HRI at 50
David Gray sent some scanned images
of a 50yr document
which Nexus produced
(they produced The Grower magazine )
With thanks to David Wurr for turning the jpg's into text
Page 1: Legacy of the Black Hut
The single largest horticultural research A canteen at mid-day and a library and meeting
establishment in the world owes its existence to room at other times, the Black Hut, as the shed
many factors but two early developments were became known, must have had few comforts to
crucial. recommend it; access from the main road was via a
muddy bridle path, heating came from a paraffin
The first was the creation in 1913 of the East stove, light from a paraffin lamp and water from
Malling Research Association, dedicated to R&D a well.
in fruit production. The second was the setting
up 36 years later of the National Vegetable But whatever their privations, Philp and his
Research Station. successors created an institution with an
unrivalled reputation in its field. Over the
These institutions were to become two pillars of years its reputation has grown as has its
today's Horticulture Research International. physical presence. Today Wellesboume is head-
quarters for a world-renowned R&D resource.
The NVRS began life 50 years ago in 1949 on 113ha
of land at Wellesbourne, near Coventry in The rationale for a vegetable research station
Warwickshire. Incorporated as the `British evolved towards the end of the second world war
Society for the Promotion of Vegetable Research' with the increasing conviction that more
its grand title belied the reality of the efficient methods of vegetable production were
establishment - a six-strong workforce and a essential. MAFF, the Scottish Agricultural
collection of old farm buildings. Advisory Council and the Agricultural Research
Council agreed and sanctioned a new station to
It was in the following year that a purpose-built co-ordinate the research.
shed was erected to serve as office for the
Station's first director, Dr James Philp. The NVRS undoubtedly owed its initial success to
He shared his humble accommodation with the one the choice of director. A scientist of the old
researcher, one secretary, one typist and two school, James Philp was the undisputed chief who
farm workers who made up his staff. was capable of upbraiding scientists in his
charge if their ties were askew, even if they
were working in the field at the time!
His term lasted 19 years and it says much for his
foresight that during the 1950's the
Page 2: Legacy of the Black Hut (continued)
Station instigated the concept of using This coincided with the decision to set up two
statistical data as a research tool, the famous levy-raising bodies, the Horticultural
Genstat concept. His two successors, Professors Development Council and the Apple & Pear Research
Denley Wnght and John (the 'Baron') Bleasdale, Council.
continued in the same vein, guiding generations
of researchers towards some remarkable Subsequently several MAFF experimental stations
breakthroughs that established the Station's were closed. The three remaining ones -
pre-eminence in the world of vegetable Stockbridge House, Kirton and Efford - were then
advancement. merged with the three research stations into HRI
and in 1990 Professor Chris Payne was appointed
It was not long after the site was established its chief executive. ln 1995 the scheduled
that building work began. Even the exceptional closure of the GCRI site took place.
Phelp could not be expected to tackle all the
problems of vegetable production from the Black At that point the modem HRI was established as
Hut. the world-beating R&D organisation it is today.
Its first-class laboratory, glasshouse and
Many of the site?s core buildings went up between controlled environment facilities are manned by
1953 and 1955 but it was not until 1959 when the over 700 scientists, technicians and support
Prince Philip Building was opened that the NVRS staff. Between 1991 and 1997 the Government
was equipped with modern laboratory facilities. committed UKP 44 million to a major building and
restructuring programme.
Additional laboratory space was added in the
early l970's with the opening of the David Lowe At the heart of this establishment lies
Building. This housed plant pathology, crop Wellesbourne. Today 50 years on, the site not
physiology and weed science departments. only provides HRI with its headquarters but
international resources like base collections of
Building continued until the late 1980's when the Allium and Brassica with secure accommodation.
'near market' cuts in Government science funding Wellesbourne is also the headquarters of HRI's
saw a substantial withdrawal of public finance commercial arm, HortiTech.
from horticultural R&D. It was then that the
decision was taken to amalgamate the AFRC In its fiftieth year Wellesboume has welcomed a
horticultural establishments (NVRS, East Malling, new chief executive of HRI, Professor Michael
the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in West Wilson. He is as determined as any-one that the
Sussex and the Wye hop unit) into the Institute next 50 years will be as productive and rewarding
of Horticultural Research. The IHR's first and for the industry and the country as the last.
only director was ProfessorTerry Swinburne.
Page 3: Landmarks at Wellesbourne
In the 50 years since it opened for
business, scientists at Wellesbourne have
been responsible for a raft of landmark
breakthroughs in field vegetables. Here
are some of the most important.
During the 1950s During the 1960's (cont.)
? the principles of irrigation timing to ? data provided on pentanochlor, propachlor,
optimise application established chorpropham and trifluralin
? the GENSTAT statistical package concept for label and SOLA recommendations
initiated ? chemical herbicides emerge to facilitate
? the cause of silvering in red beet new bed systems which in turn lead to
identified improved yields and size control by plant
? the causal fungus in watercress crook rot density
identified ? cauliflower scheduling systems developed
? data for label recommendations for ? novel systems of potato production using
simazine in beans and trietazine/simazine plant density concepts established
in peas provided ? first hybrid vegetable varieties -
Fl hybrid sprouts
? Avon range of varieties - most notably
During the 1960's Avondefiance and Avoncrisp lettuce with
? transmission of lettuce big vein by fungal downy mildew and root aphid resistance ?
vector demonstrated released
? the thiram soak technique for seed-borne ? dieldrin replaced by chlorfenvinphos for
disease established carrot fly control; first resistance to aldrin
? canker-resistant parsnip (Avonresister) dieldrin and-gamma BHC recorded
bred ? soil moisture-holding characteristics for
all vegetable soil types in England and
Wales defined
Page 4: Landmarks at Wellesbourne (continued)
? fertiliser studies - which led to the During the 1980's
introduction of NPK predictor and WELL-N ? cause of carrot cavity spot identified
system concepts in the next decade - formulated ? seed priming technology patented
? starter fertiliser technology developed
During the 1970's ? accelerated degradation of carbamat
? year-round onion production and onion neck rot insecticides recorded
control methods defined (Granted Queen's Award ? first forecasts of carrot and cabbage root fly
for Technological Achievement, 1977) infestations made
? granular application of carrot fly control ? control methods for brassica dark leaf spot
insecticides developed emerge
? causes in plant-to-plant variability in crops ? seed film coating technique to reduce
quantified pesticide dosing developed
? ability of cellulose xanthate to reduce soil ? improved tests for seed vigour developed
capping and improve emergence established
? threshold levels of seed-borne inoculum to During the 1990's
control halo blight of beans established ? MORPH computer models for fertiliser, P&D,
? the function of virulence/avirulence genes for maturity and size predictions written
downy mildew in lettuce - which led to the ? diagnostic tests for carrot cavity spot
selection of mildew race-resistant varieties developed
for different regions - established ? lettuce big vein successfully controlled
? new systemic fungicides to control seed-borne ? F1 hybrid leeks released
diseases identified ? mild-onion germplasm developed
? data provided on bentazone, metamitron, ? lettuce germplasm with multiple resistance to
propachlor and chlorthal-dimethyl for label downy mildew released
and SOLA herbicide recommendations ? data provided on pendimethalin, pyridate and
fluroxpyr for label herbicide recommendations
Page 5: A Leader's vision
The new chief executive at Horticulture At the same time HRI has to be integrated as an
Research International, Professor Michael efficient and effective team. "I have chosen
Wilson, describes himself as "impatient, the science to drive that goal. Science is our
wanting results quickly and not suffering fools business and has to be top quality and
gladly?. His language is peppered with active, relevant.
progressive verbs and he describes his role as
"catalytic". "We may have been pursuing some lines for
decades simply because we've always done it.
He hopes to bring a mixture of vision and But if it's not getting anywhere and we're not
novelty to his leadership of HRI and sees his producing tangible outputs then we?re going to
lack of 'baggage' and history at the have to look at it very hard and make some
organisation as an asset which will enable him extremely tough decisions.
to keep his "eyes on the horizon".
We must provide answers, novel solutions to
After a decade of introspection, surviving and problems, service the industry, produce high
reacting to external pressures HRI needs to get quality concept-leading research and change
out and proactively shape the world in which it peoples' opinions on how things have been
operates, he believes. done," he says.
"HRI has done very well but I believe it can do One of his first tasks is to boost the fruit
a lot better," he says. His vision is to live specialist site at East Malling, Kent. A
up to the last word in the name Horticulture business plan to revamp the site is in progress
Research International. Crucial to that vision with the objective of making it - with the
are the nine heads of research departments with Warwickshire HQ at Wellesbourne - one of the
whom he has been extremely impressed. "They are "twin engines that make the HRI plane fly a bit
a good team. They need to think of the big faster and a bit higher".
picture," he says. Collectively they will
take over the tasks performed by Professor "The engines are not matched at the moment. But
Wilson when he was, for a short time science I don't want to achieve that by taking power
director. out of the other engine. I want more people and
more money in Kent. "To this end HRI is getting
He also wants them to take on ambassadorial support from Kent County Council and regional
roles, foraying on behalf of HRI to take part development bodies.
in influential national and international
committees, review panels and strategic think "The new heads of departments are contacting
tanks, in fact anything which helps research the relevant people. I think we now have to go
resources in HRI?s direction through overseas out and push internationally. We've had a lot
development, European Community funds, BBSRC or of interest from appropriate organisations
MAFF funds. which could be located here to build up a
critical mass of research expertise.
?HRI is like a coiled spring. It has been
through a lot of painful decisions, ?That?s not only to deliver research for
restructurings and consolidation over the last problems in the developing world. I'm looking
decade. It's now poised with new young staff," at links with America as well and Europe. I
he says. think the challenge is to get East Malling
re-tooled and re-skilled."
"Our nine heads of research departments are a
very vital resource. I need to deploy them He sees this as a great opportunity. East
well," he says. ?They must have the space to Malling is so well positioned politically and
operate and the opportunity to do well, to geographically. It is close to London and the
create business and show their leadership places where decisions are taken,
potential. It will be fascinating to see how
things shake down after a year or so.? All Prof Wilson's words point to an aggressive,
leaner edge to HRI's operations. He says: "We
It is, he says, an unashamedly "American way? have to be far more proactive. You can?t just
of doing things ? something he admired while wait for things to drop into your lap these
leading the development of an advanced days?.
technology centre in New Jersey prior to his
move to SCRI Dundee, in the he enjoyed in the "More and more research is being tied to
US and the way all things seemed to be possible outputs, performance indicators and to
there. products, patents or publications. It's the
real
Page 6: The next 50 years
The next 50 years Biotechnology
Running alongside its valuable, more
So what does the next 50 years hold in store traditional work such as pathogen detection,
for Horticulture Research International? plant pest and disease control, plant
nutrition, seed biology and crop scheduling is
Professor Michael Wilson believes the biotechnology. A subtle and precise line of
world-renowned organisation, boasting the scientific enquiry in which HRI has a respected
largest team of scientists of its kind history and boasts a distinguished group of
anywhere, must become more outward-looking. It scientists, biotechnology has the potential to
must pursue funding and strive with solve many of the world's problems in
determination to become a powerful voice on environmental and food productivity terms.
global decision-making bodies in the world of
horticultural research. Work is already in place to find, clone and
deploy genes responsible for natural resistance
SCICOM, the committee made up of the to pests and diseases, genes that control plant
organisation?s nine heads of scientific growth and form and genes that can lead to
departments, is charged with positioning HRI improved post-harvest quality in terms of
even more strongly on the world stage. As part flavour, texture and nutrition. HRI's programme
of this process collaboration in various will exploit the rapid advances in plant
projects with top-ranking research genomics, developing key vegetable and fruit
organisations throughout the world is a major crops.
goal in HRI?s list of objectives. Already
HRI/Hortitech has announced a partnership with HRI's mission is to keep its eyes on the
bodies in China, a move Professor Wilson hopes horizon, injecting a mixture of vision and
to repeat with the USA and Europe. novelty into the horticultural industry,
driving innovation and discovering better, more
Another of SCICOM's key tasks is to maximise efficient ways of doing things. British growers
outputs of published papers in international are well placed to take advantage of this well
journals, produce patents and drive other work of knowledge for the next 50 years.
which underpins strategic, applied-policy
driven work for funding bodies.
"We were delighted to celebrate the 50 years of
existence at the Wellesbourne site with the
visit by the Minister of Agriculture. It was a
wonderful endorsement of our efforts. "We have
every confidence that we will be able to
deliver leading science for at least the next
50 years. Morale is excellent."
Peter Siddall, chairman of the board of HRI
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