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Our customers range very widely as our work covers a range of interests for our ultimate grower both in the short and long term. We are concentrating on factors affecting the growers business in the next five years. We work closely as partners with University and Government Research Institutes to provide us with fundamental science. We add technology and “muddy boots” experience to deliver the total package.
We are currently involved with the following client bases:
• DEFRA Delivering with Lancaster University and CSL, work on the spectral light effects on diseases and parasitoid / aphid modelling respectively.
• HDC Many projects, as HDC funding is from growers levies for near market development (technology based). Here we have the All Year Round Cucumber Project, working closely with the Cucumber Growers’ Association. This looks at high technology inputs into AYR production with lighting and sophisticated computer control of growing environment. With three crops last year, this production house yielded 310 cucumbers per m2. There are trials on the use of predators and parasitoids for elimination of insecticide use on glasshouse grown, round lettuce. Here we have needed to identify new parasitoids and look at how to get the predators to feed on very low levels of pest attack. We have a total of 11 HDC projects. They are described in various sub-sections of this site.
• Yorkshire Regional County Council and District Council funding for local rural development. Here we have the Schools Project for Selby District Council’s Leader + scheme. This involves providing garden plots for one class from each of twenty local Primary Schools. We are trying to ensure that future consumers of fruit and vegetables have a knowledge of the sourcing and health benefits of produce.
• Private Clients Work here ranges from testing new pesticide products, seed varieties and novel growing techniques. Work is both outdoor and in our glasshouses. We are the vegetable seed testing centre for Rijk Zwaan UK Ltd. Each year we hold a salads variety open day with most of the leading seed supply companies taking part. Much work recently has concentrated on growing media comparison trials under glass. A lot of this work is very confidential and we pride ourselves on the security which surrounds our client relationships.
Plant Pest and Disease Diagnostics
The STC clinic is now rather unique because outside Government (CSL), it is the only reference point left for growers and their advisors.
A more recent activity is to act as an “incubator” centre for new small business development. Here we help with product development and the early stages of commercial production. The package includes marketing advice, business accreditation and business start up grants, to give a full advisory and launch package.
Conferences
Our new facilities are ideal for groups of up to 100. We have smaller rooms for groups of 20 or for seminar breakout groups. The addition of marquees either on field or tarmac adds extra space. We have ample car parking and private catering facilities.
Some of our offices and buildings are let out to land based associated businesses. We have a department of the NRM (Natural Resource Management) laboratory services on site for example.
We hope this gives you a flavour of our customer base, which can be summed up as helping growers in whatever way we can by delivering to them a wide range of our client customers business developments.
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