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Farming Today: Plant science, porridge, agroforestry and oysters

30/01/2014

Plant science, porridge, agroforestry and oysters

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Plant science, porridge, agroforestry and oysters

A leading plant science group says a skills shortage could damage British agriculture.

Could a shortage of skills in specialised plant science slow the progress of new agricultural technology and crop innovation? And how agroforestry can make farms more productive.

A shortage of specialist skills in plant science could put the UK's future biosecurity and agricultural innovation at risk. That's according to a survey from the UK Plant Sciences Federation. They say that the majority of people working in specialist areas of plant science such as health are over 50 and more needs to be done to attract younger people into the sector.

Falmouth oyster fishery could fail if groups that fish there can't agree on the size of the oysters they catch. As BBC Radio Cornwall's Denis Nightingale found out, some fishermen want the minimum catch size increased as it makes each oyster more valuable to sell, but others want to see the size remain in order to catch greater volumes of shellfish.

The EU has awarded over six million euros to fund new research into agroforestry. The study, which involves some 15 European countries will look to find out how increasing woodlands on farms can help them be more productive. Anna Hill has been to see agroforestry in action on a farm which grows strips of wheat between avenues of coppiced trees.

And our reporter Moira Hickey visits an oat farmer and porridge producer in Scotland, to find out how some of the UK's largest oat harvest in 40 years is being turned into breakfast - and it all comes down to quality of the grains.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jules Benham.

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