UK seed specialists celebrate 200th anniversary
In June 2006 Wherry & Sons Ltd of Bourne, Lincolnshire, UK celebrated 200 years (1806–2006) as specialist producers of pulses for food use around the world. In support of this the company has its own breeding programmes for peas and beans.
When the PBI (Plant Breeding Institute), Cambridge discontinued breeding faba beans in 1999 the programme was purchased by Wherry & Sons Ltd and they are now the major breeders of winter faba beans in the UK, although this represents only a small proportion of their interests and activities. The company also has a small marrowfat spring pea programme.
The faba bean programme is currently under the control of Mr James Wherry and managed by Mr Peter Smith with Mr Mervyn Pope, the former PBI pulse breeder, acting as consultant to the company.
PBI attempted to breed F1 hybrid beans in the 1960s and 1970s but the male-sterile genes proved difficult to manage. Hence, since then nearly all winter bean varieties have been composites, comprised of three to six lines. All current varieties have been evaluated independently in Ministry trials for inclusion in the UK National List and have also been recommended by NIAB.
Improvements have been made in resistance to Ascochyta, yield, shortness of straw, straw length and quality in terms of hilum and testa colour. The current NIAB recommended winter bean varieties are Clipper, Wizard and Griffin.
Source: James Wherry (jameswherry@wherryandsons.com) and David A. Bond, Cambridge, UK.
