Preliminary results from a bottom trawl survey of Lake Rudolf with additional notes on trials with a midwater frame trawl

This paper includes a short report on preliminary midwater hauls with a frame trawl. The object is (a) to study the relationship between the vertical distribution of pelagic fish and the scattering layer, and (b) to find out if certain species, which at times occur abundantly in the bottom-trawl on the shallow-water frontiers of the scattering layer, might extend into offshore waters to constitute an important pelagic resource

Mineral resource information for development plans : phase one West Sussex : resources and constraints

This report is one of a series prepared by the British Geological Survey for various administrative areas in England and Wales for Phase One of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Research Project Mineral Resource Information for Development Plans. The report and accompanying map relate to the area of the West Sussex Mineral Planning Authority. The report and map delineate and describe the mineral resources of current, or potential, economic interest in the area and relate these to national planning designations which may represent constraints on the extraction of minerals. Three major elements of information are presented and described: • the geological distribution and importance of mineral resources • the extent of mineral planning permissions and the location of current mineral workings • the extent of selected planning constraints (national statutory designations) This wide range of information, much of which is scattered and not always available in a consistent and convenient form, is presented on a digitally-generated summary map. The map is produced at 1:100 000 scale, which is convenient for overall display and allows for a legible topographic base on which to depict the information. In addition, as the data are held digitally using a Geographical Information System (GIS), easy revision, updating and customisation are possible, including presentation of subsets of the data at larger scales. Basic mineral resource information is essential to support mineral exploration and development activities, for resource management and land-use planning, and to establish baseline data for environmental impact studies and environmental guidelines. It also enables a more sustainable pattern and standard of development to be achieved by valuing mineral resources as national assets. The purpose of the work is to assist all interested parties involved in the preparation and review of development plans, both in relation to the extraction of minerals and the protection of mineral resources from sterilisation, by providing a knowledge base on the nature and extent of mineral resources and the environmental constraints which may affect their extraction. However, it is anticipated that the maps and report will also provide valuable data for a much wider audience, including the minerals industry, the Planning Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Commission, other agencies and government bodies, environmental interests and the general public. The mineral resource information has been produced by the collation and interpretation of data principally held by the British Geological Survey. The methodology for the collection and display of the data is described and a range of sources of information and further contacts is presented. The mineral resources covered are sand and gravel, crushed-rock aggregate, brick clay, chalk, oil and gas, building stone, fuller’s earth and secondary aggregates

Geology of the Devizes district : sheet description for the British Geological Survey 1:50 000 Series Sheet 282 (England and Wales)

This Sheet Description provides a summary of the geology for the area of 1:50 000 Sheet 282 Devizes. The Devizes district extends over approximately 600 km2 of north-east Wiltshire, covering much of Salisbury Plain in the south and most of the Vale of Pewsey in the north. Jurassic, Cretaceous and Palaeogene strata crop out at surface and Quaternary deposits include alluvium, peat, river terraces and head. A full account of the stratigraphy is given in this report, based on recent mapping and also drawing from an extensive archive and previous publications. Concealed strata that have been proved in deep boreholes are also included in the description. The Oxford Clay Formation and the Corallian Group, of Jurassic age, crop out in the extreme north-west of the district, beyond a major fault. The uppermost part of the Jurassic; the Kimmeridge Clay formation, Portland and Purbeck groups, crop out in the north-west near Devizes. However, Cretaceous rocks underlie most of the district: the Weald Clay, Lower Greensand, Gault and Upper Greensand formations of the Lower Cretaceous and the Grey Chalk and White Chalk subgroups of the Upper Cretaceous. Palaeogene strata are rare, preserved only as a single isolated outlier capping Sidbury Hill, near Tidworth. T he Quaternary deposits are described in relation to their mode of origin and they include the residual deposits, fluvial and organic deposits, and artificial ground. A section is devoted to applied geological issues such as geotechnical factors that should be taken into consideration in any land development, for example, landsliding has affected the Upper Greensand escarpment in the north-west of the district. The chalk is a major aquifer in the district and an account of its hydrogeology is given. Other resources described include sand and gravel, building stones and brick clays. The Information Sources lists all the BGS publications relevant to the district and gives information on how to gain access to BGS collections and databases, including borehole records, geophysical, geochemical and geotechnical data

Recent progress in strawberry breeding and genetics at NIAB EMR, East Malling, UK

The strawberry breeding programme at East Malling (NIAB EMR), Kent, UK (UK) has successfully released 45 cultivars, primarily to the northern European market, since its inception in 1983. Since 2008 funding for the commercial programme has been met via the East Malling Strawberry Breeding Club (EMSBC), a public-private partnership. The EMSBC objectives are to develop a range of high-quality cultivars with overlapping seasons which crop in succession and combine excellent fruit quality with high yield, low percentage waste and resistance to fungal and oomycete diseases. Since 2008 the programme has released seven new cultivars including 'Malling™ Centenary' which has become the UK standard short-day cultivar and more recently 'Malling™ Allure' and 'Malling™ Champion', late short-day and everbearer cultivars respectively. A number of promising advanced selections, particularly everbearers, are in the final large-scale trials, and show commercial potential. The EMSBC programme is seeking to incorporate the outputs from allied, molecular genetic based research at NIAB EMR, particularly in relation to disease resistance. Recent developments have included the identification of QTL associated with resistance to powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) and strawberry crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) and successful use of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in both the diploid and octoploid strawberry. In addition, the development of breeding tools has included a 3D imaging system for strawberry fruit quality and drone-based phenotyping platform for field disease screening