Rooted in the soil

Beth Proctor is deeply rooted in agriculture: Growing up in East Yorkshire in the north of England, she helped out on the family farm from an early age, tending the cattle, sheep and fields. “Some of my earliest memories revolve around lending a hand on the farm throughout the farming year,” says Beth.

She now works as Senior Station Technician in Thriplow. She started at KWS as a Trial Technician immediately after completing her degree in Agriculture with Crop Management. “I already worked on trials with herbicides and fungicides during my studies. I really enjoyed that because it involved directly applied science.”

Her role has changed a lot in recent years. Beth initially dealt with a wide range of crops and supported the teams in trials. Her responsibilities have also grown over time: The 32-year-old is now in charge of barley, oat and rye trials across the UK. That also includes liaising with breeders in different countries to coordinate the trials in the UK. Beth coordinates the design of these trials, sourcing the seed and making sure that the plants establish well and are not damaged by pests. As part of that, she has to keep to a strict schedule because breeding requires a lot of data and results collected at a specific time to enable selections for the next year to be made.

Fun even with mundane tasks

Nevertheless, she almost always goes about her duties with a smile: “Our corporate culture is very positive and supportive. We achieve good results, work very accurately, yet still have a lot of fun at work and with colleagues,” adds Beth. “Sharing knowledge and learning new things is great. We always see the funny side of life – and that makes even mundane tasks more enjoyable.”

Beth has learned a lot in recent years, not only from colleagues, but also skills such as people and time management. “I’ve also further improved my ability to plan ahead. That’s especially important in seed preparation. Several factors, including the weather and the priority of material within the breeding program, can alter which seed needs to be prepared first, and this can change quickly.”

What Beth likes most about her job is that no two days are the same. She advises all newcomers to talk to as many colleagues as possible. “That not only helps you in your work, but also gives you a deep insight into the company. It also enables you to expand your knowledge and at the same time get new perspectives that provide ideas for your own work.”