Motorsport Valley revisited:Cluster evolution, strategic cluster coupling and resilience

Over 20 years ago a series of papers identified a strikingly dominant economic cluster – the UK’s Motorsport Valley (MSV) – which led to MSV becoming an international exemplar of concepts such as agglomeration, clusters and knowledge-driven systems of regional development. Utilising an evolutionary perspective on cluster development, this paper asks ‘whatever happened to MSV?’. Drawing on the framework of strategic cluster coupling, four cluster development episodes are conceptualised that each depict the dynamic evolution of the cluster’s multi-scalar institutional environment, strategic coupling trajectories and economic development outcomes. Reflecting the emerging synthesis between evolutionary economic geography and geographical political economy, the paper describes an extended case study of cluster development, an evolutionary process of strategic cluster coupling and, ultimately, an example of cluster resilience. Through a focus on strategic cluster coupling, the paper provides further understanding of cluster evolution and path development mechanisms at key moments of cluster reconfiguration – and an empirical update and continuation of the economic story and cluster lifecycle of MSV

Relation entry, exit and productivity: an overview of recent theoretical and empirical literature

This document provides a review of recent theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between entry, exit and productivity. Decomposition methods show that entry and exit considerably contribute to productivity growth, but are unable to shed any light on the ultimate sources of productivity growth. However, the theories discussed do provide options for effective policy instruments. We argue that productivity or welfare should be the aim of policy and not the number of entrants, the intensity of competition or the amount of innovation expenditures. Taking a welfare approach, we address market failures with respect to entry. The most eminent market failure is market power of dominant incumbents. Lowering institutional entry barriers economy-wide is a promising policy option for further consideration. Whether such a policy measure actually improves social welfare depends also on the extent of other failures. Therefore, an ex ante cost-benefit analysis needs to precede intervention.

Selecting winter wheat lines from a composite cross population

The extremely diverse genetic variation in wheat Composite Cross Populations (CCP) represents a valuable source of breeding material. Such material could be selected as part of a participatory breeding programme with the potential advantage of selecting adaptation targeted for particular environments. For example, selections could be made aimed at producing lines that would thrive under the wide range of management practices conducted as part of organic and low input farming systems. Ears were selected from a CCP mixed stand under organic field conditions in the UK and Hungary. Selected lines were multiplied as single ear rows and 1m2 plots. The best performing five lines from the two selection sites were trialled in Suffolk, UK, in replicated plots including a commercial control variety (Alchemy) and the original population. Alchemy was chosen due to its good disease resistance and consistent performance at the trial site. Assessments included crop and weed cover, foliar and ear diseases, Leaf Area Index (LAI), crop height, as well as grain and straw yield. The first year of trials has been completed with five of the Hungarian selected lines and trials including locally selected lines are on-going. For the first trial year including only the Hungarian selected lines, there were significant differences among varieties (P<0.001) and Alchemy had the highest average yield. Across all trial entries grain yield was correlated negatively with yellow rust infection on the flag leaf at heading (P<0.001) and with reduced green leaf area during grain ripening (P<0.001). In current trials including locally selected lines, some of the selected lines had significantly lower yellow rust infection than the average of the original CCP and of the control variety Alchemy (P<0.001). There was also greater early ground cover (P<0.005) and (LAI) at tillering (P<0.05) in some lines compared to Alchemy and the original population. Crop cover was also correlated negatively with early weed cover (P<0.05). These observations suggest that it is possible to select lines with enhanced resistance to local disease and the ability to compete with weeds at an early stage. However, because average grain yields and percentage protein content are negatively correlated in this study (P<0.01), this trade-off should not be ignored when selecting lines for specific end uses. This can be avoided by developing mixtures of high performing lines with potentially greater stability than pure-line monocultures. Such mixtures may perform better than the original CCP but with the risk of reduced stability over multiple seasons because of their reduced diversity. Acknowledgements: The work reported here is supported by the EU Core Organic II project COBRA

Applications of crop competitive ability in winter oats (Avena sativa L.)

Crop competition is a key component of an integrated approach to weed management. Variation in competitive ability and competitive traits have been identified in many other crop species, however little work has been done on oats. Trials were carried out over four years at one organic site with five husked and three naked oat varieties. Mid-season Leaf Area Index (LAI) and tillering ability were identified as weed suppressive traits using path analysis. Differences in weed tolerance were found among varieties. Trade-offs may exist between competitive traits and yield potential which could be optimised by limiting competitive traits later in the season. Selection of competitive traits with high heritability, whilst minimising yield penalties, could be applied in breeding programmes to develop varieties with greater weed competitive ability