New format for PGRO Descriptive List launch

The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) will be adopting a new format for the launch of its 2025 Descriptive List (DL) for peas and beans to give more growers the chance to engage in the research work.

Dr Chris Judge, the organisation’s Senior Technical Officer, will present the DL at a CropTec Knowledge Hub seminar on 29 November.

The event will also be attended by a number of seed breeders who put varieties forward for trailing, and is free for any pea and bean grower to attend.

“Based on our fully independent trial work, the DL is a very important tool for growers, giving them the relevant information to make an informed decision on which variety suits them and the market they are aiming to supply,” said Dr Judge.

“But variety choice in only one part of the agronomy – having a more public launch gives growers the opportunity to ask questions about how to give crops the best chance of performing well.”

Held at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, the launch of the DL will be held at 10.30am on the first day of the CropTec show.

PGRO will also have a stand where growers can talk to staff about the other research work it carries out. Initiatives such as the Nitrogen Climate Smart Project and policies environmental policies influencing the pulse crop, such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), are expected to be topical.

CropTec has been successfully held for over a decade and entry to the show is free at croptecshow.com.

The PGRO is urging growers to consult the 2024 DL before choosing their variety to drill this autumn.

A series of short videos has been produced highlighting the traits of the varieties added to the DL last November. They can be seen on the PGRO’s YouTube and social media channels

The full DL can be accessed at www.pgro.org/pulse-descriptive-list