Europe’s first gene-edited wheat and barley crop trials on conventional farms are set to begin soon in the UK.

These trials will focus on testing experimental crop lines to gather crucial data on the effectiveness of gene-edited traits across various field conditions.

Farmers' feedback will be collected, and sufficient grain will be produced to evaluate its potential in real-world food production systems.

The trials, named PROBITY (Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield), are being coordinated by the British on-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) in collaboration with several partner organisations, including Rothamsted Research, the John Innes Centre, the University of Nottingham, and Aberystwyth University.

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Up to 25 farms might eventually participate in these trials.

Rothamsted’s Professor Nigel Halford stated: “This is a very exciting project, but it is important that expectations regarding the commercial prospects of this research are kept in perspective.

“It could take several years before foods derived from gene-edited crops grown in the UK become generally available, not least because the secondary legislation to implement the Precision Breeding Act is still being finalised for introduction to Parliament later this year.”

Two different gene-edited crops developed at Rothamsted will be part of these farm-based trials. One is a barley variety engineered to have a higher lipid content in the leaves.

This trait has been associated with reduced methane emissions when fed to cattle. Typically, lipids make up about 2% of the dry weight of barley, but the gene-edited version could potentially increase that to around 4%.

Rothamsted’s Professor Peter Eastmond, who led the development of this new variety, remarked: “Trials on-farm are a logical test for us to find out if the changes we have made to the genome will still allow the plant to perform in the field.

“We will be able to get valuable information about how the new line stands up to differing weather patterns, types of soil and possible pests and diseases.”

The second crop is a wheat variety gene-edited to reduce asparagine levels in the grain when cooked.

Acrylamide, a probable carcinogen, forms from asparagine during cooking. Food manufacturers are keen on varieties with lower asparagine levels to meet upcoming European Union regulations.

Meanwhile, the Irish seed industry is highlighting the potential benefits of gene editing.

Barry O’Reilly, head of crop policy, evaluation, and certification at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), spoke at the 2024 Irish Seed Trade Organisation (ISTA) variety trials’ open day in Co. Cork earlier this summer.

In his presentation, he emphasised the critical work being done by the seed industry and DAFM to ensure that Irish farmers have access to the highest quality seeds of these new and improved varieties.

O’Reilly also mentioned the likely introduction of EU legislation that would permit gene editing and other new genomic techniques, significantly accelerating the breeding of new plant varieties.