Arable farmers are being asked to participate in a project aimed at leading discussions on precision breeding and sharing insights with the broader agricultural sector.

As part of the Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield (PROBITY) initiative, farmers are needed to take on paid 'pathfinder' roles.

Pathfinders will serve as ambassadors for the project and assist in establishing the SequenceCircle—a community set to launch next month—aimed at involving as many farmers as possible.

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The goal is for the community, together with scientists and plant-breeding experts, to become a hub of activity.

The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), which leads the project, notes that pathfinder candidates should be recognised as leaders within the farming community.

They should have strong networks and platforms through which they already engage with other farmers.

While farmers are not required to favour precision breeding, they should have a history of supporting evidence-based views and a passion for innovation, BOFIN explains.

Tom Allen-Stevens, BOFIN's founder, highlighted the potential of the project to 'bring about a revolution in how we grow cereals'

"I encourage anyone wanting to be part of this pivotal project to apply to become a PROBITY pathfinder," he added.

The three-year, £2.2m farmer-led project, funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, was launched earlier this year.

In 2025-2026, up to 25 farms across England will take part in trials featuring the first gene-edited crops grown commercially in Europe.

Meanwhile, the project is focusing on scaling up seeds for three gene-edited crop varieties.

SequenceCircle, BOFIN’s platform for fostering discussions on precision-bred crops and shaping the PROBITY project, will launch next month at the CropTec machinery event.