A brief history of horticultural applied research capability in the UK

Commercial horticultural production in the UK is worth c. £4.22 billion annually, making a vital contribution to food security and to wellbeing through ornamental plants. Research and knowledge exchange have been an integral part of the support network for the industry. This paper considers the history of public research institutions/organisations which were specifically tasked with addressing the applied research needs of the UK’s horticultural industry. It covers England, Wales and Scotland. While the university sector still has the capacity to undertake innovative academic research relevant to commercial horticulture, the UK now has diminished capacity to conduct applied horticultural research compared to the situation even 20 years ago. Decisions taken over time in the context of the politics and economics of the day have had far-reaching and long-term consequences for the UK’s ability to support its commercial horticultural industry with relevant and high-impact research covering the spectrum from discovery to application.