British Crop Production Enterprises (BCPE), the operating arm of BCPC, is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Peter Mills of the University of Warwick to the BCPE Board.
A plant pathologist by training, Professor Mills gained a PhD from Imperial College, London before taking up a post in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science at The Queen's University of Belfast, leading to a Senior Lecturership .
Subsequently he has held three roles at Horticulture Research International as Head, Department of Microbial Biotechnology; Plant Pathology and Microbiology and finally Research Director for Environmental Microbiology. Latterly he is Professor at Warwick HRI, University of Warwick. He has also held the post of President of the British Society for Plant Pathology.
Professor Mills is currently involved in identifying projects that will help growers adapt to the onset of climate change. Under the title of 'Innovation Network' the scheme is focusing on projects such as how geo-thermal heat exchange can be used to cool pack-houses and how farmers can improve their water management for crop irrigation. "It's important that we also continue to find partners in the industry for us to work with and help fund these projects," he said.
Professor Mills said he was delighted to be working with the BCPC - an organisation he believes provides an ideal platform for experts from across the industry to discuss and provide independent opinion on crop production and crop protection matters.
"Professor Mills has a distinguished and relevant background," said BCPE's chairman and Exhibitions director, Dr Colin Ruscoe, welcoming him to the Board.
"His applied biology and management experience will clearly enable him to contribute significantly to BCPC's expanding range of crop production and protection publications and events."
