The combination of facilities available is unique within the UK. There are over 70ha of good quality irrigated land capable of growing most horticultural and arable crops. The site also has over 4ha of certified organic land including excellent roadway access.
The protected crops unit consists of over 40 modern glasshouses (ranging from 12 to 1000m2) suitable for both small-scale studies and commercial demonstration trials. Several compartments have lights and benching installed for work on bedding and pot plants. All glasshouses and compartments are controlled with a new Priva Integro computer.
Modern laboratories and culture rooms allow indigenous pests and diseases to be produced for controlled release in glasshouse and field experiments. This approach provides robust testing conditions for efficacy studies and avoids the need to rely on unpredictable natural infections or infestations.
