Germinal Horizon Aberystwyth
The team is embedded in the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) – a world-class research and development centre within Aberystwyth University in Wales.
IBERS is world-renowned for its work on genetics and genomics-based research that underpins the improvement of forages, principally ryegrass and both red and white clover.
Germinal has sponsored the near market work on the breeding of grass and clover varieties since 1989. This successful relationship allows Germinal to hold the global marketing rights for the grass and forage varieties bred at IBERS.
Dr David Lloyd 
Head of Plant Breeding
BSc (Hons) Botany, MSC (with distinction), PhD
Dr David Lloyd coordinates all forage breeding for Germinal Horizon, providing advice and direction to a talented team of plant breeders.
David is integral in steering the future of Germinal Horizon's breeding strategy, underpinning the core breeding aims with state-of-the-art science.
This will help Germinal to strengthen its position in a changing world and to provide solutions to the grassland industry, which is under pressure from climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the ruminant livestock farming.
Dr Charlotte Jones
Clover Breeder
BSc Botany, MPhil, PhD
Dr Charlotte Jones is supporting Germinal Horizon's core strategy to improve varieties' persistency and nutritional quality.
Charlotte is investigating ways to further improve nutrient use efficiency, in particular phosphate usage in white clover. Coupled with this, improved drought tolerance in white clover is an ongoing process using DoubleRoot hybrid clover varieties such as AberLasting.
Research is also progressing for red clover varieties, with RedRunner at the forefront. Charlotte is also working on smaller breeding programmes for Lotus, Sainfoin and Plantain.
Dr Christina Holland
Grass Breeder
BSc Plant Biology, AFHEA, PhD
Dr Christina Holland works in the grass breeding team and is involved in the selection, creation and testing of perennial ryegrass grass and cocksfoot varieties.
Christina found her way to Germinal Horizon after graduating with a BSc in Plant Biology at Aberystwyth University and studying for a PhD at IBERS with funding from Germinal.
Ellen Sizer-Coverdale
Ellen Sizer-CoverdalePlant Breeder
BSc, MRes
Ellen Sizer-Coverdale is responsible for selecting, sowing and crossing Italian Ryegrass, Perennial ryegrass and existing hybrids to improve disease resistance, identify beneficial traits and increase seed yield in the hybrid population.
Ellen also undertakes lab-based colchicine treatments of grass seedlings, inducing polyploidisation to encourage genotype diversity and increase ploidy levels. Ploidy testing via flow cytometry is also used to determine if plants are diploid or tetraploid.
Contact Germinal Horizon