Research & Development
Germinal’s product performance is built on the integrity of our research and development program. Our vision is to bring benefits to farmers, consumers and the wider global environment.
The world is changing, placing demands on today’s livestock farmers. Consumers demand high quality products at competitive pricing and the supply chain and regulators want to see improvements to animal welfare and human health coupled with essential reductions to pollutants and emissions from a sustainable agricultural industry.
We continue to deliver the best varieties to our customers by ensuring our research is comprehensive and focused on their needs. To enable this, we have a route map of development encompassing science-based research, product development and selected industry partners and sponsorships.
Investing in relationships
Germinal has developed a successful partnership with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), part of Aberystwyth University in Wales. This long term sponsorship applies world leading technology to the core activities of grass and clover breeding.
Alongside industrial partners such as major food retailers, supermarkets, AHDB and the British Grassland Society (BGS), Germinal also invests in research with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Innovate UK (IUK), Welsh Government and the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL).
Germinal are one of the founding members of both CIEL and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). We are also key members of the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB), The European Seed Association (ESA), The International Seed Federation (ISF) and the British Association of Seed Producers (BASP).
Future research
Important on-going projects sponsored by Germinal involve research into Nitrogen and Phosphate efficiency, disease and pest resistance, greater seed yields, flood prevention and drought resistance.
Germinal also funds invaluable research into improving the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of meat and milk to improve production and animal health, reduce methane emissions and the negative impact of animal products on human health.
All of this is underpinned with new technology and improved facilities. Germinal and IBERS are applying genomic and phenomic research, translating innovative bioscience into solutions designed to mitigate the impact of climate change. Broadening our own research knowledge, the Germinal Research Station in Wiltshire is a bespoke facility for applied on farm trials and demonstrations and the site offers vital opportunities for progressive plant science projects.