A consortium of industry and research partners has secured almost £3m in government funding to develop miniature tomato varieties which could dramatically improve the long-term prospects of the UK’s tomato-growing industry.
Over the next three years, CambridgeHOK will collaborate with the University of Lincoln, APS Group, the UK’s largest tomato grower, and Phytoform Labs to integrate their advanced CRISPR-Cas plant breeding technology with automated greenhouse systems in a bid to create a commercially-viable alternative to conventional tomato production.
Since 2000, UK tomato production has fallen sharply with domestic output almost cut in half, driven by rising energy and labour costs and persistent workforce shortages. As a result, around 80 per cent of tomatoes consumed in the UK are now imported, increasing exposure to supply chain risks and adding to the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transport.
The AutoTom project will seek to reverse this trend by fundamentally redesigning how tomatoes are grown by bringing together the knowledge of plant scientists, commercial growers and engineers. It will use precision breeding to develop smaller tomato plants which can be grown at a higher density, offering the potential to double yields whilst maintaining quality.
Led by CambridgeHOK and drawing on their expertise in automation, the project will combine precision breeding with the latest Agri-tech to make tomato farming more productive, less labour intensive and better suited to future economic and environmental pressures, offering a more sustainable model for UK horticulture.
Investment is being provided by The Farming Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and delivered in conjunction with Innovate UK, which aims to support innovative projects that improve the sustainability and productivity of the agricultural sector.
