East Malling Research Station
Encyclopedia
East Malling Research is a now private company located in East Malling, Kent
in England
.
plant culture (especially the development of rootstock
s), fruit breeding, ornamental breeding, fruit storage and the biology and control of pests and diseases.
From 1990 a division of Horticulture Research International
was on the site. HRI closed in 2009.
initiated the work of classification, testing and standardisation of apple
tree rootstock
s. With the help of Dr Wellington, Hatton sorted out the incorrect naming and mixtures then widespread in apple rootstocks distributed throughout Europe
. These verified and distinct apple rootstocks are called the "Malling series
". The most widespread used was the M9 rootstock.
and the eastern half is in Ditton
. It is just south of the A20, and between junctions 4 and 5 of the M20
.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
A research station was established on the East Malling site in 1913 on the impetus of local fruit growers. The original buildings are still in use today. Some of the finest and most important research on perennial crops has been conducted on the site, resulting in East Malling’s worldwide reputation. Some of the more well known developments have been achieved in the areas of plant raising, fruitFruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
plant culture (especially the development of rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
s), fruit breeding, ornamental breeding, fruit storage and the biology and control of pests and diseases.
From 1990 a division of Horticulture Research International
Horticulture Research International
Warwick HRI, formerly part of Horticulture Research International, is an United Kingdom organisation tasked with carrying out horticultural research and development and transferring the results to industry in England....
was on the site. HRI closed in 2009.
Apple rootstocks
Ronald HattonRonald Hatton
Sir Ronald George Hatton was a highly distinguished pomologist.-Life and career:...
initiated the work of classification, testing and standardisation of apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
tree rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
s. With the help of Dr Wellington, Hatton sorted out the incorrect naming and mixtures then widespread in apple rootstocks distributed throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. These verified and distinct apple rootstocks are called the "Malling series
Malling series
-History:Rootstocks used to control tree size have been used in apple for over 2,000 years. Dwarfing rootstocks were probably discovered by chance in Asia. Alexander the Great sent samples of dwarf apple trees back to his teacher, Aristotle in Greece...
". The most widespread used was the M9 rootstock.
Structure
It is situated east of East Malling, and north of the Maidstone East Line. The western half of the site is in East Malling and LarkfieldEast Malling and Larkfield
East Malling and Larkfield is a civil parish in the district of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, England. It is about southeast of West Malling, northwest of Maidstone, and SSW of Rochester....
and the eastern half is in Ditton
Ditton, Kent
Ditton is a large village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling District of Kent, England. The village is about north-west of Maidstone town centre and east of West Malling. The parish, which is long and narrow, straddles the A20 , with farmland to the south and industry to the north...
. It is just south of the A20, and between junctions 4 and 5 of the M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
.
Function
Today the Research Centre also acts as a business enterprise centre supported by leading local businesses including QTS Analytical and Network Computing Limited. The conference centre trades as East Malling Ltd, being incoporated on 17 February 2004.External links
- East Malling Research website
- Units and Institutes of the Agricultural Research Council
- East Malling Conference Centre
- Apples: British to the Core - BBC4 June 2011
Video clips
- Pest control in August 2009
- Malaria prevention in August 2009 by Artemisia annuaArtemisia annuaArtemisia annua, also known as Sweet Wormwood, Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort or Annual Wormwood , is a common type of wormwood that is native to temperate Asia, but naturalized throughout the world.-Characteristics:...