A NORTH YORKSHIRE horticultural research station is building on its expertise in transferring technology to the horticulture and agriculture sectors with the launch of a new trials facility.

Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC), based near Selby, has launched the initiative to provide a cost-effective means for crop protection companies to evaluate the relative performance of their products against specific pests, pathogens and weeds in the horticultural sector.

Manager of the Centre, Plant Pathology project manager Kirsty Wright said: "The STC Participation Trial Centre provides an opportunity for individual plant protection products to be independently and confidentially tested to ORETO standards as part of a larger ‘slot' trial where individual products are supplied by a number of companies.

"The Centre will begin its first season by testing products for activity against cavity spot in carrots.

"Other trials targeting different pests, pathogens and weeds are currently being planned and will follow later in the year."

STC science director, Dr Martin McPherson concluded: "The Participation Trials approach can be beneficial to both small and large companies that have limited horticultural Research and Development budgets as they can commission a small number of ‘slots' to evaluate products without the financial investment that commissioning a full trial series often necessitates."

Stockbridge Technology Centre is an independent, not for profit organisation that is wholly owned by the UK horticultural industry and is a centre of excellence in technology transfer to agriculture and horticulture.