Teams of scientists from the UK and across Africa and Asia have been awarded £7m to study how pests, diseases and harsh environmental conditions affect crops, such as maize, coconuts, and rice, in developing countries.
The funding for 12 new research projects comes from the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC), the UK's main funder of biological science, and the Department for International Development (DfiD).
The projects are funded under the BBSRC's and DfiD's joint initiative - Sustainable Agriculture Research for International Development. The research aims to help scientists develop crops better able to survive and thrive in challenging environments, providing food security and reducing poverty for the many people in the developing world who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
Thirteen universities and research institutes around the UK are participating in the projects, including Aberdeen, Leeds, Warwick and Sheffield, along with institutions in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh and China.
Among the projects receiving funding is a study of a naturally occurring virus of the African armyworm by the University of Lancaster, the Natural Resources Institute in Greenwich, Laurentian University in Canada, and Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania. The armyworm is an insect pest that feeds on cereal crops and the money will be used to investigate whether it could be used as a biological pesticide.
Another project to receive funding is being run by the University of Aberdeen and the University of Calcutta in India, which is looking at how to combat the challenge posed by arsenic contamination of rice paddies. Contamination is a major problem in many parts of Asia caused by irrigation with arsenic contaminated ground water, and pollution resulting from mining.
Researchers from the UK, India Bangladesh and China will study varieties of rice that naturally take up lower levels of arsenic to decipher the genetic basis for this trait.
Further funding made available through the joint initiative for research on animal health will be announced later this year.
Commenting on the new research, Gareth Thomas, a junior minister for international development and business, enterprise and regulatory reform, said: "Investing in science and research is essential to provide poor farmers with the seeds, knowledge and tools they need to make a better life for themselves.
"This research, bringing together UK, African and Asian scientists, has the potential to revolutionise farming in the developing world and reduce global poverty."
Ian Pearson, the science minister, added: "This is a true demonstration of how scientific research can help find solutions to the major challenges facing the world and improve the quality of life for millions in developing countries."
