Agriculture
April 4, 2023
Tim Pittaway (Member of Staff)
Tim is a Social Researcher in Rural Digitalisation within James Hutton Institute, working in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group (SEGS) department. SEGS represents the fields of economics, geography, politics, sociology,...
March 3, 2023
A northeast farm that’s working to show how agriculture can be both climate positive and nature friendly is opening its gates – and new EV charging points – to the public at the end of the month.
As part of this year’s...
February 2, 2023
The James Hutton Institute is issuing a last call for farmers and land managers across Scotland to enter its long-running soil competition, Best Soil in Show, which aims to highlight the importance of healthy soils across the country.
Soil...
February 2, 2023
Escape to the country (News)
A shift to hybrid working practices following the coronavirus pandemic has led to some people swapping city living for country life. Now an international project will explore the scale, and pros and cons, of urban migration into rural, island and...
January 1, 2023
Scotland is firmly at the forefront of agricultural innovation, securing global food supplies (News)
Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute. This article first appeared in The Herald on 26 January
Global food security is going to be a dominant economic theme over the next decade. Since the Russian invasion of...
January 1, 2023
Not washing vegetables grown in urban environments before eating them could increase people’s intake of heavy metal contaminants like lead by up to 130%, according to a new study.
The study, led by researchers from Sweden and Scotland,...
January 1, 2023
The James Hutton Institute and McLaughlin & Harvey have signed construction contracts worth £28.7m for the next stage of the ongoing redevelopment of The James Hutton Institute’s Invergowrie estate.
October 10, 2022
This article first appeared in The Times Thunderer column on 10th October
By Professor Derek Stewart, Director, Advanced Plant Growth Centre, the James Hutton Institute
As a crop scientist with over 30 years’ experience in the research...
September 9, 2022
Scientists at the James Hutton Institute are researching ways to prepare for and prevent future threats to arable and horticultural production in Scotland. In work funded by the Scottish Government’sRural and Environment Science and...
September 9, 2022
A Scottish scientist is to co-lead an elite project group of 22 European partners, looking to create resilient crops for the future. Yield is projected to plummet by a third due to extremes in temperatures and greater variation in rainfall...
August 8, 2022
James Hutton is often regarded as the founder of modern geology, his research reset the world view on the Earth's processes and made possible other major theories such as continental drift and the theory of evolution. However, many people...
June 6, 2022
Do you have any burning questions about the key issues influencing Scotland’s arable industry? Are you interested in sustainable farming practices and how best to achieve net-zero? Then why not visit Arable Scotland (Balruddery Farm near...
June 6, 2022
Phosphorus is an essential but often overlooked resource, which is vital for life on Earth and is extracted from phosphate rock for use in crop fertilisers, livestock feeds and food additives. A major new report by scientists warns that global...
May 5, 2022
A Hutton scientific study summarising six years of agricultural research undertaken for the Scottish Government highlights the impact of the use of ecological principles in agriculture on sustainability, resilience, and provision of ecosystem...
April 4, 2022
The Research Network on Economic Experiments for the Common Agricultural Policy (REECAP), which aims to create bridges across evaluation communities and encourage knowledge exchange with policy makers, has been awarded the annual Center for...
April 4, 2022
Circularity in integrated agricultural systems may be key to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (News)
Intensification and the separation of crops, livestock and forestry production systems in agriculture contributes greatly to climate change and biodiversity loss. A new 1.33 million European funded project, co-ordinated by researchers at the...
March 3, 2022
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute are calling on community landowners from across Scotland to help them develop a greater understanding of the agricultural activity carried out on their land. The research also explores perceptions...
March 3, 2022
New research by James Hutton Institute scientists and partner organisations explores the use of sustainable farming practices in Scotland and how these support long-term land productivity and resilience amongst agricultural businesses.
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute has joined Angus Council, Agrico UK, Arbikie Distillery and SoilEssentials Ltd in signing a letter of intent to develop a Centre for Agricultural Sustainable Innovation (CASI) headquartered in Forfar, Angus.
The CASI...
December 12, 2021
Following on the back of COP26, planning proposals are being put forward to build the UK’s first purpose-built tall tower for directly measuring greenhouse gases from land at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm, in Angus near...
December 12, 2021
A report by a multi-stakeholder working group of the European Technology Platform ‘Plants for the Future’, featuring contributions from James Hutton Institute scientists, has identified three principles that will help transition...
November 11, 2021
What do the next generation think should happen in Scottish agriculture to overcome the challenges of climate change and halt carbon emissions? This will be the topic for discussion during a tour and workshop at the James Hutton Institute’s...
October 10, 2021
The Mylnefield Trust have awarded the inaugural John Hillman Scholarship to Jessica Shadbolt, a PhD student at the James Hutton Institute, for research on barley breeding.
The new scholarship celebrates the life and achievements of Professor...
September 9, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute are seeking views from farmers and farming professionals from across Europe in relation to the support, challenges and opportunities for new entrant farmers.
September 9, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research are calling on arable farmers from across Scotland to help them develop a greater understanding of attitudes towards making risky decisions...
September 9, 2021
As the eyes of the world turn to Glasgow for the upcoming COP26, the James Hutton Institute has supported the recommendations issued by the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG) in a report launched today, which outlines a series of key actions...
August 8, 2021
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have responded to the latest international report on climate change by emphasising their continued determination to address the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
August 8, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute are calling on livestock farmers and vets in the UK to help develop a greater understanding of the use of on farm anti-microbials.
It is widely believed that overuse and improper use of anti-...
August 8, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute will contribute to one of six research teams tasked with developing new tools and approaches to help trees and woodlands adapt to climate change and enable the UK to reach the goal of net zero...
June 6, 2021
Scotland has a legally binding commitment of being net-zero by 2045, and a 31% reduction is required in emissions from agriculture by 2032. This topic will be under discussion in the fourth Arable Conversations session on 29th June 2021 at 6:00...
June 6, 2021
Join us at Arable Scotland on 29th June for a virtual Arable Conversation with Pete Iannetta (James Hutton Institute), Ed Brown (Hutchinsons), Dick Neale (Hutchinsons), Christine Watson (SRUC) and Paul Hargreaves (SRUC), which will look at...
June 6, 2021
Arable Scotland, the premier event for the Scottish arable industry, returns on 29th June 2021. Now in its third year, the event brings together the key players in food production, academia and farming to discuss key issues and provide a wealth...
April 4, 2021
December 12, 2020
Mayan Gold and Vales Sovereign potatoes developed in Tayside by the James Hutton Institute and grown on Hutton research farms as part of a long-term trial of sustainable cultivation methods are being donated to food banks across Tayside in time...
August 8, 2020
Coinciding with their launch of World Sustainable Spirits Day today (Fri 28th August), Scottish distillery Arbikie has introduced a second addition to their climate-positive spirit range: Nàdar Vodka, crafted from the pea-based spirit...
August 8, 2020
A group of leading European academic research institutions including the James Hutton Institute have joined forces to launch the ADAPT (Accelerated Development of multiple-stress tolerAnt PoTato) project, which seeks to develop strategies to make...
July 7, 2020
Capturing carbon in soil is a frequent feature of climate change mitigation measures, but the variability in soils and greenhouse gas emissions makes it difficult to evaluate results. A new £1 million research project led by James Hutton...
April 4, 2020
Social science at the James Hutton Institute may provide an insight into how rural Scotland can and will likely respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. These research findings bring into focus the importance of community resilience, discuss the impact...
April 4, 2020
The award-winning film Thank You For The Rain was the focus of the James Hutton Institute’s first ever collective 'online' film screening on the 6th of April, highlighting a range of issues including climate justice, urbanisation...
February 2, 2020
An initiative supported by the James Hutton Institute has set its sights on developing methods for measuring soil carbon with a cost-effective commercial tool to help UK farmers tap into the carbon credits market.
Agricarbon, led by Invergowrie...
February 2, 2020
The world’s first “climate-positive” gin has been created by UK scientists — using the humble garden pea. Five years of research at Abertay University and the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, in collaboration with...
October 10, 2019
Agri-tech centre Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) and farming technology company Liberty Produce have launched the Innovation Hub for Controlled Environment Agriculture (IHCEA) at the James Hutton Institute’s site in Invergowrie near...
October 10, 2019
Policy translation from the international down to the local scales can be rather like a game of Chinese whispers: what you end up with is often not what was intended. Part of the problem is that the best laid plans become ruthlessly exposed to...
August 8, 2019
Maize is the most important cereal crop in southern Africa but without new management practices and with the increased risk of drought, yields which are already low are predicted to further decline. It is therefore critical that new approaches...
July 7, 2019
The Orskov Foundation, created to support students from developing countries to further their education in subjects related to agriculture, land use or the environment, has announced its grant awards for 2019. They include support for four...
July 7, 2019
Food security and livelihoods for a majority of Ethiopians depends on smallholder farming, and barley is an important crop grown by over 4 million smallholder farmers for multiple uses as food, feed and as a cash crop for an emerging malting and...
July 7, 2019
The North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NESBiP) is delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Stuart as their new coordinator. Previously employed by Aberdeen City Council Ranger Service in Duthie Park, Alex will bring experience of...
July 7, 2019
Scientists of the James Hutton Institute have discussed the latest research on arable crops as part of the launch of new event Arable Scotland, including renewed breeding efforts aimed at developing quality crops for defined markets, innovative...
June 6, 2019
The James Hutton Institute celebrated its Tay Cities Deal success at this year's Royal Highland Show alongside industry guests and stakeholders, with the support of the Rt Hon David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland.
The...
February 2, 2015
Sam Poskitt (Member of Staff)
Sam is an Environmental Social Scientist with a background in Geography, Environmental Anthropology and International Development. He specialises in participatory approaches for research, learning, and decision-making in relation to tackling...
