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Wheat is one of the most complex structures on the planet and now the complete sequence of the wheat genome has been published. And that's a big deal for farming because understanding the vast data discovered will lead to new innovations in breeding and disease resistance. Philippa Borrill, a Research Fellow at the John Innes Centre in Norwich is one of the 200 scientists, from 73 research institutions world-wide, who've unlocked the secrets of the wheat genome.
A Plymouth based fisherman has been fined for cheating on his quota of fish. Graeme Searle was charged £22,000 in fines and costs for landing 4 tonnes of pollock from one of boats, but claiming it was caught by a different boat, which hadn't actually left the harbour. The false record would have allowed him to exceed his quota for the month.
Searle is part of the Plymouth-based Sole of Discretion small boat collective which brands itself as 'ethical & sustainable' business providing fish to restaurants, delis and box schemes. It was set up by Caroline Bennett who founded the Mushi Mushi sushi restaurant in London in the mid-1990s. Caroline accepts that Graham Searle broke the rules but she argues the case highlights a hopeless situation for Britain's small boats, which have a tiny proportion of the total UK quota.
And we meet a Shropshire farmer who's planted willow trees to make cricket bats.
Presented by Sybil Ruscoe and produced by Sally Challoner. |