A leading Norfolk wheat researcher has landed a major national award, recognising his outstanding contribution to crop improvements for seed breeders and farmers.

Dr Simon Griffiths, a group leader at the John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich and programme lead for the Delivering Sustainable Wheat Institute Strategic Programme (ISP), is the 2024 winner of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) award for science and technology. 

His research group employs modern gene discovery techniques to find useful genetic diversity from the Watkins Collection - an assembly of historic bread wheat seeds from 32 countries. 

The genetic diversity found in this collection can be used to improve modern wheat crops, using techniques such as gene editing to enhance nutritional value, disease resistance and climate resilience.

Working closely with the crop breeding industry, Dr Griffith’s group and partners in the Designing Future Wheat ISP developed a "breeders’ toolkit" which prioritises improvements needed in the field.

“I am delighted to be the first JIC researcher to win the RASE Science and Technology medal. It shows that the work we are doing with the Watkins Collection is having a real impact for wheat breeders and that our innovative science is meeting farmers' needs,” he said. 

“We should be proud of the partnerships we have forged with industry and the fact that leading companies are putting their faith and resources into our research." 

Last month a major research collaboration led by the JIC highlighted the increasingly significant role that the Watkins Collection can play in modern wheat production. 

A study published in the journal Nature revealed that 60pc of modern wheat lacked the genetic diversity found in the Watkins Collection, but it could be transferred back into current wheat varieties using genomic techniques.

Prof Graham Moore, director of the John Innes Centre, said: “This is a richly deserved award for Simon at an exciting time for the international wheat community. It is another example of the trust and respect that the breeders and farmers hold for the research of the John Innes Centre and its global network of research partners."

Other recipients of the 2024 RASE Awards include Baroness Minette Batters, the former president of the National Farmers’ Union, who received the National Agricultural Award.