For those wanting more on the BOFIN project, a webinar is being organised for 16th July.
One aim is to encourage more farmers to take part in funded, on-farm trials. Tom Allen-Stevens, Oxfordshire farmer and managing director of BOFIN says it offers growers a hands-on role in shaping the future of UK agriculture whilst being paid for their contribution.
“The future of farming is being shaped right now. BOFIN trialists have the opportunity to lead the field – taking part in vital research and driving agricultural innovation – while getting paid for their time.
“Our on-farm trials are opening doors for forward-thinking growers to test cutting-edge innovations, influence research, and directly benefit from the results but also from collaboration with leading scientists.”
The projects include some of the most innovative in the UK.
PROBITY, is bringing precision-bred crops onto farms for the first time in Europe. In 2025-26, this will involve growing varieties produced through TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes) to test traits also being introduced by gene editing.
Two of the three TILLING varieties demonstrate ‘enhanced gravitropism’, resulting in deeper rooting. The project team is particularly interested in hearing from growers in drought-prone areas to test these varieties.
Other opportunities include joining the NCS project as a ‘Pulse Pioneer’, which involves running a pulse trial. This is a pea or bean field in which an area is not growing a pulse crop (eg spring oats) that then comes back into the same crop as the rest of the field the following year. An additional product/practice should be trialled across at least two tramlines. Pulse Pioneers are also required to take samples throughout the project, a process managed through ADAS YEN, and to complete an annual carbon footprint through Farm Carbon Toolkit.
The SLIMERS project is also seeking additional ‘Slug Sleuths’ to join the team for the 2025-26 season. For 2025-6 this will involve patch-treating against the pest this autumn, guided by novel risk-prediction maps. Additionally, BOFIN is interested in hearing from farmers intending to grow spring wheat in 2026 who would like to join the TRUTH project as a ‘Root Ranger’, to explore soil and root health.
