s Sophi Taylor Building and glasshouses at Park Farm.

The restructuring process will enable NIAB to take advantage of the renewed levels of public and private investment in UK plant science and agronomy, and start re-developing the Huntingdon Road and Park Farm sites in Cambridge.

Ms Frazer was shown some of the crop research carried out by crop scientist and plant breeder Dr Phil Howell.

The ‘superwheat’ offers new sources of yield improvement, drought tolerance, disease resistance and efficiency.