Gracie Morris who is studying BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Crop Management has been awarded a £1000 bursary from Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society. Applicants had to write a piece explaining how the bursary would benefit them. Gracie intends to use the money to assist with collecting research for her dissertation as she heads back to university in September for her final year.
Gracie's dissertation will be on the effect of biofumigation on Rhizoctonia solani in potatoes. She said, "Biofumigation is growing certain crops that have pesticidal properties when they're chopped and ploughed into the soil to control pests and diseases. Rhizoctonia is a disease in potatoes that causes black scurf, stem canker and Rhizoctonia distortion. This causes yield loss and poor skin quality."
After Gracie's final year is complete, she hopes to use her knowledge to implement a biofumigation programme on the farm at home in Berea, St. Davids, before becoming an independent agronomy consultant specialising in potatoes.