research
November 11, 2015
Ecological Sciences (Research Page)
Ecological Sciences (ES) is a multi-disciplinary collective of over 65 researchers with a unique breadth of scientific expertise, skills and knowledge in the ecology, physiology and systematics of microbes, lichens, fungi, plants, soils, and...
April 4, 2023
This article first appeared in Insider online on 21 April 2023
At the beginning of this year, the James Hutton Institute appointed a new entrepreneur in residence – a man with more than 30 years of global business experience, George...
March 3, 2023
Fruit for the Future 2023 (Event)
Join scientists at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee on Thursday 27th July for the 2023 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research including scientific presentations, outdoor demonstrations, walks through...
March 3, 2023
Arable Scotland 2023 (Event)
Come and be inspired by arable innovation at Scotland’s premier arable event. Arable Scotland is a free, day long event taking place on 4th July, 2023. This is a chance for key players in food production, from farmers and agronomists to...
February 2, 2023
Potatoes in Practice 2023 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
In the field, you...
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
Research increasingly asserts that biodiversity enhancement and conservation will be more inclusive and effective if we pay serious and analytical attention to narratives. An understanding of how narratives and stories work to marginalise (or not...
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
Researchers working on an ancient form of barley grown only on Unst, Shetland’s northernmost island, have returned from a knowledge exchange trip to Germany that will help them and others better understand its specific traits.
By learning...
December 12, 2022
The James Hutton Institute has been awarded £350,000 of funding to further develop its innovative software to support global food security efforts.
Hutton’s homegrown software platforms, GridScore and Germinate, will support the...
December 12, 2022
Researchers from The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen are collaborating on a new project led by the University of Stirling to explore how pollution and climate change are impacting freshwater ecosystems.
The study, MOT4Rivers, will...
November 11, 2022
This article first appeared in Farming Scotland magazine
The healing effects of Manuka honey are well established and widely recognised. The NHS even recommends Manuka Medihoney as an effective treatment for wounds and burns.
August 8, 2022
Today marks International Beer Day, a global celebration of beer, taking place in pubs, breweries, and backyards all over the world. Behind great tasting beer is great science, like the barley research taking place at the James Hutton Institute...
August 8, 2022
An international partnership of blue carbon experts from the James Hutton Institute, the University of St Andrews, the Norwegian Geological Survey, and University College Dublin has been awarded funding under the Blue Carbon International Policy...
August 8, 2022
Potatoes in Practice (PiP), the UK’s largest field event for potatoes, is set to return to Balruddery Farm in Angus on Thursday 11th August 2022 with a focus on new research and current challenges.
July 7, 2022
The 2022 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research presented by the James Hutton Institute and the Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR), is taking place on Thursday 21st July at the Institute's Dundee...
June 6, 2022
After a two-year enforced hiatus, the James Hutton Institute’s return to the Royal Highland Show was a success: a steady stream of visitors visited the marquee including farmers, research partners and families, as well as a significant...
June 6, 2022
The thin layer of soil surrounding plant roots, an interface that scientists define as the rhizosphere, is a habitat for a multitude of microorganisms collectively referred to as the rhizosphere microbiota. In analogy with the microbiota...
June 6, 2022
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
Research and innovation underpinning Scotland’s road to net-zero: come and see it at the #RHS200 (News)
The Royal Highland Show (23-26 June 2022, Ingliston, Edinburgh EH28 8NB) is one of Scotland's most iconic events, and while it showcases the very best of farming food and rural life, it could be argued that it is actually a science, research...
June 6, 2022
An international research team featuring the James Hutton Institute has shed further light on the evolution and biology of potato as a genetically complex global food crop.
Most commercially grown potato varieties are tetraploids, which means...
June 6, 2022
Work by researchers at the James Hutton Institute that helps protect Scotland’s valuable potato crop against late blight is to continue thanks to funding from the Scottish Government for the Fight Against Blight (FAB) campaign in 2022....
May 5, 2022
An innovative survey of Scotland’s mountain hares involving volunteer citizen scientists has been hailed as a success in a new report published today.
Last year, hillwalkers, bird and mammal surveyors and other outdoor enthusiasts took...
May 5, 2022
By Prof Colin Campbell, Chief Executive, James Hutton Institute
Last week in the Queen’s speech, it was announced that the UK Government would be bringing forward a new Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding Bill). Unless you work in the...
May 5, 2022
Finance secretary visits Dundee campus to discuss national strategy for economic transformation (News)
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes MSP, visited the James Hutton Institute’s Dundee campus to discuss the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, which sets out a clear commitment to support a...
May 5, 2022
Ahead of the International Day for Biological Diversity on Sunday 22nd May, Dr Kenneth Loades stresses the importance of preserving biodiversity.
There is nothing better than waking up early on a warm summer morning to hear a variety of...
May 5, 2022
Dr Rebekka Artz, a senior scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences department, has been included in the inaugural ENDS Power List, which names the 100 UK environmental professionals who have made the greatest impact...
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
Arable Scotland, the country’s premier arable event featuring knowledge and solutions for the arable industry, returns to the field in 2022 with a focus on net-zero carbon emissions and markets. The one-day event will take place at...
April 4, 2022
Galvanising Change via Natural Capital (Project)
This research explores if and how the concept of 'Natural Capital' can influence decision-making in support of sustainability and a Just Transition.
April 4, 2022
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, visited the James Hutton Institute’s Glensaugh Research Farm, near Laurencekirk, site of our Climate-Positive Farming Initiative.
Climate-...
April 4, 2022
Scotland's flux tower network improved for better understanding of impact of peatland restoration (News)
The flux tower network in Scotland is to be extended and enhanced to better understand the carbon and climate impact of restoring peatlands. Supported by over £1 million of Scottish Government funding, three additional flux towers to be...
April 4, 2022
A five-year, £3.7m research project involving scientists from across the UK and partners across Europe will assess the risk that climate change poses to our peatlands and create the capability to better manage these important ecosystems....
March 3, 2022
Professor Robin Pakeman, a plant ecologist at the James Hutton Institute, has received the honour of being elected a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).
Formed in 1991 as the Institute of Ecology...
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.
March 3, 2022
Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, the Hydro Nation International Centre and the James Hutton Institute joined the annual global celebration of World Water Day with a call to realise the benefits of Scotland’s waters, during...
March 3, 2022
Arable Scotland 2022 (Event)
Arable Scotland 2022 will take place on Tuesday 5 July at the James Hutton Institute, Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, DD2 5LL. The theme of the event is net-zero carbon emissions and it will consist of a series of Arable Conversations, field plots...
March 3, 2022
Fruit for the Future 2022 (Event)
Join scientists at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee on Thursday 21 July for the 2022 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research including scientific presentations, outdoors demonstrations and walks through...
March 3, 2022
Arthropod pests are estimated to destroy up to 20% of annual crop production worldwide. In recent years, key pesticides used in soft fruit production have been withdrawn, leaving crops vulnerable to attack. Researchers have been developing...
March 3, 2022
Potatoes in Practice 2022 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
March 3, 2022
Aberdeen Scientific Services Laboratory (ASSL), which is operated by Aberdeen City Council, is to relocate from Old Aberdeen to the James Hutton Institute's Craigiebuckler site.
The move is expected to consolidate the city's...
March 3, 2022
The James Hutton Institute and the Macaulay Development Trust have announced plans for the evolution of the Institute’s Craigiebuckler campus in Aberdeen and will hold a public consultation to allow people to learn more about the vision for...
February 2, 2022
Agar, a jelly-like substance obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, is used in food production as a gelling and thickening agent, but it is not currently produced in the UK and has a large carbon footprint. An innovative...
February 2, 2022
A renowned group of barley scientists, including researchers from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee, has issued an open call to ‘galvanize’ the international barley research community from the ground up by...
February 2, 2022
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Our February 2022 issue includes:
February 2, 2022
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, got a vision of climate-positive agriculture and future farming technologies when she visited the James Hutton Institute in Dundee.
Ms Gougeon...
January 1, 2022
The potential of grain legume crops such as faba beans to harness the nitrogen present in air into biologically useful forms is well known, but how much of an opportunity does it present for farmers wanting to pursue net-zero agriculture? A...
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...
January 1, 2022
The Crop Production in Northern Britain Conference, the foremost summit discussing environmental management and crop production in northern environments, is back this year as an online event on 1-2 March.
CPNB 2022 brings together agronomists,...
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute supports plans being put forward to create a life sciences innovation district for the Dundee region.
Dundee City councillors will be asked to kick-start discussions that will explore and agree joint marketing,...
January 1, 2022
Beavers could make an important contribution to improving the condition of Scotland’s rivers, including helping to improve water quality and limiting the effects of drought, new research from the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton...
January 1, 2022
The James Hutton Institute and Robert Gordon University (RGU) are carrying out research on how COVID-19 restrictions impacted behaviours around food related practices. The study will look at the nature and extent of these changes across different...
January 1, 2022
Society needs to re-think its relationship with the natural world if we are to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and pandemics, the James Hutton Institute has urged in the 2022 episode of BBC Scotland’s Resolutions programme...
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
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and James Hutton Limited are exploring ways to reduce the losses caused by potato cyst nematodes (PCN) in commercial potato production. PCN is an increasing challenge to the UK fresh and processing potato...
December 12, 2021
By Mike Rivington
Will there be turkeys for Christmas? In spite of some likely strains due to Brexit, labour shortages and the familiar yet ever-evolving disruptions of COVID-19, the answer is a fairly safe yes. Yet this is perhaps surprising....
December 12, 2021
Soil seed banks are a hidden stock for plant diversity and are critical for the recovery of disturbed ecosystems. A new study co-authored by Prof Robin Pakeman, a senior scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences...
December 12, 2021
By Ken Loades, Roy Neilson, Tracy Valentine and Nikki Baggaley
COP26 highlighted more than ever that we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and become more sustainable before it’s too late. Soil is a key component in this battle and...
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
New research published today by the James Hutton Institute has found that the shift to virtual meetings and events due to the Covid-19 pandemic improved accessibility to knowledge exchange, networking, and organisations for women working on farms...
November 11, 2021
Global water security is under increasing threat through the impacts of climate change, generating increased societal, environmental, and economic risk for communities. A new book launched for COP26, “Water Security Under Climate Change...
October 10, 2021
Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) provide a key link between industry and academia to ensure that genetic research addresses the needs of the industry, and help tackle longer-term issues through breeding efforts. The James Hutton Institute and...
October 10, 2021
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Our October 2021 issue includes:
October 10, 2021
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute are seeking views from anyone involved in habitat restoration or creation, from across the UK. Through a survey devised in partnership with Scotland’s Plant Health Centre and NatureScot, Hutton...
October 10, 2021
An industry-wide consortium, led by producer organisation G’s Growers and supported by the James Hutton Institute, the University of Dundee and James Hutton Limited, has won a UKRI-BBSRC collaborative training partnership award (...
October 10, 2021
The next generation of barley researchers have received a multi-million investment through the Barley Industrial Training Network (BARIToNE) programme, a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) led by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, the...
October 10, 2021
The National Soil Archive of Scotland, held at the Aberdeen campus of the James Hutton Institute, has added two large samples of Dopplerite to its collection by gift of the executors of Mr William Filshie. Dopplerite is a naturally occurring, but...
September 9, 2021
Bioinformaticians at the James Hutton Institute are supporting a 10-year, US$58m initiative launched by the Crop Trust and the Government of Norway to improve global food security and climate resilience.
The newly announced BOLD (Biodiversity...
September 9, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has welcomed plans unveiled by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to pave the way to enable use of gene editing technologies in England.
Gene editing can unlock benefits to nature, the...
September 9, 2021
While urban greenspace is often associated with improved mental health, new research has found these benefits are dependent on the characteristics of the population using the space, and their proximity to it.
Researchers at the James Hutton...
September 9, 2021
An all-female team of scientists from the James Hutton Institute travelled to Shetland to install the most northerly micrometeorological station in the UK to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from eroded peatland.
The station, set up on a site...
September 9, 2021
Agricultural resilience is critical across Europe, but how can individual farms ensure they are ‘future proofed’? This question will be at the centre of an international online event to be held on Tuesday 21st September (8 – 9....
September 9, 2021
Dr Rebekka Artz, a senior research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences department, has contributed evidence to an inquiry by the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords into the role of nature-...
September 9, 2021
David Beattie, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) researcher exploring how seaweed-based feeds can help achieve benefits in Scotland’s premium animal feeds sector, has been shortlisted for a Knowledge Transfer Network “Best of the...
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
An estimated £1.2 billion of Scotland’s buildings, transport infrastructure, cultural and natural heritage may be at risk of coastal erosion by 2050, according to new research funded by the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), a...
August 8, 2021
Building work starts in earnest for International Barley Hub and Advanced Plant Growth Centre (News)
Building work has now begun on the International Barley Hub (IBH) and Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) at the James Hutton Institute. The two plant science innovation centres are being supported by £45 million from the UK Government...
August 8, 2021
Large-scale conservation work across the Dee catchment has been given the green light thanks to a major cash injection of over half a million pounds. A variety of projects comprising floodplain restoration, woodland expansion and peatland...
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
Crop pathogens like Phytophthora infestans – the origin of several European potato famines in the 19th century - still cause US$300bn worth of damage to global crop production each year and continue to threaten world food security.
August 8, 2021
Speaking at Potatoes in Practice 2021, scientists of the James Hutton Institute have outlined plans for a Potato Innovation and Translation Hub: a centre of excellence to translate innovation and research into solutions for the potato industry...
July 7, 2021
Potatoes in Practice, the UK’s largest field event for potatoes and a highlight of the season for the sector bringing together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place, is set to return on 12 August 2021 to...
July 7, 2021
A new website which brings together thousands of research publications, dating back centuries to the present day, has been launched by six Scottish Government funded partners.
July 7, 2021
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have welcomed the publication of a report on the UK’s National Food Strategy, which calls on the UK Government to commit to a landmark package of reforms to build a better food system for a...
July 7, 2021
New social research conducted by the James Hutton Institute for the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan paints a mixed picture of life in Scotland’s islands: while most respondents rate their local environment very highly and...
July 7, 2021
New research on the attitudes of people working in the UK dairy sector has revealed that many dairy farmers believe cows should graze for part of the year. Findings of the ‘Cows eat grass, don’t they?’ study, funded by the...
July 7, 2021
Join scientists at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee on Thursday 15th July for the 2021 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research including scientific presentations, outdoors demonstrations and walks through...
July 7, 2021
Scientists from all over the world have come together in the 6th Forum Carpaticum to present their research and discuss the sustainable development of the Carpathian region and mountain areas more generally. The event was organised online by the...
July 7, 2021
Fruit for the Future 2021 (Event)
Join scientists at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee on Thursday 15th July for the 2021 edition of Fruit for the Future, the annual showcase of soft fruit research including scientific presentations, outdoors demonstrations and walks through...
June 6, 2021
The James Hutton Institute was delighted to welcome a visit by His Excellency Mr Manoah Esipisu, High Commissioner of Kenya to the UK, and his team to our Dundee site.
The visit, set up through James Hutton Limited’s membership of the...
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
SEFARI Gateway and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) are funding a collaborative project between the James Hutton Institute, the Soil Association Scotland, and Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) to carry out...
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
International Barley Hub scientists have been awarded a prestigious International Partnership award from BBSRC to strengthen the link between world leading research teams in the UK and Europe. The aim of the grant is to create new working...
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...
June 6, 2021
The James Hutton Institute is delighted to support one of seven Climate Beacons that are taking shape across Scotland in the run-up to and beyond the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference that’s happening in Glasgow this November.
June 6, 2021
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Our June 2021 issue, published on what would...
June 6, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has announced the appointment of Professor Chris Gilligan to its Board of Directors, effective from the 1st of June. Professor Gilligan is Head of Epidemiology and Modelling Group in the Department of Plant Sciences at...
May 5, 2021
Plant scientists at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee have won funding to establish a partnership with world-class researchers in Australia. This will allow the leading research organisations to pool their expertise towards...
May 5, 2021
Undergraduate student Johanna Maria Würtz, who undertook a 1,150-mile hike alongside her Shetland pony Hechizo to take on a barley science placement at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee, has completed her work in Scotland and plans to...
May 5, 2021
An international team of scientists including Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) has discovered the perfect cocktail of physical activity that could help live a healthier, longer life.
May 5, 2021
A new research project involving 39 partners from 19 countries and including James Hutton Institute scientists has received €10 million from the European Union. The Horizon 2020 funded project FireEUrisk, launching this month, aims to shift...
May 5, 2021
The public are invited to discover the wonderful world of plants and the people who work with them at an upcoming event at the University of Dundee Botanic Garden, co-organised by scientists at the James Hutton Institute.
‘Plant Power...
May 5, 2021
Legume plants can make ‘smart’ management decisions when it comes to interacting with their symbiotic bacterial partners to harness nitrogen from the atmosphere, a research team including a James Hutton Institute scientist has shown,...
May 5, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has announced the appointment of Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, to its Board of Directors as a non-executive director.
Sir Paul held the position of Clerk and Chief...
April 4, 2021
Substantial cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved by raising water levels in agricultural peatlands, according to a new study co-authored by James Hutton Institute scientists and published in the journal Nature.
Peatlands...
April 4, 2021
Environmental and agricultural research at centre of new Hutton-Utah State University partnership (News)
A partnership agreement has been signed between Utah State University and the James Hutton Institute to promote cooperation in agricultural and environmental research, with emphasis on climate change issues.
The agreement was signed by...
April 4, 2021
How will food production respond to the effects of COVID-19 in the next 18 months? Which sectors are likely to experience change? These questions are at the heart of research examining how best to protect the UK’s food and nutrition...
April 4, 2021
Hutton and Liberty Produce to help advance Singapore’s food sustainability and net-zero goals (News)
An industry team led by agritech specialist Liberty Produce and supported by the James Hutton Institute has won Innovate UK funding to develop innovative hybrid farming and greenhouse technologies to work towards Singapore’s food security...
April 4, 2021
The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers has presented its 2021 Matthew Mack Award to soft fruit scientist Dr Rex Brennan, an Honorary Associate of the James Hutton Institute. This triennial award is to recognise distinguished achievements in...
April 4, 2021
A new mobile app has been launched to provide farmers, land managers and the public with a quick, easy way to learn about soil erosion in Scotland and contribute their own records and images to improve our current understanding and to...
April 4, 2021
Even if it has not yet been detected north of the border, Scottish growers must take adequate steps to monitor growing areas for the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), a new potential threat to the UK’s agricultural,...
April 4, 2021
A research project examining the potential of using crushed basic silicate rocks as a soil input, for enhanced carbon sequestration and soil biodiversity, has reported positive results.
April 4, 2021
"World-leading research to provide government, business and decision makers with the evidence that they need to develop a robust food and nutrition security response to COVID-19."
The project partners have launched a survey to gather...
April 4, 2021
First Milk, Nestlé and Agricarbon have announced the launch of a pioneering soil carbon capture project, with scientific guidance from leading soil ecologist and James Hutton Institute Honorary Associate, Dr Helaina Black.
The project...
March 3, 2021
Professor Philip J. White, a research specialist in plant ecophysiology at the James Hutton Institute, has received the honour of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced 87...
March 3, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has required many people to adapt their lifestyles and livelihoods to mitigate the spread and impact of the virus. A new report by SEFARI researchers at the James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)...
March 3, 2021
Volunteers are wanted for the first on-the-ground national survey to shed light on the distribution and numbers of Scottish mountain hares. The survey, which is launched today and will carry on throughout 2021, is calling on hillwalkers,...
March 3, 2021
The International Barley Hub and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, two flagship innovation projects supported through a transformational capital investment of £45m by the UK Government and £17m by the Scottish Government via the Tay...
March 3, 2021
The productivity of cereal crops could get a boost in the future thanks to the discovery of new roles for a master gene regulator that influences the development of barley florets, furthering the understanding of grain development including...
March 3, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has welcomed the publication of the new 10-year UK Plant Science Research Strategy.
The document provides a framework for research and skills development to ensure UK plant science can play a strong role in solving...
March 3, 2021
Scientists of the James Hutton Institute, working alongside partners at China Agriculture University, have discovered novel ways in which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria and plant roots interact to influence the transfer of nutrients to...
March 3, 2021
The annual Hutton Postgraduate Student Event, which showcases the excellent science being undertaken by postgraduate students at the James Hutton Institute, took place online on 2, 3 and 4 March 2021.
This event provides a valuable learning...
March 3, 2021
A recent study published in Conservation Letters co-authored by a James Hutton Institute ecologist has investigated the number of women and the geographic distribution among the 1051 top-publishing authors in 13 leading journals in ecology and...
February 2, 2021
How can we produce a Europe that is spatially and socially just? Is it possible to discuss cohesion and territorial development policy without considering localities and local experiences? The RELOCAL policy conference (15th March) will focus on...
February 2, 2021
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and partner institutions are set to explore previously undiscovered mechanisms through which the pathogen responsible for late blight in potato, Phytophthora infestans, breaks through cell walls to infect...
February 2, 2021
What are the lessons we can all learn from land reform in Scotland, and what are the challenges still faced by our rural communities? Dr Annie McKee, a social researcher at the James Hutton Institute, will tackle these and other questions during...
February 2, 2021
The advantages of Flapjack, the James Hutton Institute’s multi-platform application providing interactive visualizations of high-throughput genotype data, were demonstrated at a recent workshop organised with the purpose of helping wheat...
February 2, 2021
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our February 2021 issue:
February 2, 2021
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are looking for dairy calf rearers to join a workshop as part of an EU-funded research project. The workshop is one of three events aiming to identify challenges calf rearers face and solutions within the...
February 2, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has announced the appointment of directors for three flagship research and innovation initiatives: the International Barley Hub (IBH) and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC), both based in Dundee, and the...
February 2, 2021
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR), Combinable and Energy Crops sub-committee would like to invite you to join their Winter meeting "Making the Most of Your Soils".
This is a biennial meeting held by the Society to talk...
February 2, 2021
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) is holding their 2021 Potato Winter Meeting as an online event.
The meeting is open to anyone in the potato industry and other interested parties, but registration is essential. Two BASIS points are...
February 2, 2021
‘Perfect storm’ of COVID-19, climate change, biodiversity loss and Brexit affecting UK food security (News)
The COVID-19 pandemic, already a major shock to society in terms of health and economy, is affecting both UK and global food and nutrition security and adding to a ‘perfect storm’ of threats to society from climate change,...
February 2, 2021
Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of Soil Forensics at the James Hutton Institute, has been recognised as Soil Forensic Expert Witness of the Year in the Corporate INTL 2021 Global Awards.
The awards are the result of an extensive review,...
January 1, 2021
As part of the EU Horizon 2020 research project DIVERSify, researchers of the James Hutton Institute and partner institutions have been working on investigating the viability of species mixture cropping as an alternative to crop monoculture....
January 1, 2021
In support of the James Hutton Institute’s Climate-Positive Farming initiative at Glensaugh, which explores a transformational approach to farming that achieves net-zero or even negative carbon emissions whilst protecting natural assets and...
January 1, 2021
BreedingValue: Developing new breeding strategies for resilient and highly nutritious berries (News)
Increased demand in berries across Europe meets the challenges brought on by climate change, environmental preservation and the need for new cultivation systems as well as high-quality produce. The new research project BreedingValue, a European...
January 1, 2021
Small mammals, such as mice and shrews, can occur in large numbers and play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. They can drive predator populations and generate cascading effects on many prey species. They are also difficult to survey due to...
January 1, 2021
The James Hutton Institute has welcomed plans unveiled by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to consult on gene editing, a technique which could unlock benefits to nature, the environment and help farmers with crops...
January 1, 2021
2021 is the United Nations' International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, bringing public attention to the key role of fruit and vegetables in human nutrition, food security and health – all key strands of work at the James Hutton...
December 12, 2020
The potential of innovative mixed-species crop systems to increase the sustainability of food production will be under the spotlight at an online conference focussing on the latest findings on intercropping research from lab to field.
December 12, 2020
The James Hutton Institute has today welcomed the signing of the Tay Cities Deal, hailing it as a huge vote of confidence in Tayside, while also highlighting the urgency of innovation projects funded by the Deal including the International Barley...
December 12, 2020
Mountain hares in Scotland show increasing camouflage mismatch due to less snowy winters, according to a new study carried out by an international research team including the James Hutton Institute.
Mountain hares are one of multiple species...
December 12, 2020
Dr Jorunn Bos, a principal investigator in the Division of Plant Sciences of the University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council Consolidator grant worth almost €2 million to...
December 12, 2020
The James Hutton Institute has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) to undertake a feasibility study for a green-hydrogen-powered farming community around its Glensaugh farm....
December 12, 2020
By Pete Iannetta, Alison Karley, Cathy Hawes and David Michie
December 12, 2020
A scientific team featuring researchers of the James Hutton Institute and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) has scooped the Innovation Award at the prestigious RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards 2020. Led by Royal Botanic Garden...
November 11, 2020
Scotland boasts a hugely varied coastline and a rich offering of inland waters in both rural and urban settings which host an amazing array of riches, come in all shapes and sizes, and are greatly valued and cherished by communities and visitors...
November 11, 2020
An international research team including scientists from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee has reached a milestone on the way to unravelling the species-wide genetic diversity of domesticated barley. With the complete genome...
November 11, 2020
Professor Ian Toth has been recognised with the British Potato Industry Award 2020 for his invaluable contribution to the potato industry over the past 25 years. The prestigious lifetime achievement award was presented by AHDB Potatoes Chair,...
November 11, 2020
How can we use the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP) to help land managers when considering agricultural land use decisions? How can the NCP contribute to ongoing initiatives to test natural capital approaches in land-based business in Scotland?...
November 11, 2020
New opportunities for PhD projects at the James Hutton Institute are now being advertised on FindAPhD.com. PhD projects are being offered by all five of our science departments covering many aspects of our work. All projects are funded jointly...
November 11, 2020
A new hydrological study co-authored by James Hutton Institute PhD student Camilla Negri and colleagues based in Italy has shown that winter flooding, the application of water onto agricultural lands to recharge groundwater aquifers during...
November 11, 2020
The global use of personal protection equipment (PPE) has skyrocketed due to COVID-19, propelling the industry to revenues of more than £8bn in the UK alone, and although a coronavirus vaccine now seems closer, PPE is likely to remain a...
November 11, 2020
Moorland management in Scotland has come under the spotlight in a series of reports assessing the socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors and the employment rights of gamekeepers.
November 11, 2020
Professor Maria Nijnik, a senior scientist at the James Hutton Institute’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences department, has been appointed a member of the UK Expert Committee on Forest Science.
The Committee was established...
October 10, 2020
Supporting the next generation of new and young farmers is critical to the sustainability of agriculture in Scotland and across Europe, but how can we encourage young people to see farming as a future and worthwhile career?
This question will...
October 10, 2020
The James Hutton Institute has today announced the appointment of a new Chair for the Institute Board.
October 10, 2020
Research supported by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) has successfully pinpointed fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples across the country.
Scientists at the Scottish...
October 10, 2020
October 10, 2020
A social scientist based at the James Hutton Institute is seeking the views of dairy farmers interested in running a ‘cow with calf’ production system in the UK.
The system involves keeping calves with their mothers for the first...
October 10, 2020
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our October 2020 issue:
October 10, 2020
Scientists from the UK’s foremost agricultural research organisations, including the James Hutton Institute, have teamed up to create a new UK Crop Microbiome Cryobank (UK-CMCB) to safeguard future research and facilitate the sustainable...
October 10, 2020
A bioinformatics platform developed at the James Hutton Institute which allows users to import, visualize, explore and share project data for plant genetic resources has been recognised by being named a global ‘Hub Pilot’ by the...
September 9, 2020
The James Hutton Institute and farming technology company Liberty Produce have been awarded UKRI funding to address the challenges of climate change and the food production yield-gap through an ambitious new project, which seeks to develop...
September 9, 2020
September 9, 2020
Crop diseases can generate destructive outbreaks that have the potential to threaten global food security, which is why it is fundamental to have reliable data promptly available from disease surveillance programs and outbreak investigations. In...
September 9, 2020
Mountains cover 22% of the world's land surface and are home to about 915 million people. In Europe, mountain ranges cover 36% of the European area and play an essential role in the provision of public and private goods. Despite their...
September 9, 2020
A new diagnostic technique has been developed by Scottish scientists to help in the early detection of sheep scab, marking a significant development towards improved monitoring and control of the parasite. This was made possible through an...
September 9, 2020
From Spain to Scotland to conduct barley science: Johanna and Hechizo’s agricultural pilgrimage (News)
September 9, 2020
International Barley Hub scientists at the James Hutton Institute, working with colleagues in the UK and Australia, have gained further insight into key genes responsible for grain composition, a process facilitated by using CRISPR gene editing...
September 9, 2020
Despite encouraging progress in several areas, the health of the natural world is suffering badly and getting worse. Eight transformative changes are, therefore, urgently needed to ensure human wellbeing and save the planet, the UN warns in a...
August 8, 2020
Are you involved in growing, processing or selling pulse-based products? A newly launched Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group is set to explore the potential of pulse supply chains in Scotland and associated challenges and possibilities...
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...
August 8, 2020
A new raspberry with exceptional fruit quality and high productivity, plus resistance to deadly disease root rot, was introduced today at the start of industry event Fruit for the Future 2020. The new rasp, named Glen Mor, was bred by James...
August 8, 2020
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and partner institutions are developing a suite of digital resources to help farmers harness the potential of crop mixtures to improve the sustainability of their production systems.
August 8, 2020
The James Hutton Institute is pleased to support the National Biofilms Innovation Centre's #BiofilmAware campaign, which aims to raise awareness of biofilms and their importance for our everyday lives.
August 8, 2020
Scientists at the James Hutton Institute and partner organisations are working to understand the interactions between pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum and an array of soil-microbe-crop interactions in the development of blackleg,...
August 8, 2020
Not seeing the carbon for the trees? Mapping net change in carbon from afforestation in Scotland (News)
Tree planting and woodland expansion are often touted as desirable ways to soak up atmospheric carbon and help stem climate change. They are a frequent feature of climate change mitigation policies, but these policies often assume that all new...
August 8, 2020
The James Hutton Institute's bioinformatics group within the Department of Information and Computational Sciences has unveiled a new version of Germinate, the Institute's open-source, fully featured plant database infrastructure and...
August 8, 2020
The programme for Fruit for the Future 2020, the James Hutton Institute’s long-running soft fruit themed industry event, has been announced. Usually a well-attended physical gathering, this year FFF is going virtual with a week’s...
August 8, 2020
The James Hutton Institute is taking part in a project led by the Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA), the UK’s only membership body owning Scottish organic standards, which will examine a new product that could help Scottish...
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...
July 7, 2020
Professor Lorna Dawson of the James Hutton Institute has been recognised as Soil Forensic Expert Witness of the Year at Global Law Experts (GLE) Awards. Professor Dawson has more than 30 years’ experience in managing and conducting research...
July 7, 2020
This week, UK blackcurrant farmers are harvesting a groundbreaking new crop of berries that have been bred to cope with Britain’s changing climate. Named ‘Ben Lawers’, the new variety is the fruit of a longstanding partnership...
July 7, 2020
Planting huge numbers of trees to mitigate climate change is “not always the best strategy” – with some experimental sites in Scotland failing to increase carbon stocks, a new study co-authored by Hutton scientists has found....
July 7, 2020
The 2020 edition of Arable Scotland – Scotland’s newest field event focussing on arable crops - took place online on 2nd July and was very well received: hundreds of e-delegates visited the event’s Virtual Field Map on the day,...
July 7, 2020
In recognition of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, Fruit for the Future – the James Hutton Institute’s long-running soft fruit themed event – is going virtual for 2020, with updates about new research and varieties delivered...
July 7, 2020
Research Integrity (Page)
The James Hutton Institute is committed to the highest standards of research practice and scientific publishing, and upholds all commitments made under the Universities UK concordat to support research integrity.
June 6, 2020
Potato is one of the world’s most important food crops, but the vulnerability of yield levels to plant stresses limit the crop’s uptake in some parts of the world, particularly in areas impacted by climate change. This reduces potato...
June 6, 2020
Natural extracts from brown seaweeds native to the UK have been shown to have antiviral properties that could help stop the spread of viral diseases. Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and AIM-listed partners Byotrol plc have been awarded...
June 6, 2020
Agricultural scientists of the James Hutton Institute have been awarded £220,000 by Horizon 2020, the European Union’s research and innovation programme, to find ways to promote the adoption of integrated pest management strategies...
June 6, 2020
Arable Scotland 2020, Scotland's newest field event focussing on arable crops, is taking place online on 2nd July 10:00 am and will major on alternative crops and new markets. Registration for the free event is open at www.arablescotland.org....
June 6, 2020
Research funded by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) is examining the potential of wastewater testing to help monitor the spread of coronavirus in Scotland.
June 6, 2020
Professor Bob Ferrier, Director of Scotland's Hydro Nation International Centre at the James Hutton Institute, has appeared in OOSKAnews' latest aquaNOW Audience to discuss how HNIC is aiming to bring together a critical mass of the...
June 6, 2020
A research paper co-authored by Moredun Research Institute and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) scientists has been named as joint winner of the 2019 3Rs prize, a prestigious award which recognises work that has had a major impact...
June 6, 2020
The James Hutton Institute today announced the appointment of Mr Graeme Dickson, former senior civil servant and energy specialist, to its Board of Directors as a non-executive director.
Mr Dickson’s appointment is part of the normal...
June 6, 2020
The programme for Arable Scotland 2020, Scotland's newest field event focussing on arable crops, has been announced. This year's event is taking place online and will major on alternative crops and new markets.
June 6, 2020
Biodiversity —the variety of species, the genes within them, and the habitats in which they live— is threatened like never before. According to figures from the United Nations Environment Programme, we are on the verge of mass...
June 6, 2020
Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) has invested over half a million pounds in a five-year project with the James Hutton Institute to develop new varieties of climate-resilient blackcurrant.
LRS, which uses 90 per cent of the blackcurrants grown in...
June 6, 2020
Different groups of soil fungi control the interactions between seedlings and established trees and can play a key role in the development or restoration of forests, new research by James Hutton Institute scientists has found.
May 5, 2020
A social scientist of the James Hutton Institute has been appointed to the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Renewal Advisory Group, a collective which has been tasked with identifying opportunities to embed sustainability in Scotland...
May 5, 2020
Hyperspectral imaging, a growing area in remote sensing, holds the promise of providing a solution for crop monitoring over large areas, and scientists at the James Hutton Institute are working with partners in industry and academia to...
May 5, 2020
How have our eating, cooking and food purchasing habits changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown measures in the UK, Europe and much of the world? Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are part of an EU consortium...
May 5, 2020
International Barley Hub scientists at the James Hutton Institute, working with colleagues in the UK, Australia and China, have identified a natural variation in a gene that influences sodium content in barley crops, a finding which may help...
May 5, 2020
The diverse and multi-faceted impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on UK and global food nutrition security are at the centre of a multi-disciplinary research initiative led by the James Hutton Institute and funded with a £341,000...
May 5, 2020
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our May 2020 issue:
May 5, 2020
An international group of scientists who specialise in various kinds of computer modelling is calling on colleagues across the world to maintain open access to knowledge, expertise, tools and technology during the global fight against COVID-19,...
April 4, 2020
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group are exploring ways in which the use of interactive maps can help understand communities and small areas well below the national level.
April 4, 2020
Scotland's Environment Secretary has praised Scottish scientific institutions which normally focus on infectious diseases in livestock, environmental security and nutrition for offering support to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Scottish...
April 4, 2020
Plant viruses can be just as devastating for agricultural crops and the security of food supply as some of the world's most notorious viruses, SARS-CoV-2 among them, have been for the human population. Plant viruses can be useful as...
April 4, 2020
A High-Performance Computing (HPC) platform that will increase the pace of crop science and climate change research has been established by six leading UK research organisations.
April 4, 2020
James Hutton Institute employees have been helping efforts to provide frontline staff in Tayside and North East Scotland with much-needed personal protection equipment (PPE) during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The Institute has previously...
April 4, 2020
March 3, 2020
In line with the latest COVID-19 guidance from the UK and Scottish governments, most of James Hutton Institute staff members are working remotely. Nevertheless, rest assured we're still available – the big challenges of our time,...
March 3, 2020
To mark World Water Day, the James Hutton Institute has taken part in an aquaNOW Audience on the topic of 'Water and the Climate Crisis'. aquaNOW Audiences are interactive panel discussions, produced by OOSKAnews, engaging international...
March 3, 2020
“Soil is life. We breathe the air, we drink the water and we eat the crops, we live on the soil. Soil stores twice as much carbon globally as the vegetation above ground and is a universe of microbial life working with plants to balance the...
March 3, 2020
Countries around the world must induce ‘social tipping’ dynamics by introducing far-reaching social and technological changes if they are to successfully decarbonise and prevent the devastating consequences of climate change, an...
March 3, 2020
An international research team featuring scientists from the James Hutton Institute is exploring the potential of biochar - a carbon-rich type of charcoal - to address air pollution, climate change, food security and farmers’ incomes in...
March 3, 2020
The annual Hutton Postgraduate Student Event, which showcases the excellent science being undertaken by postgraduate students at the James Hutton Institute, took place at the Birnam Arts and Conference Centre, Birnam, on Thursday 5th and Friday...
March 3, 2020
The definition of ‘sustainable development’ and ‘community’, as described in the draft Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development (Eligible Land, Specified Types of Area and Restrictions on Transfers,...
March 3, 2020
Professor Lesley Torrance, Director of Science at the James Hutton Institute, has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), a body which contributes to the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of Scotland through the...
February 2, 2020
An international effort to develop maize crops that don’t need fertiliser has taken Hutton scientist Euan James to the deepest reaches of the Amazon River, on a quest for samples of root nodules from legume trees to help understand how...
February 2, 2020
By Professor Fiona Burnett, Co-chair, Arable Scotland
February 2, 2020
Dr Isabelle Colas, a scientist of the International Barley Hub, has been awarded a New Investigator grant worth £400k by UK Research and Innovation to explore a genetic pathway to improved barley crops, with the ultimate aim of helping...
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...
February 2, 2020
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) is holding their Potato Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie. The event is open to anyone in the potato industry and other interested parties.
CPD Points
BASIS and NRoSO...
February 2, 2020
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our February 2020 issue:
February 2, 2020
A systems perspective on sustainable agriculture: ‘MAGIC’ approach presented at European Parliament (News)
Adopting a systems perspective is essential to help agriculture contribute to Europe’s own policy objectives and also international targets such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. That was one of the key messages of a presentation...
January 1, 2020
A new report co-authored by a James Hutton Institute scientist and published in Nature Sustainability examines the potential impacts on food production of zero-budget natural farming, a farming system that is sweeping India.
Zero-budget...
January 1, 2020
Dr Tony Craig has been appointed head of the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department, having previously been in the role on an interim basis jointly with Dr Alice Hague. Dr Craig will take the role on a permanent basis at the...
January 1, 2020
Professor Rob Brooker has been appointed to the leadership of the Ecological Sciences department at the James Hutton Institute, following the departure of Dr Helaina Black, who has become an Honorary Associate of the Institute.
The group...
January 1, 2020
2020 is the International Year of Plant Health and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, bringing public attention to two huge global challenges and for good reason, say scientists at the James Hutton Institute.
December 12, 2019
The Institute will hold a Consultation Day on Saturday 11th January 2020 to allow local residents and interested parties to examine plans for the International Barley Hub and Advanced Plant Growth Centre developments at the Institute in...
December 12, 2019
The experiences of three Hutton members of staff who have chosen Scotland as a place to live and work have been highlighted by their designation as Talent Ambassadors by TalentScotland, part of Scottish Enterprise, the country’s economic...
December 12, 2019
Professor Alison Hester, a senior research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences group in Aberdeen, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) in recognition of...
December 12, 2019
A report commissioned by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and ClimateXChange, Scotland’s centre of expertise connecting climate change research and policy, explores potential changes to snow cover caused by climate change on...
November 11, 2019
James Hutton soft fruit breeder Dr Dorota Jarret has been appointed chair of the International Society for Horticultural Science’s (ISHS) Rubus and Ribes Species and Management working group - the first female scientist, and the...
November 11, 2019
Understanding and improving the sustainability of agro-ecological farming systems in the EU (Project)
November 11, 2019
Two researchers based at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee have been named as Highly Cited Researchers in the Highly Cited Researchers 2019 list published by the Web of Science Group.
November 11, 2019
Research by agricultural scientists in Scotland and beyond has shown that intercropping, i.e. growing two or more crop species together in ‘plant teams’, can improve agricultural sustainability by stabilising or increasing crop yields...
November 11, 2019
Scientists of the James Hutton Institute recently visited China on a fact-finding mission to see how the Institute might collaborate with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) to improve soybean cropping in China through better...
November 11, 2019
Professor Bob Ferrier, Director of Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters and honorary chair at the University of Dundee's Social Sciences School, and Professor Marian Scott, Professor of Environmental Statistics at the University of...
October 10, 2019
The James Hutton Institute was delighted to welcome Her Excellency Ms Linda Scott, High Commissioner of Namibia to the UK. The visit to the Hutton Dundee site, set up through James Hutton Limited’s membership of the Scottish Africa Business...
October 10, 2019
An innovative research project aims to demonstrate the benefits of using crop species mixtures as a sustainable crop production system. The Sustainability in Education and Agriculture using Mixtures (SEAMS) initiative is providing a platform for...
October 10, 2019
Given the urgency of the climate crisis, it is past time to start driving large-scale change and the James Hutton Institute is well-placed to focus on the implementation of land management options that we know are beneficial for soil organic...
October 10, 2019
The next generation of UK bioscientists has received a £170 million boost from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, a part of UK Research and Innovation). The investment will fund 1,700 PhD researchers over...
October 10, 2019
A new partnership between the James Hutton Institute and SRUC will put practical skills into the hands of future farmers. Students studying agriculture at national certificate and degree level at SRUC’s Aberdeen campus will now complete...
October 10, 2019
Hear the latest practical innovative and sustainable research for arable and mixed farms funded by the Scottish Government, and discuss ideas on how we can support the environment alongside sustainable food production.
The meeting will feature...
October 10, 2019
A new study published today in PLOS Pathogens by scientists at the Moredun Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland and international partners, has shown that a specific toxin produced by naturally-...
October 10, 2019
The 42nd TB Macaulay Lecture, given by Dieter Helm CBE, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and Fellow of New College, Oxford, on the topic of how to achieve a green and prosperous land in the face of multiple challenges including...
September 9, 2019
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our September 2019 issue:
September 9, 2019
A joint statement issued by research institutes, community groups and public sector organisations points to credible evidence of ‘green shoots’ of population turnaround in the Scottish islands which as yet does not show up in official...
September 9, 2019
Professor Maria Nijnik, a senior scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group, has been distinguished with a Scientific Achievement Award by the International Union of Forest Research...
September 9, 2019
The James Hutton Institute has hosted the first of a new series of aquaNOW Audiences on the topic of 'The Philosophy of a Hydro Nation'. aquaNOW Audiences are interactive panel discussions, produced by OOSKAnews, engaging international...
September 9, 2019
The James Hutton Institute is reinforcing its extensive analytical capabilities for research and commercial work through a collaboration with global science and healthcare technology company PerkinElmer, to establish a QSight 420 liquid...
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
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
Projected global population growth requires food production to increase by 70% before 2050 to meet demand. Pests and diseases are a major constraint to providing this food security: between 30-40% of our crops are lost to pathogens long before...
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...
June 6, 2019
James Hutton Institute congratulates Intelligent Growth Solutions on achieving £5.4m funding boost (News)
Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, has congratulated the Scottish-based vertical farm technology business Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd (IGS) on attracting £5.4m Series A funding, led by US-based S2G...
June 6, 2019
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our June 2019 issue:
June 6, 2019
The seeds have been sown for the creation of a world-leading potato hub in Scotland, designed to give those working in the £200 million-plus industry instant access to expert advice.
The country’s three main knowledge, consultancy...
June 6, 2019
The SEFARI student showcase, an event which shows the diversity and excellence of postgraduate research undertaken across all SEFARI research institutes, took place between the 10th and 11th June, with James Hutton Institute student Auré...
June 6, 2019
The UK’s peatlands are making a significant contribution to our greenhouse gas emissions because of the way they are managed, a major new study has shown.
Peatlands occupy 12% of the UK’s land area and store vast quantities of...
June 6, 2019
Oats are an important crop in the UK – even more so due to their increasing popularity as a healthy breakfast choice. Yet unlike other staple cereal crops, such as wheat and barley, R&D investment to improve oat agronomy has been...
June 6, 2019
Ambitious plans for the establishment of two open science campuses at the James Hutton Institute’s sites in Dundee and Aberdeen were outlined by the Institute’s Chief Executive, Professor Colin Campbell, at the Scottish Society for...
June 6, 2019
Dr Jenni Stockan, a research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences group, has been distinguished by the Royal Entomological Society as the first woman to take the role of Honorary Secretary in the society’s...
May 5, 2019
The Scottish islands are often regarded as places where population is in decline, with younger islanders leaving for education and employment and older people moving in to retire. However, recent anecdotal evidence suggests that, on some islands...
May 5, 2019
Two research projects conducted by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) have been awarded prizes in recognition of excellence and innovation in water research. The project “Surface water flood forecasting for urban...
May 5, 2019
Green-fingered families could all become plant scientists for the day this weekend as the James Hutton Institute and University of Dundee host a celebration of the power of plants.
Every breath we take and every meal we eat owes a debt to...
May 5, 2019
Capacities for completely replacing animal protein in the human diet are limited and would require “major changes” in the structure of global agricultural food systems, according to new research.
A study carried out by Scottish...
May 5, 2019
Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental...
May 5, 2019
Fruit for the Future 2019 (Event)
Fruit for the Future is one of the James Hutton Institute’s most successful and long-running industry events and is aimed at farmers, agronomists, representatives of the food and drink industries, researchers and others interested in soft...
April 4, 2019
Newbie UK Case Studies (Project)
Case Studies in the UK
TEXT
Key contacts
Lee-Ann Sutherland Adam Calo
Follow @newbieuk
April 4, 2019
Open Farm Sunday 2019 (Event)
Come and spend a fun family day at Mylnefield Farm!
The Institute will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday 2019 on 9 June.
April 4, 2019
Public authorities are enabling citizens to be better stewards of the environment through greater access to environmental information, but there is a need to improve online information to meet people’s needs.
April 4, 2019
NEWBIE - New Entrant netWork - Events (Project)
NEWBIE Events
At Newbie UK, we're working to be abreast of the ongoing work of farmers, advisory services, and governments to support and research new entrant farming. Any questions about events you see? Send an email to Adam Calo.
April 4, 2019
NEWBIE - Background (Project)
In NEWBIE, “new entrants” are defined as anyone who starts a new farm business or becomes involved in an existing farm business. They comprise a wide range of ages, agricultural experience and resource access. Newcomers and successors...
April 4, 2019
Potatoes in Practice 2019 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
April 4, 2019
In urbanised European societies, the role of forests in providing commodities, welfare, health and other social benefits is easily forgotten. But not in Aberdeen: the Granite City has been awarded the title of European Forest City for 2019 by the...
April 4, 2019
A detailed study of the impact of fish farm medicines on Scotland’s seabed, produced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) - formally part of the James Hutton Group - has...
April 4, 2019
Mr Richard Lochhead MSP, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, today visited the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie to hear about world leading research in land, crop, waters and the...
March 3, 2019
The complex landscape of plants and microbe interaction means that food safety specialists should consider fine detail and cannot generalise when carrying out risk assessments, new research by James Hutton Institute scientists has shown.
Fresh...
March 3, 2019
As part of Scotland’s continued efforts to become the world’s first Hydro Nation – one that manages its water environment to the best advantage and uses its expertise at home and internationally - the James Hutton Institute has...
March 3, 2019
Interested in sustainable agriculture in Scotland? Come to this workshop to learn about the practical improvements that long-term research has provided for Scottish agriculture.
This meeting will feature discussions on:
March 3, 2019
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and partner organisations are working to understand the mechanisms behind senescent sweetening, a problem responsible for considerable losses of potato crops during storage, particularly in the processing...
February 2, 2019
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) is holding their Potato Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie. The event is open to anyone in the potato industry and other interested parties.
CPD Points
A total of 4 BASIS...
February 2, 2019
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, our quarterly review showing how Hutton science is driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our February 2019 issue:
December 12, 2018
UnderStories - Storying woodland use, management and expansion in the Cairngorms National Park (Project)
What is the story with woodlands in the Cairngorms National Park? Or should we say, what are the stories, as there are many threads of stories of actual, former or speculative woodlands weaving in and out that make this area what it...
November 11, 2018
The James Hutton Institute has won a VIBES – Scottish Environment Business award in the Adaptation to Climate Change category, on account of the work of Hutton researchers in farm innovations to protect the environment, renewable energy...
November 11, 2018
Professor Lorna Dawson, lead soil forensic scientist at the James Hutton Institute, advisor to the Scottish Government on strategic research and SEFARI Gateway lead for the environment, has received her CBE honour from HRH Queen Elizabeth II...
October 10, 2018
An improved technique for capturing DNA in crops may give plant breeders huge advantages when it comes to developing varieties that are more resilient to pests and diseases. The technique, known as diagnostic Resistance gene enrichment Sequencing...
October 10, 2018
For many people fungi are simply the edible mushrooms that appear on your dinner plate or the toadstool you pass by in your local park, however fungi are some of the planets most vital organisms. They provide powerful medicines including...
October 10, 2018
Delineating critical zones of riparian processes and setting effective buffer areas using spatial data (Research Page)
Introduction
The riparian zone occupies the critical interface between land and watercourses where processes have great potential to influence stream and river biogeochemical and ecological conditions and is a key management location. Riparian...
October 10, 2018
Hutton Seminar Series: Planetary change and the future of human health, Professor Howard Frumkin (Event)
October 10, 2018
The 41st T.B. Macaulay Lecture, given by Professor Jacqueline McGlade on the topic of natural prosperity and innovative solutions for a business-unusual approach to rapid global change, is now available to watch online.
In the lecture,...
October 10, 2018
A University of Dundee scientist based at the James Hutton Institute has been awarded almost £1.25 million to study the interaction between plants and soil microbes, with the ultimate aim of boosting sustainable food production.
Dr Davide...
October 10, 2018
Peatlands store large amounts of terrestrial carbon and any changes to their carbon balance could cause large changes in the greenhouse gas balance of the Earth's atmosphere. There is still much uncertainty about how the GHG dynamics of...
September 9, 2018
On 21st September 2018 at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) in Edinburgh, scientists working on crop science within the Scottish Government-funded Science Research Programme (WP2.1 – Crop and grassland production and...
September 9, 2018
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, the James Hutton Institute's quarterly review, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our September 2018 issue:
September 9, 2018
Field Lab: Plant Teams (Event)
The James Hutton Institute is teaming up with the Soil Association Scotland on a field lab, part of a Europe-wide project, to trial crop mixtures or ‘plant teams’. Researchers want to test the potential that inter-cropping peas and...
September 9, 2018
There has been public controversy in recent years about indoor dairy farming. Research has found that the public are concerned about environmental and welfare implications of a move away from pasture-based systems towards more year-round housing...
August 8, 2018
Hutton Women in Science (Page)
Being a scientist is a way of making a difference and improving people’s lives. It is generally accepted that research and scientists are crucial in providing solutions to global challenges like climate change, or food insecurity. However,...
August 8, 2018
Scottish-based agritech business Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd has unveiled its first indoor vertical farming demonstration building at the James Hutton Institute near Dundee. The facility, formally opened by John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire...
August 8, 2018
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute are investigating the development of resilient flavour characteristics in UK raspberries, as part of Innovate UK-funded research into new fruit breeding models and decision support tools.
August 8, 2018
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute have discovered the apparent benefits of workplace sharing with regards to reducing commuting times and CO2 emissions can be negated by corporate culture and organisational structure.
Using an agent-...
July 7, 2018
These publications summarise research outputs supported or facilitated by the Environmental Change Programme of the Scottish Government's Portfolio of Strategic Research 2011-2016.
June 6, 2018
The latest cereal varieties and research will be on show at Saphock Farm in Aberdeenshire on Thursday 5th July for Cereals in Practice 2018, the annual cereals-themed event organised by the James Hutton Institute, Scotland's Rural College (...
June 6, 2018
UK Alpine Ecology Network: Publications (Research Page)
This page lists recent research papers and project reports relevant to UK alpine ecosystems. Contact us if you have papers or reports that you would like to be listed on this page.
Return to main Alpine Ecology Network page
June 6, 2018
UK Alpine Ecology Network (Research Page)
The UK Alpine Ecology Network was formed in 2018 as a means of bringing together scientists, conservationists and land managers with an interest in the ecology of alpine ecosystems across the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in...
June 6, 2018
Research by a group of scientists from the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute, along with partners from Glasgow and Durham universities, has found that a genetic process known as alternative splicing has a massive effect on the...
May 5, 2018
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute are supporting the Asian Agricultural Long-Term Experiment (ALTER) with the aim of providing scientific basis and management options for soil sequestration and agricultural sustainability in Asia and...
May 5, 2018
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, the James Hutton Institute's quarterly review, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our May 2018 issue:
May 5, 2018
A young Brazilian plant scientist whose research focusses on molecular biology and gene expression has been awarded the prestigious Peter Massalski Prize for Meritorious Research for 2018.
Dr Cristiane Calixto is a post-doctoral researcher in...
April 4, 2018
In this Hutton Seminar Series talk, Professor Nick Hanley will describe the general characteristics of PES schemes, and then review the “design challenges” involved in the establishment of a PES scheme. He will also focus on three...
March 3, 2018
What makes a good scientist? What qualities are assets for success in the highly competitive and challenging environment of science? An outdated stereotype often paints a picture that all scientists are cold, hard, unemotional... and male. This...
March 3, 2018
Please note that this event is now fully booked and no more registrations are being taken. Turning up without having registered first is not recommended as you may be turned away. Please accept our apologies.
The Scottish Society for Crop...
February 2, 2018
Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute and current SEFARI Chair, has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced 66 new UK and International Fellows,...
February 2, 2018
As the world’s population tries to adapt to climate change, many industries are still heavily reliant on fossil fuel resources to make components in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and other sectors – but the plant kingdom, and...
February 2, 2018
The latest issue of Hutton Highlights, the James Hutton Institute's quarterly review, is now available from our Hutton Highlights pages.
Read in our February 2018 issue:
February 2, 2018
Hutton Highlights (Page)
Hutton Highlights is the James Hutton Institute's quarterly electronic review, offering an overview of our latest advances in fundamental and applied research to drive the sustainable use of land and natural resources.
See below links...
February 2, 2018
Plants play essential roles in our lives from recreation and tourism to the economics of timber and crop production. However, the potential for harm from pests and diseases is ever present. Besides the many pests and pathogens that currently...
February 2, 2018
Summary
This research project focuses on sustainable intensification of agriculture in highly productive peri-urban farming areas in China. This agricultural base is essential to meet China's increasing food production demands but is under...
January 1, 2018
China's North Plain is one of the country's most important - and densely populated - agricultural regions, producing crops such as corn, cereals, vegetables and cotton. A research project led by the James Hutton Institute and China...
January 1, 2018
Blowing up landmines and other undetonated explosives may be safer and more environmentally friendly than physically removing them from contaminated land, according to new research carried out by the University of Dundee, in partnership with...
January 1, 2018
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) Combinable and Energy Crops Sub-committee will hold its Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee. The event is open to anyone in the cereals industry and other interested parties. BASIS...
January 1, 2018
Dr Mark Brewer has been appointed new Director of Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS). BioSS is based within the James Hutton Institute and works collaboratively with the other Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Institutes (...
January 1, 2018
On 7th December 2017 at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) in Edinburgh, scientists working on crop science within the Scottish Government-funded Science Research Programme (WP2.1 – Crop and grassland production and disease...
December 12, 2017
Potatoes in Practice 2018 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
December 12, 2017
A PhD student at the University of Dundee and James Hutton Institute has been selected as Young Plant Scientist 2018 in the fundamental research category by the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO).
Shumei Wang, based at the Institute...
December 12, 2017
Matt Aitkenhead & Cathy Hawes
Soil is vital to our survival. We need it to grow our crops, feed our livestock, maintain our water supply and provide a home for biodiversity. However, because we do not see it doing these things, we forget...
December 12, 2017
Soil scientists from the James Hutton Institute, along with colleagues at Cranfield University, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, have contributed to the development of the first Global Soil Organic...
November 11, 2017
A senior scientist from the James Hutton Institute has again been distinguished as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics. Professor Philip J. White, from our Ecological Sciences group, has been included in the Highly Cited Researcher...
November 11, 2017
Professor Maria Nijnik, a senior scientist at the James Hutton Institute’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group, has been appointed a Scientific Advisory Council member of EURAC, a research centre based in Bolzano, Italy, whose...
November 11, 2017
The James Hutton Institute is pleased to announce that Dr Andy Kindness has taken over the leadership of the Environmental and Biochemical Sciences group from 1st November.
The Institute’s Environmental and Biochemical Sciences group...
October 10, 2017
The SIFSS (Soil Indicators for Scottish Soils) app has recently been updated to improve usability. Aimed at growers, farmers and land managers in Scotland, the app allows them to quickly identify soil type in their area.
September 9, 2017
Hutton Seminar Series: Understanding trade-offs and their importance for ecological processes (Event)
Trade-offs are key ingredients of many major ecological theories, such as co-existence theories or theories explaining positive biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. Often, however, we have only limited knowledge of the (molecular)...
September 9, 2017
NEFERTITI will establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms, which is designed to enhance thematic knowledge exchange, cross fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the...
September 9, 2017
Soil scientists at the James Hutton Institute are working to create the first unified digital map of soil properties within Great Britain, a development which will contribute to worldwide Global Soil Map projects and improve the data available to...
August 8, 2017
An enterprising plant scientist and master distiller with links to the James Hutton Institute and Abertay University has been chosen as one of Farmers Weekly’s first-ever Rising Stars.
At just 35, PhD student Kirsty Black manages Arbikie...
August 8, 2017
Potato industry representatives, growers and influencers from all over the UK and beyond are expected to descend on Dundee to take part in Potatoes in Practice (PiP) 2017, a technical potato field event featuring a high-standard mix of science,...
June 6, 2017
A new research initiative led by Scotland’s James Hutton Institute is set to explore innovative mixed-species crop systems, or ‘plant teams’, in a drive to tackle a global challenge: how to feed a growing population from finite...
March 3, 2017
Businesses, charities, communities and policy-makers will benefit from easier access to environmental and agricultural research carried out in Scotland, thanks to a collective launched today.
The collective – called Scottish Environment,...
March 3, 2017
Fungi are immensely important to humanity and the planet we live on. They belong to their own kingdom, provide powerful medicines including antibiotics, regulate many processes in soils and also provide society with numerous food and drink...
March 3, 2017
The 2017 British Meiosis Meeting, co-organised by Dr Isabelle Colas (James Hutton Institute) and Dr Alexander Lorenz (University of Aberdeen), aims to gather UK researchers with interests in meiosis, with an emphasis on presentations by postdocs...
February 2, 2017
The Commonwealth Potato Collection (CPC), a unique repository of potato germplasm held in trust by the James Hutton Institute with support from the Scottish Government, has made the first-ever seed deposit by a UK institution into the Global Seed...
January 1, 2017
Background (Page)
The long-term viability of farming in Scotland depends on the sustainable management of our agricultural habitats. We need to achieve a balance between maximising crop production, conserving arable biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem functions...
January 1, 2017
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) Combinable and Energy Crops Sub-committee will hold its Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee. The event is open to anyone in the cereals industry and other interested parties. BASIS...
December 12, 2016
Scientists have developed an improved technique for capturing longer DNA fragments, doubling the size up to 7000 DNA bases that can be analysed for novel genes which provide plants with immunity to disease.
By using the RenSeq method,...
December 12, 2016
An analysis commissioned by the James Hutton Institute has calculated that the Institute delivers £12.75 of economic benefit for each £1 received in funding from the Scottish government - a substantial economic impact and an...
December 12, 2016
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) is holding their Potato Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie. The event is open to anyone in the potato industry and other interested parties. BASIS points have been applied for...
December 12, 2016
The Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) is holding their Soft Fruit Winter Meeting at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie. The event is open to anyone in the soft fruit industry and other interested parties. Lunch and refreshments will...
December 12, 2016
Potatoes in Practice 2017 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
December 12, 2016
Scientists at the James Hutton Institute have welcomed the Scottish Government's decision to allow beavers to remain in Argyll and Tayside as a protected species, but warned continued long-term monitoring and active management in...
November 11, 2016
The James Hutton Institute’s Annual Review for 2015-16 has been presented by Chief Executive Professor Colin Campbell. The document presents an overview of the financial and biographical status of the Institute as well as a summary of...
November 11, 2016
A publication co-edited by a James Hutton Institute scientist is at the top of the most-read electronic books of 2016, according to influential research network Frontiers.
The book, titled Plants as alternative hosts for human and animal...
November 11, 2016
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, Lord Dunlop, held a roundtable discussion today at the James Hutton Institute's Invergowrie site near Dundee, on the implications of Brexit for research and innovation.
Lord Dunlop...
October 10, 2016
Stochastic Anaerobic Digestion Economic Assessment Tool (Research Page)
What is anaerobic digestion?
Anaerobic digestion is a process by which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, leading to the production of biogas and bio-fertilisers. Anaerobic digestion technologies convert...
October 10, 2016
Potatosize (Research Page)
The PotatoSize app provides potato growers with information on the proportion of their crop that lies within each size range of interest. It uses image analysis to interpret a photo of potatoes sampled in the field. Development was in partnership...
September 9, 2016
Bioinformaticians at the James Hutton Institute are contributing to a major research effort which seeks to deliver better maize and wheat varieties to over 40 countries around the world, with the aim of improving resilience to farmers’...
September 9, 2016
Our Science (Research Page)
Our work covers much of the terrestrial environment and involves soils, water and crop production.
Soils
Physical, chemical and biological processes within soils underpin a vast range of ecosystem services. Our work deals with the fundamental...
August 8, 2016
More than 100 potato scientists from all across Europe and beyond descended on Dundee to discuss crop pests and diseases that cost millions in annual losses to farmers and industry.
The European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) Pathology...
July 7, 2016
How did barley, a plant native to the Middle East and South-Western Asia, become able to be grown on land from just below the Arctic Circle to the equatorial highlands and southerly latitudes? The answer lies in the combined forces of evolution...
July 7, 2016
An international team of researchers from leading institutions in Scotland, Germany, Israel and the USA has succeeded for the first time in sequencing the genome of 6,000 year old barley grains from the Copper Age (the Chalcolithic). Their...
July 7, 2016
A Dundee and Manchester collaboration has found out more about one of the most abundant biological substances on the planet.
Dr Piers Hemsley from the University of Dundee and James Hutton Institute, and Professor Simon Turner from the...
July 7, 2016
Farmers, agronomists, representatives of the food and drink industry and scientists will come together next week (Thursday 14th July, 4.00 to 6.30pm) at the James Hutton Institute’s Dundee site to take part in Fruit for the Future, the...
June 6, 2016
Biodiversity and Ecosystems (Research Page)
The aim of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem subgroup is to understand how human driven global and local changes impact on the network of interactions between animals, microbes and plants in natural and semi-natural habitats to predict change and...
June 6, 2016
Mr Chris Law, MP for Dundee West, visited the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie to learn about exciting and innovative scientific research that is having considerable impact at home and abroad, as well as its commercial potential for...
May 5, 2016
The potential of ecosystem services-based approaches for sustainable water resource management has been highlighted in a book co-edited by researchers from the University of Leeds, the James Hutton Institute, the James Cook University and UNESCO...
May 5, 2016
Two young scientists based at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee have been jointly awarded the Peter Massalski Prize for meritorious research.
April 4, 2016
Scientists in Brazil and the UK are joining forces to help solve urgent food and energy security issues in South America's most populous country, by establishing a virtual centre that will investigate how to reduce the use of fertilisers and...
March 3, 2016
As east-central Scotland's Local Coastal Partnership, the Tay Estuary Forum puts together a conference each year to reflect current issues within the coastal and marine environments at both a regional and national scale, with a Tay...
March 3, 2016
The Scottish Government has today announced the re-commissioning of EPIC, the Pan-Scottish Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks. For the next 5 years EPIC will be led from the University of Glasgow by Professor Dominic Mellor,...
March 3, 2016
Scotland will remain at the forefront of ground-breaking advances in farming and food production as a result of continued Scottish Government funding for scientific research, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has said.
More than £...
March 3, 2016
Two new projects featuring James Hutton Institute scientists in Aberdeen and Dundee have received a share of £2m for research to help combat threats to trees and plants, as part of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative (THAPBI)....
March 3, 2016
Leading plant pathologist Professor Paul Birch of the James Hutton Institute and University of Dundee has received the honour of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced 56 new...
March 3, 2016
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute were yesterday at the Houses of Parliament in London to make the case and win parliamentarians’ support for the International Barley Hub (IBH), a project that aims to create an unique platform for...
February 2, 2016
Work carried out at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee aiming to tackle environmental challenges will be explored at a conference next week.
The Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience (CECHR) will hold its...
February 2, 2016
A report from a ground-breaking project identifying ways to resolve conflicts about predation has been launched by Environment Minister, Dr Aileen McLeod. The report analyses the views of a large number of stakeholders in conservation and land...
February 2, 2016
A prestigious and fiercely contested science prize has been awarded to a student based at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Aberdeen, and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
The 2015 Anne Keymer Prize was won by Janet...
February 2, 2016
Scientists working in Scotland and China have uncovered a potential Achilles’ heel in the organism which causes potato blight, a global problem with associated costs estimated at US$6billion around the world every year.
Blight was the...
January 1, 2016
The Combinable and Energy Crops Committee regret to advise that this meeting has been postponed. A new date will be announced later in the year.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment this might cause to our members....
January 1, 2016
SSCR Potato Winter Meeting 2016 (Event)
The Winter 2016 meeting of the Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) Potato Sub-committee will be held at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee on 24 March 2016.
Programme
Programme can be found by clicking the link below:
January 1, 2016
A new study from researchers at the James Hutton Institute, the University of Aberdeen, the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health and the Alpen-Adria University in Vienna shows that the UK’s food self-sufficiency has decreased...
December 12, 2015
Farming papers are a key source of information for farmers interested in novel technology such as renewable energy, social scientists at the James Hutton Institute have found.
Melf-Hinrich Ehlers, applied economist at the Institute’s...
December 12, 2015
Farming systems across Scotland, the UK and Europe can vary markedly from place to place. A range of factors can influence what types of production are practiced in any one place. However, climate and soil type are especially important in...
December 12, 2015
As Scotland’s Year of Innovation approaches, scientists at the James Hutton Institute have demonstrated that they have plenty to shout about on the innovation front, and not just in 2016. This week the Institute has reached the €8...
December 12, 2015
Staff and Students (Research Page)
Staff
For students, follow the link here: Students
December 12, 2015
Mapping Relevant to Ecosystem Services - MRES (Research Page)
The MRES report provides a review of recent and ongoing work relevant to ecosystem service mapping in Scotland. It provides a reference resource for future research and a list of example methodologies used in this area, while at the same time...
November 11, 2015
Two UK research institutes have announced a Centre-Centre research collaboration on food security and agriculture with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
The memorandum of agreement involve the UK’s Centre for Ecology &...
November 11, 2015
SEGS research notes and reports (Research Page)
Researchers in SEGS often create a short research notes or briefings, to communicate the findings of research projects. Please click on the titles below to view a selection of research notes and briefings.
October 10, 2015
The science of the James Hutton Institute continues to attract the interest of the media. This time, Dr Julie Graham and Professor Derek Stewart were featured in the latest season of BBC programme Harvest, in which they discussed research on...
October 10, 2015
Our Science (Research Page)
The Ecological Sciences department operate across scales and studies ecology at the resolution of populations, communities, ecosystems and their associated processes and functions. Increasingly we also explore how ecology and people interact, how...
September 9, 2015
In a collaboration with the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS), scientists at the James Hutton Institute are investigating the basis of the peppery flavour of the seaweed pepper dulse (Osmundea pinnatifida). The unique flavour of this...
September 9, 2015
Potatoes in Practice 2016 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety demonstrations, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
August 8, 2015
How can people in rural areas thrive during times of rapid, transformational change? How can rural Europe cope with the many pressures arising from globalisation, migration, deregulation and the effects of neoliberal policies? Over 400 social...
August 8, 2015
Following the announcement made by the Scottish Government about a ban on growing genetically modified crops in Scotland, researchers at the James Hutton Institute have said at this year’s Potatoes in Practice event that biotechnology...
July 7, 2015
The next meeting of the European Association for Potato Research (EAPR), Pathology and Pests Section, will be held in Dundee, Scotland, UK, 7th to 11th August 2016.
This meeting covers research into potato pests and diseases with...
July 7, 2015
A James Hutton Institute and University of Dundee scientist has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant to undertake research on the fundamental mechanisms that underpin the inheritance of genetic characteristics...
June 6, 2015
Forensic femme fatales (Event)
Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of Soil Forensics at the James Hutton Institute, will take part in the Royal Society panel event Forensic femme fatales, which is being held at the Society on Saturday 4 July 2015 at 3.30pm as part of the Society'...
June 6, 2015
Cereals in Practice, the annual showcase of variety trials and research organised by the James Hutton Institute and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), is again taking place on 2 July 2015. The event offers a range of advice and information for...
June 6, 2015
British berry lovers could get their favourite fruits all year round thanks to three new pioneering UK government funded research projects set to revolutionise Scottish berry production, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said at the Royal...
June 6, 2015
In this seminar, hosted by Dr Tim George from our Ecological Sciences group, Dr Alan Richardson (CSIRO) will discuss ways of managing farming systems on phosphorus (P) deficient soils.
Abstract
April 4, 2015
A group of researchers from the James Hutton Institute in Dundee held the first of a ten-year series of lectures at the cutting edge of science below our feet, to coincide with 2015 as the International Year of Soils.
April 4, 2015
Prestigious scientific publication Nature has published a profile of Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of Soil Forensics at the James Hutton Institute.
The story, titled Forensic science: The soil sleuth, describes Professor Dawson’s journey...
April 4, 2015
The potential of ecosystem services-based approaches for sustainable water resource management has been highlighted in a new book co-edited by researchers from the James Hutton Institute and UNESCO. The book is published by Cambridge University...
March 3, 2015
A study carried out over a 10-year period by ecologists at the James Hutton Institute and the universities of Hull and Aberdeen has shown that grazing a mixture of sheep and cattle, at low intensity, is the best approach for maintaining...
March 3, 2015
In order to ensure food security for its sizeable population, China needs to find ways of overcoming pressing environmental challenges and developing a science to policy interface. That was the key message of the China-UK Summit for Environmental...
March 3, 2015
Organisations from all across the UK are coming together to discuss ways of working together to achieve better outcomes when it comes to land and natural resource challenges, through a workshop organised by the James Hutton Institute with support...
March 3, 2015
The Scottish Government has unveiled today the 2015 edition of its Rural Scotland Key Facts publication, which includes a reference to a report on Socio-Economic Performance (SEP) authored by two researchers from the Social, Economic and...
March 3, 2015
In this seminar, hosted by Jens Tilsner from our Cell and Molecular Sciences group, Dr Martin Cann (Durham University) will discuss the role of plant NLR (Nucleotide Binding and C-terminal Leucine Rich Repeat) -type receptors in immune-dependent...
March 3, 2015
Eleven early stage researchers employed on the EU-Marie Curie funded Initial Training Network attended a 5-day workshop at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee as part of the Native Seed Science, Technology and Conservation (NASSTEC) initiative,...
March 3, 2015
Dundee will once again celebrate the achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) when the 2015 Women in Science Festival takes place from 7th-28th March.
A total of 45 family events, exhibitions, film screenings,...
March 3, 2015
A James Hutton Institute scientist has been awarded a highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant to undertake research on a new generation of artificial soils; it is hoped that this would allow researchers to better...
March 3, 2015
Professor Liz Baggs (Head of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen) will give an overview of what we now know about how the contributions of biological and chemical processes to nitrous oxide emission have evolved over time.
Abstract
February 2, 2015
We all think we have some idea of what ‘natural’ is, whether it’s the green meadows we pass by on the train or the fresh and colourful vegetables we pick out in the market. However, our countryside and the food we eat are the...
February 2, 2015
Plant diseases cost the world enough food to feed at least half a billion people, equivalent to 100 times the population of Scotland, every year. The interaction between plants, microbes and insects is a key battleground in the global fight for...
February 2, 2015
As the world’s fourth most important cereal crop and the UK’s second largest, grown on about half of Scotland’s arable land, barley is sure to get the attention of researchers, growers and industry. This time it also caught the...
January 1, 2015
Mountain hare study begins (News)
The James Hutton Institute has joined forces with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) to begin a three-year study to trial different methods of assessing mountain hare populations in upland areas of...
January 1, 2015
MANECO (Project)
Managing ecosystem services in low alpine cultural landscapes through livestock grazing
Current tree-lines in Norway are heavily depressed by land uses associated with traditional (agri-) cultural practices, but reduced intensity of land use...
January 1, 2015
RURALREIN (Project)
Reindeer herding and commodification of the outfields in Southern Sami areas- Challenges to established rights and practices (RURALREIN)
December 12, 2014
Potatoes in Practice 2015 (Event)
Potatoes in Practice is the largest field-based potato event in the UK. The event brings together variety trials, research and trade exhibits in one place making it an essential date in the potato industry calendar.
November 11, 2014
A young horticultural researcher who has implemented changes to fruit growing practices which are already bringing financial benefits as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, has been awarded the Business Leader of Tomorrow prize at this year...
October 10, 2014
Soils@Hutton - Soil Information and Education (Research Page)
Introduction to Soils
Exploring Scotland's Soils
September 9, 2014
A young scientist has got his career off to a flying start by having his work from a summer project published in renowned journal LWT - Food Science and Technology. Connor Powell, from Breadalbane Academy in Perth, was supervised by Dr Gordon...
September 9, 2014
After winning at the UK’s largest online science engagement event, a researcher from the James Hutton Institute has embarked on a mission to inspire the next generation of scientists, becoming at the same time an ambassador for women in...
August 8, 2014
Diffuse pollution modelling (Research Page)
Data from spatial monitoring of water quality provided parameter sets for validation of catchment scale models. These have been used in a number of externally funded research projects including REFRESH.
August 8, 2014
Phosphorus biogeochemistry in riparian buffer strips (Research Page)
Management to mitigate pollutant swapping
Buffer strips are useful for mitigating diffuse pollution. As riparian buffers perform their role in sediment trapping, P accumulates with no loss mechanism (as in wetland denitrification for N)....
August 8, 2014
Flood inundation modelling (Research Page)
Tarland modelling
Hydraulic models help to predict where flooding might occur, how severe it might...
July 7, 2014
A young horticultural scientist who has implemented changes to growing practices, which are already bringing financial benefits as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, has been nominated for the prestigious Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards...
July 7, 2014
Learning Landscape Partnerships (Project)
Despite many decades of research within protected area landscapes, many protected area management organisations struggle to use scientific expertise in their management and decision making processes. The project has been funded by the Macaulay...
July 7, 2014
Mr John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North, visited yesterday the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie to learn about ongoing world leading scientific research in crops and climate change, as well as its commercial impact in local communities and...
June 6, 2014
How to protect cereal crops from the increased disease pressure caused by the mild winter and spring and early drilling was a key point of interest at this year’s Cereals in Practice event, co-hosted by the James Hutton Institute, Scotland...
June 6, 2014
Two researchers based at the James Hutton Institute have been recognised for their contribution to plant science. Professor Philip J. White has been listed by Thomson Reuters as one of 176 Highly Cited Researchers in Plant and Animal Science over...
June 6, 2014
2. Environmental impacts of impoundment schemes (Research Page)
Aim: to determine the environmental impacts of HEP impoundment schemes
In regulated rivers, instream habitats are under the most stress during high and low flows. Our research aims to better understand the impacts of extreme flows on the...
May 5, 2014
Developing Molecular Approaches to Elucidate the Ecology and Function of Orbatid Mite Communities (Research Page)
May 5, 2014
A young scientist whose research focusses on pathogens in the environment has been awarded the prestigious Peter Massalski Prize for meritorious research. Dr Fiona Brennan, research scientist with the Ecological Sciences group at the James Hutton...
May 5, 2014
Farmers could improve the efficiency of phosphorus in crop production by coupling plants with complementary traits, which would allow them to harness the ‘phosphorus bank’ already present in soils.
April 4, 2014
Hydropower resources research (Research Page)
Hydropower plays a key role in Scotland’s renewable energy contributions and renewables targets for 2015 (50%) and 2020 (100%). Our research is supporting the sustainable planning, development and management of this resource. We are...
April 4, 2014
Light sensors in plants act as a switch for genetic activity which determines how they adapt to environmental changes, an international research collaboration involving scientists in Argentina, Austria and Scotland including the James Hutton...
March 3, 2014
Safeguarding Natural Capital research outputs (Research Page)
As part of our work on behalf of the Scottish Government, the European Union and a range of other funders, members of staff in the Safeguarding Natural Capital theme produce and contribute to a variety of outputs, a range of which you can see...
January 1, 2014
A scientific report published today has explored what might happen if Chalara infection and associated ash dieback led to widespread death of nearly all ash trees within the UK. It reports that it is likely that there would be a high negative...
January 1, 2014
This project aims to provide a better understanding of barriers to the adoption and implementation of natural flood management (NFM) in Scotland.
January 1, 2014
Vibrant Rural Communities workshop (Research Page)
A workshop was held at Birnam Arts and Conference Centre on 20 November 2013 to provide an update on research being conducted as part of the Vibrant Rural Communities theme of the Food, Land and People Strategic Research programme, funded by...
January 1, 2014
LandSFACTS downloads (Research Page)
The LandSFACTS software is available in several formats:
with graphical interface, helpfile and tutorial [XP, W7], cf. below
command-line [XP, W7, W7 x64, Linux x64], by request
dynamic libraries [XP, W7, W7 x64, Linux x64], by request...
January 1, 2014
LandSFACTS publications (Research Page)
Publications relating to the LandSFACTS model.
January 1, 2014
LandSFACTS (Research Page)
LANDscape Scale Functional Allocation of Crops Temporally and Spatially
January 1, 2014
Scenarios and land use futures (Research Page)
Environmental, economic and social issues associated with agriculture are often fundamental for rural prosperity and sustainability, with consequent implications for any debate about future land use. A key to supporting the planning of change is...
January 1, 2014
Realising Land's Potential stakeholder engagement events (Research Page)
Stakeholder engagement events relating to theme topics
Health and wellbeing conferences and workshops
Date
Title
Theme role
Venue
25 November 2013
December 12, 2013
SEGS Archived projects (Research Page)
Below is a list of archived projects the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group have been involved with.
December 12, 2013
SEGS Active projects (Research Page)
The Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group are involved in a wide range of research projects.
December 12, 2013
Review of the economics of sustainable land management measures in drinking water catchments (Project)
Project aim
The aim of this project was to review the economics of sustainable land management measures in catchments where abstraction for the provision of drinking water takes place. Funding was provided by CREW (Scotland’s Centre of...
December 12, 2013
The aim of this project was to support Scottish Water pilot a restoration park to reclaim waste water and market it to non-household water users. Funding was provided by CREW (Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters) and the project ran...
December 12, 2013
HUNTing for Sustainability (Project)
Project aim
The overall goal of the project ‘Hunting for Sustainability’ was to assess the social, cultural, economic and ecological functions and impacts of hunting across a broad range of contexts in Europe and Africa. Funding was...
December 12, 2013
Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century (Project)
The overall aim of the project was to align upland estate management in Scotland with the concept of sustainability. Funding was provided by the Henry Angest Foundation and it ran from 2007-2011.
Project Objectives
The...
December 12, 2013
The aim of this project was to develop technology to maximise personal and social interaction between older adults with chronic pain and their health and social care providers. Funding was provided by the
Research Councils UK (RCUK) and it...
December 12, 2013
Project aim
The aim of this project was to explore the relationship between green space and human health using a range of methods and disciplinary approaches at different scales. It was funded by the Scottish Government and ran from 2009-2012.
December 12, 2013
The aim of TESS is to investigate the role of community-based transition initiatives in fostering a more low-carbon and sustainable Europe. TESS is a European Union project funded under the Seventh Framework Programme, and...
December 12, 2013
Project aims
This project looks at the management of conflicts:
December 12, 2013
Project aim
Orkney Community Empowerment Project (OrkCEmP) is part of the RESAS Theme 8 (Work Package 8.2) work on 'Governance and Decision-making for community empowerment in rural communities', running from 2011-2016. It aims to...
December 12, 2013
Foodscapes (Project)
Project aim
Foodscapes aims to explore how arts intervention and cultural engagement can help address social and economic exclusion, food poverty, and sustainability. It has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council/Economic and...
December 12, 2013
FarmPath – Farming Transitions: Pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe (Project)
The overall goal of FarmPath is to identify and assess future transition pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe, and the social and technological innovation needs required to initiate and progress along these pathways....
December 12, 2013
Despite the emerging emphasis on the roles that (local) communities can play in public service reform and attempts to ‘empower’ communities (or allow them to ‘empower themselves’) in rural areas, the tensions or synergies...
December 12, 2013
Evaluating CREW (Project)
This project was commissioned by Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) with the overall purpose of increasing the effectiveness of the centre’s work. CREW provided the funding for the project, which runs from April 2011 to...
December 12, 2013
Gender, green space and wellbeing (Project)
Project aim
This project aims to understand the relationship between gender, wellbeing and greenspace. It is funded through the Scottish Government and runs from 2011 until 2016. It is part of the RESAS Theme 8 WP8.3 work on ‘...
December 12, 2013
Project aim
The primary aim of the DICE project is to improve our understanding of interdisciplinary science within the James Hutton Institute and build capacity to undertake interdisciplinary research. It is funded through the James Hutton...
November 11, 2013
Bacterial endosymbionts and beneficial insects (Research Page)
A promising area for managing insect pests is through improved understanding of the importance of microbes associated with insects. Many insect species rely on symbiotic bacteria for their survival and these ‘hidden players’ residing...
November 11, 2013
Agroecology publications (Research Page)
Below is a sample of recent peer reviewed publications by staff working in the Agroecology Group.
November 11, 2013
Staff, capability, infrastructure (Research Page)
We are mainly biologists, quantitative ecologists and mathematical modellers, whose scales of interest range from landscape to community and organism.
Recent changes
November 11, 2013
Exploiting plant traits to improve pest biocontrol (Research Page)
Exploiting genetic variation in the ability of plants to resist or tolerate attack by pests and pathogens has long been a focus of crop breeding programmes, although the genetic basis for plant resistance is often poorly-understood. However,...
November 11, 2013
Ecosystem services (Research Page)
Natural Capital is the resource from which Ecosystem Services, i.e. what an ecosystem 'does' or provides that ultimately gives some benefit to humans, are generated. We often think of these services in 4 categories:
October 10, 2013
Integrated pest management - weeds (Research Page)
Expertise and capability at the James Hutton institute, Dundee
September 9, 2013
Principal Investigators involved in IPM (Research Page)
Principal Investigators working on IPM at the James Hutton Institute.
September 9, 2013
IPM research platforms and networks (Research Page)
Centre for Sustainable Cropping
September 9, 2013
IPM-related research grants (Research Page)
Several funded projects at the James Hutton Institute are either specifically about IPM or the toolbox components.
September 9, 2013
IPM in the agroecosystem (Research Page)
IPM is also about managing the other species in agroecosystem and not just the crop and visible weeds, pathogens, pests and their symptoms. It should also include management of:
August 8, 2013
Imaging Technologies (Research Page)
The Imaging Technologies (ImTech) Group based at the Dundee site, within the Cell and Molecular Sciences group, is involved in a wide variety of research across the James Hutton Institute.
August 8, 2013
Evelyne Delbos (Member of Staff)
Evelyne is a petroleum geologist by training. She studied for her DEA (MSc equivalent) at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, and subsequently furthered her education at the ENSPM school of the French Petroleum Institute in Paris...
July 7, 2013
The LandscapePartners Project (Project)
This research project aimed to identify, analyse and assess the contribution of multi-stakeholder partnerships to the sustainable management of rural landscapes and to the well-being of communities in three European countries. In addition, the...
June 6, 2013
People (Research Page)
Valuation and governance of natural capital
Looking at natural capital inherently requires looking at the relationships between humans and their natural environment. The concept of ‘capital’ implies that components of the natural...
June 6, 2013
Biodiversity (Research Page)
The term biodiversity describes the diversity of life on Earth. Diversity can occur at a number of levels of biological organisation, from genes, through to individuals, populations, species, communities and entire ecosystems.
June 6, 2013
Land (Research Page)
Landscapes and regions are where many natural processes and human activities interact and potentially conflict in different ways, giving complex challenges for sustainable management.
Managing landscapes has to satisfy multiple purposes and has...
June 6, 2013
Soil Capital (Research Page)
Soils underpin a multitude of ecosystem goods and services that are not only vital to peoples’ livelihoods and Society in general, but also to Earth’s regulating systems.
April 4, 2013
The core dataset of soil, plant and invertebrate data and samples that are collected every year from the CSC are archived and databased for future research projects on long-term trends and to allow exploration of links between different...
April 4, 2013
BaBU Review (Research Page)
The Biotic and Biophysical Underpinning of Ecosystem Services in the Scottish Context review was carried out to help deliver increased understanding of the linkages between the primary ecological and evolutionary processes, ecosystem...
March 3, 2013
Peatlands provide vital services to society, such as helping to mitigate climate change, providing clean water and supporting biodiversity and tourism, but are currently under threat.
Peatlands are an ideal case study for valuing nature...
March 3, 2013
Chen Wang (Member of Staff)
Dr Chen Wang is a Landscape and Visualisation Scientist, who joined the Information and Computational Sciences group at the James Hutton Institute in 2010.
March 3, 2013
Improving implementation and increasing uptake of measures to improve water quality in Scotland (Research Page)
Guidance and advice for improving implementation and increasing uptake of measures to improve water quality in Scotland
The Scotland River Basin Management Plan (2010) requires implementation of programmes of measures to support achievement of...
February 2, 2013
URflood: Links (Research Page)
Partners
The James Hutton Institute
Suomen ympäristökeskus (Finnish Environment Institute)
University College Dublin
February 2, 2013
URflood: Case Studies (Research Page)
Please use the links below to read more about the country specific case studies
February 2, 2013
URflood: Project Approach (Research Page)
The aims of the project will be delivered via the following work packages:
February 2, 2013
Farmer led phosphorus sampling (Research Page)
Register online now to take part in our farmer led phosphorus sampling project
Why is phosphorus important?
Phosphorus is an essential plant fertiliser. However, phosphorus is an increasingly expensive commodity, which is mined from a few...
January 1, 2013
Human and animal pathogens on plants (Research Page)
The main aim of our research is to understand the basis to the molecular interactions that underpin bacteria-plant interactions. The work focuses on enteric human pathogenic bacteria, which pose a food safety threat to consumers through...
December 12, 2012
Tarland Burn, Netherton (Page)
The Tarland catchment has been the focus of water quality research at the James Hutton Institute for over 12 years. In response to policy driven requirements we aim to link hydrology, water quality and ecology in order to provide catchment scale...
December 12, 2012
Agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS) describe the exchange of knowledge and supporting services between many diverse actors from the first, second or third sector in rural areas. AKIS provide farmers with relevant knowledge and...
November 11, 2012
The effects of deer carcasses on upland food webs (Research Page)
Wild red deer are iconic species in Scotland. They are important for hunting, tourism and provide venison. However, at high densities their grazing impact can be detrimental to some habitats. As a result deer are shot for both sporting reasons and...
October 10, 2012
Field sites and research platforms (Research Page)
The James Hutton Institute supports a range of field sites and research platforms across Scotland.
August 8, 2012
Natural products and food chemistry (Research Page)
We have a global reputation for our work crops, and in particular using high-throughput phenotyping approaches, such as metabolomics and transcriptomics, to assess a range of quality characteristics and their genetic control.
August 8, 2012
The conservation status and management of mountain hares (Research Page)
Evidence suggests that mountain hare numbers have declined in recent years; however the extent of this decline and whether this represents a long-term decline or is the low phase of a synchronised population cycle is not clear.
August 8, 2012
Estimating mountain hare numbers (Research Page)
Estimating animal abundance or density is a central requirement in ecology and remains one of the most challenging areas of wildlife management. Methods of estimating animal numbers must be tailored to the survey objectives, habitat and species.
August 8, 2012
How are mountain hare populations linked in space? (Research Page)
Anthropogenic pressure and climate change are generating an increasingly fragmented landscape in which natural mountain hare populations are becoming more isolated and subsequently prone to greater risk of local extinction due to stochastic...
August 8, 2012
Natural populations are often exploited for subsistence or commerce. However, our ability to sustain exploited populations is often inadequate due to limitations in our understanding of critical biological processes, poor demographic data, and...
August 8, 2012
Effect of intestinal parasites on mountain hares (Research Page)
What affect do intestinal parasites and food availability have on mountain hare population dynamics?
August 8, 2012
Distribution of mountain hares (Research Page)
The distribution of Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus) in Scotland (2006/07)
July 7, 2012
Background and rationale
July 7, 2012
Agricultural habitat usage by wood mice (Research Page)
Background
Small mammals, such as the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), are a known food source for birds of prey such as barn owls and species of harrier, and rare large mammals such as pine marten, polecats and wildcats. Wood mice may also...
July 7, 2012
Virus vector aphid ecology and epidemiology in the potato crop (Research Page)
Background and rationale
July 7, 2012
HAP-E@Hutton Projects and Outputs (Research Page)
Current projects and recent outputs
Biofilm STEM activity book for primary schools
Outputs from previous projects
July 7, 2012
HAPE Platforms, resources and approaches (Research Page)
Pathogens do not automatically pose a risk to human or animal health if there is no pathway by which they can reach that person or animal (the receptor). Therefore, using a Source-Pathway-Receptor approach to address human and animal pathogens in...
July 7, 2012
HAP-E@Hutton (Research Page)
The core research group in the Centre for Human and Animal Pathogens in the Environment (HAP-E) at the James Hutton Institute studies the following pathogen-environment systems:
July 7, 2012
Key pathogens in the environment interests
Environmental survival of pathogens (for example, Clostridia in anaerobic digestate, Mycobacteria on farms)
Antimicrobial resistance - the environment/inputs to the environment as a vector and...
June 6, 2012
Background and objectives
June 6, 2012
Mountain hares (Research Page)
The Scottish mountain hare, Lepus timidus scoticus, is a subspecies of the mountain hare Lepus timidus and is native to the Highlands of Scotland. Although widespread throughout Scotland, they are typically more numerous in central and eastern...
May 5, 2012
Metabolomics (Research Page)
Principal contact: Dr. J. William (Will) Allwood (will.allwood@hutton.ac.uk)
May 5, 2012
Food analysis (Research Page)
Principal contact for food analysis:
Gordon McDougall
QTS-25 Texture Analyzer (Brookfield Engineering Labs, Inc.)
The QTS-25 is a self-contained bench top instrument providing a realistic measurement of the physical properties of a wide...
May 5, 2012
Chemical analysis equipment (Research Page)
IR research has been carried out in the James Hutton Institute for over 50 years including much of the pioneering work on IR of minerals. The Infrared (IR) Section at the James Hutton Institute has both FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) and NIR (...
May 5, 2012
Mineralogy (Research Page)
Electron Microscopy is an extremely versatile tool which allows the study of both morphology and material composition from virtually all areas of science and technology. The XRD instruments are used for studying the mineralogical composition of...
May 5, 2012
Soil and plant analysis equipment (Research Page)
The soil section provides a range of analytical services dedicated to the analysis of soils, peats, sediments and related materials. Dedicated staff and equipment provide high quality, accredited (ISO 17025), analytical data. Supporting both the...
May 5, 2012
Organic analysis equipment (Research Page)
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry systems are used for the determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs): chemicals which can exert profound and deleterious effects on wildlife populations and...
May 5, 2012
Water resource monitoring (Research Page)
A new term “weather weirding” has captured public imagination succinctly summing up recent meteorological conditions and illustrating the very real problems of trying to manage water quantity extremes.
May 5, 2012
Ecosystem services approaches for water management (Research Page)
Since the release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, ecosystems have become widely recognised as natural capital assets supporting and supplying services which are highly valuable to humans.
There is a growing appreciation of the important...
May 5, 2012
Tightening nutrient cycles in the crop-soil-water ecosystem (Research Page)
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are working on a number of ways to tighten nutrient cycles.
This involves a combination of knowledge into how to reuse societies 'wastes' such as sewage effluent discharges as valuable nutrient...
May 5, 2012
Water and food security (Research Page)
Water shortages and drought are the greatest threats facing global food security. At the James Hutton Institute we use a combination of plant and soil sciences to identify crop traits and crop production systems that can maintain crop yield and...
May 5, 2012
Inorganic analysis equipment (Research Page)
The Inorganic section is capable of a wide variety of metals analysis on aqueous samples, using ICP-MS and ICP-OES, ion chromatography, including ultra-low level analysis for mercury, arsenic and selenium in waters and acid digested materials....
April 4, 2012
Isotopic analysis (Research Page)
The James Hutton Institute has state of the art instrumentation capable of carrying out isotopic analysis on many different sample types, such as rocks, soils, plant materials, gases and waters.
Principal contacts for Isotopic Analysis:
April 4, 2012
Publications: MOORCO – Moorland colonisation (Research Page)
Friggens NL, Hester AJ, Mitchell RJ, Parker TC, Subke J-A, Wookey PA (2020) Tree planting in organic soils does not result in net carbon sequestration on decadal timescales Global change biology 26, 5178-5188 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15229...
April 4, 2012
Chronosequence: MOORCO – Moorland colonisation (Research Page)
Background
The MOORCO chronosequence plots use sites where birch (Betula sp.) has naturally colonised moorland to assess changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services following a change in land use from moorland to birch wood.
April 4, 2012
MOORCO – Moorland colonisation (Research Page)
The MOORCO project studies how woodland expansion onto moorland affects biodiversity and ecosystem services.
MOORCO stands for moorland colonisation and is an umbrella project encompassing four different experimental platforms that study...
April 4, 2012
Getting the energy message (News)
Thinking ‘green’ and being pro-environment does not necessarily reduce domestic energy usage. That is the finding of researchers from the James Hutton Institute who revealed income was the main driver behind domestic energy use: richer...
March 3, 2012
Plugging the evidence gap
March 3, 2012
Lucinda Robinson (Member of Staff)
Lucinda works in the Ecological Sciences department as a molecular microbiologist. Lucinda joined the Institute in 2007 as a research assistant in the Molecular Microbiology lab. She initially worked in the Soils group preparing and analysing...
March 3, 2012
Community Ecology Staff (Research Page)
The Group’s staff members contribute a wide range of skills to the projects on which they work, including a diverse range of taxonomic expertise and data analysis skills. They have experience of working from mountain tops, through woodland...
March 3, 2012
Soil formation (Page)
Soils are created by the weathering of rocks over hundreds to thousands of years.
The speed and nature of soil formation is affected by various factors.
March 3, 2012
Soil treatments and field site (Research Page)
The LTSE field site at Hartwood is a dedicated site and is fenced off to prevent disturbance by grazing livestock. The topsoil, typical of that found in the agricultural land in Scotland is a medium textured sandy clay loam consisting of 21% clay...
March 3, 2012
Glen Finglas - experimental design (Research Page)
The experiment involves 24 grazing enclosures, measuring 3.3 ha each. There are four grazing treatments with six replicates of each. These are positioned in three blocks of two replicates each, located in different parts of the estate and...
March 3, 2012
EAWG contacts and membership information (Research Page)
If you would like to be part of the Ecosystem Approach Working Group (EAWG) there are three membership types.
March 3, 2012
EAWG Resources (Research Page)
Outputs and documents from meetings
Please got to the meetings page to see the reports made from our EAWG meetings and the accompanying meeting documents.
March 3, 2012
EAWG Meetings (Research Page)
Main EAWG workshops are held once per year, with other meetings arranged as required. See below for more information about individual meetings, including copies of presentations and papers. Documents are in pdf format.
EAWG5 - Ecosystem Service...
March 3, 2012
Ecosystem Approach Working Group (Research Page)
The Ecosystem Approach Working Group (EAWG) is part of the Ecosystem Services Theme, which is one of eight themes in the Scottish Government’s two strategic research programmes Environmental Change and Food and Rural Industries (2011-2016...
March 3, 2012
Isotope applications (Research Page)
Our stable isotopes research tackles a range of different applications, and involves collaboration not only with colleagues in the James Hutton Institute but also a wide range of partners across the globe. We have a wide range of analytical...
March 3, 2012
Biogeochemistry and hydrology (Research Page)
This group aims to improve knowledge of biogeochemical and hydrological cycles, and their role in ecosystem functions and services. To do this we study chemical, physical, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of soil...
February 2, 2012
Glen Finglas Project Publications (Research Page)
Scientific Papers
For further details of these publications, click the first author's name (where activated) to send them an email.
February 2, 2012
Soil diversity (Research Page)
The complexity of the soil system with many large gradients including nutrients and gases such as oxygen drive a massive diversity below ground. It has been estimated that there are over 40,000 different organisms contained within a gram of soil...
February 2, 2012
Soils and climate change (Research Page)
The climate is changing in response to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. While the burning of fossil fuels has made a major contribution to the levels of carbon dioxide, soils have been responsible for part...
February 2, 2012
Soils Database (Research Page)
What happens to the information recorded in the field by soil surveyors, and the results of all the analysis carried out on the samples they collect? Once it has been collated, it is stored securely so people from all over the world can use it as...
February 2, 2012
Soil science (Research Page)
We conduct a wide range of soil-related research. Read more on the following pages.
February 2, 2012
ESMART: web tools and apps for the Scottish environment (Research Page)
E-SMART: Environmental Sensing for Monitoring and Advising in Real-Time
February 2, 2012
COMET-LA was a project coordinated by the University of Cordoba and funded under the European Commission Framework Programme 7. The acronym stands for “COmmunity-based Management of EnvironmenTal challenges in Latin America”. The...
January 1, 2012
Types of analysis done at the LTSE (Research Page)
Measurement type
Property of characteristic measured
Chemical
Total Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb
Extractable Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb
Mineral N
Total N
Organic C and N
Biological
January 1, 2012
People and contacts of the LTSE (Research Page)
For further information about the project partners please contact:
January 1, 2012
Acknowledgements for the LTSE (Research Page)
The LTSE project was undertaken by ADAS, Rothamsted Research and the Water Research Centre (WRc) in England and Wales and, by the James Hutton Institute and Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) (Auchincruive) in Scotland. The project is...
January 1, 2012
Current projects (Page)
An annual report on all Centre for Sustainable Cropping projects and activities is published in January for the previous calendar year (available on request).
January 1, 2012
Information for new projects (Page)
To avoid duplication of effort or potential interference between projects, we have put in place the following procedure for new projects on the CSC.
1. Discuss your project requirements with the co-ordinator (Cathy Hawes).
December 12, 2011
Publications and further reading (Research Page)
Use the following links to navigate : reports relating to the project, scientific publications, PhD thesis, other reports relating to waste water sludge and external websites
December 12, 2011
Benefits and problems of applying waste water sludge to land (Research Page)
Waste water sludge is a useful source of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter, and after further processing can be used as a liming material. However, there are limits to what can be applied. For example applications of waste water sludge...
December 12, 2011
PhD Projects (Research Page)
Competition for PhD student is now closed. Please contact Lionel Dupuy for further information.
December 12, 2011
Continuous deformable plant models (Research Page)
Currently, most plant root architectural models use computer simulations to mimic the developmental processes of root apical meristems and to construct virtual root architectures: single roots are assembled incrementally through the growth of a...
December 12, 2011
Tools (Research Page)
We are developing systems for live imaging of plant processes. We develop new substrate that facilitate observation of roots and apply a range of imaging techniques to make quantitative measurements. We have developed OPT and...
December 12, 2011
Multicellular models (Research Page)
Although plants are complex organisms, the position and shapes of cells, tissues, meristems and organs establish themselves through regular and repeated processes. The cell constitutes the elementary structural and functional unit of these...
December 12, 2011
Architectural models (Research Page)
It is essential for future models to provide predictive outputs that can be applied to agronomic, ecologic or environmental issues. In the future, models will be asked to address more diverse challenges such as; how can crops tolerate weeds? what...
December 12, 2011
Plant Soil Ecology (Research Page)
The mechanistic understanding of below-ground processes from gene to landscape scale is fundamental to our ability to deliver excellent science in managed and (semi)natural environments. It is an imperative to address agricultural sustainability...
November 11, 2011
Background to the Long Term Sludge Experiment (Research Page)
In 1994, three research Institutes along with two private companies set up a number of field experiments at nine field sites across the UK (pdf file). The sites were chosen to reflect the different soil types found in agricultural and land uses...
November 11, 2011
Contact (Page)
If you are interested in contributing to the Centre for Sustainable Cropping and would like to make use of this long-term resource, please contact Cathy Hawes in the first instance.
For more information please follow the following links for:
November 11, 2011
News (Page)
Members of the team can access agendas and actions for Centre for Sustainable Cropping meetings here (from within The James Hutton Institute) or here (if accessing from outwith the Institute).
November 11, 2011
Land capability (Research Page)
Soil is a fundamental part of land and is key in determining what activities can be undertaken and supported on different types of land; how capable is land is sustaining different farming systems, different woodland types, valued habitats, as a...
November 11, 2011
People and research groups (Page)
Agroecology
Graham Begg: Landscape scale population dynamics of plant, arthropod and mammal taxa; patterns of habitat use and dispersal between them; spatial population dynamic models. Measurements: Plant, arthropod and mammal fitness, resource...
November 11, 2011
Environmental data (Page)
Soil temperature and moisture content are influenced by soil management and affect many system processes including microbial and invertebrate activity, nutrient and water uptake by plants and plant growth. These variables are measured in each...
November 11, 2011
Farm operations (Page)
All farm operations and inputs are recorded for each crop and treatment. Economic sustainability will be assessed through calculations of gross margins based on all input costs (seed, fertiliser, crop protection, tractor time and fuel use)....
November 11, 2011
The primary goal of sustainable arable management is to produce good quality food at high yields and with high long-term yield stability. To achieve this, the environment in which the crop is grown needs to be maintained rather than degraded by...
November 11, 2011
Margin vegetation (Page)
Perennial vegetation in the field margin is a major contributor to biodiversity in arable landscapes and performs a range of important functions including provision of resources for pollinators and natural enemies that forage within arable fields...
November 11, 2011
Weeds (Page)
Within-field Weeds
Weeds are an essential component of arable biodiversity, respond rapidly to changes in management and influence many system processes including nutrient retention and cycling, pest and natural enemy population stability, and...
November 11, 2011
Datasets (Page)
The basic minimum dataset to be collected and archived from the Centre for Sustainable Cropping every year is listed below. This will form a long-term, spatially referenced dataset, collected according to standardised sampling protocols (...
November 11, 2011
Data from the published literature and existing field trials are used to select management options for inclusion in the sustainable cropping system. Each is chosen with a view to improving specific aspects of environmental and economic...
November 11, 2011
Root-soil interactions (Research Page)
This interdisciplinary research examines below ground interactions between plants and soil, focusing on root growth and the rhizosphere. Research includes root growth processes in relation to environmental stresses, nutrient and water capture by...
November 11, 2011
Improving the plant (Research Page)
Better use of water and nutrients, increased resistance to stresses and less wastage in production are major research challenges we address. A combination of genetics and agronomy provides an in-depth understanding of favourable plant traits and...
November 11, 2011
Agroecology (Research Page)
The Agroecology Group is focused on contributing to the understanding, development, and establishment of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. The Group combines excellent domain-based science with a holistic, transdisciplinary approach...
November 11, 2011
Biotechnology Facility (Research Page)
Potato and barley transformation
The Biotechnology facility at the James Hutton Institute is a technical resource helping develop and deploy stable transformation (GM) and gene editing (GE) in crop species. We work collaboratively with research...
October 10, 2011
Composting - how and what (Page)
Composting
The material that is left behind from your kitchen can be put to good use by making your own garden composter! The creatures that live in your soil (i.e. the bacteria, fungi, insects etc), consume and process the plant and animal...
October 10, 2011
Implications of copper (Cu) on estuarine ecosystem functioning (Research Page)
Many antifouling paints, applied to ships’ hulls and other marine structures, contain copper (Cu) as an active ingredient. As a result many European waterways are becoming increasingly Cu contaminated. This work is investigating the effects...
October 10, 2011
Coastal soils (Research Page)
A number of Scotland's rarer soils are found at or near the coast. Perhaps the best known are the sandy soils of the machair of the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the west Highlands. The soils are calcareous - which in itself is very rare...
October 10, 2011
Carbon stocks in salt marshes (Research Page)
Salt marsh occurs in the intertidal zone and has a number of functions including a filter for pollutants, protecting coasts from flooding and providing habitat for a number of salt tolerant species. More recently it has been recognised salt...
October 10, 2011
Carbon cycling (Research Page)
We are collaborating with staff at Oceanlab (Aberdeen University) in a number of projects, mainly involved with carbon cycling, covering both estuaries and the deep sea. This work is fundamental as deep sea sediments cover over half of the earths...
October 10, 2011
Ecosystem functioning (Research Page)
Studies are continuing into land run-off and coastal ecosystem functioning and the subsequent increased turbidity and particle loading in the water column.
To better understand the biogeochemical processes occurring in sandy intertidal...
October 10, 2011
Analytical Services (Research Page)
Our Analytical Group carries out a range of analyses on marine and estuarine sediments. We quantify analytes such as heavy/toxic metals, organotin compounds (now banned as antifouling agents on boats) and a range of persistent organic pollutants....
October 10, 2011
Ecosystem goods and services (Research Page)
This work is examining the potential for increased food production in the Ythan catchment and its likely impacts on meeting nature conservation obligations, using the ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach is a management tool to conserve our...
October 10, 2011
Sand dune survey of Scotland (Research Page)
The NCC Sand Dune Survey of Scotland which took place from 1975-1977 has since been digitised and is currently being used for two projects.
October 10, 2011
East Grampian Coastal Partnership (Research Page)
The East Grampian Coastal Partnership is a group of individuals, with representatives from local authorities, industry, conservation bodies, recreation and tourism groups, local residents and many others with an interest in the future wellbeing of...
October 10, 2011
Understanding our resources (Research Page)
To optimise the potential of Scotland’s natural assets and provide local responses to global change, we must build on existing work and continually improve our knowledge to support strategic needs and enable well informed decision making....
October 10, 2011
Climate change and coast flooding (Research Page)
Climate change has the potential to have significant impacts on our coastal communities through increased storm events and sea level rise. An evaluation tool has been developed to compare Scotland’s coastal management policies against...
October 10, 2011
Pathogen impact on bathing waters (Research Page)
Pathogens from agricultural run-off and sewage effluent are transported to beaches where they can cause non-compliance with bathing water standards. Intensification of livestock-based agriculture and climate change may exacerbate this; with...
October 10, 2011
Attitudes towards biodiversity management (Research Page)
Public attitudes towards biodiversity and its management are poorly understood, raising concerns over the effectiveness of public participation in biodiversity policy making. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with members of the public to...
October 10, 2011
Visualisation and coastal developments (Research Page)
The link between natural environments and their restoration has been the focus of much research including its importance for human wellbeing. We are carrying out a series of studies looking at community perceptions of renewable energy...
October 10, 2011
Scotland’s coastal assets (Research Page)
Scotland’s natural assets provide a wealth of goods and services which are of benefit to human wellbeing, such as food, fuel, climate regulation and recreation opportunities. To ensure a sustainable future we must balance our economic and...
October 10, 2011
Global Change - the local context (Research Page)
Our work in this area reflects the external pressures Scotland is facing and explores how we can adapt to global changes such as demographic shifts, social attitudes, global trade and climate change.
The impacts of which, are generally out with...
September 9, 2011
Next generation sequencing (Research Page)
Illumina
Short-read next generation sequencing (NGS) was adopted by the Genomics facility in 2012, with acquisition of an Illumina MiSeq which can generate up to 25 M paired-end reads of 100-300 bp. Recently, we have also installed a NextSeq...
September 9, 2011
Genotyping (Research Page)
To determine the genetic basis for the phenotypic traits of an organism, it is essential to identify the underlying genotype. Although low-throughput assays, such as Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs), continue to be used and processed at The James...
September 9, 2011
Sequencing (Research Page)
Determination of nucleotide sequences remains an integral component of fundamental genetics and genomics-based research. Small-scale Sanger sequencing has been offered as a service at the site of the James Hutton Institute for over 30 years and...
September 9, 2011
Bacterial Plant Pathogens (Research Page)
At The James Hutton Institute we are investigating diseases caused by enterobacterial plant pathogens, with a focus on the potato pathogens Pectobacterium atrosepticum (Pba- formerly Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica), and Dickeya species (...
September 9, 2011
Genomics (Research Page)
The Core Technologies group was established in 2020 and incorporates the Genomics, Imaging & Biotechnology facilities. The Genomics facility is a central scientific resource, housing state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise, which...
September 9, 2011
Computational Biology in the Effector Group (Research Page)
Computational biology in the Effector Group encompasses identification and classification of effectors themselves, and the interactions of effectors with their hosts.
September 9, 2011
Phytophthora infestans research (Research Page)
The James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee has established itself as a leader in the study of late blight by integrating research, facilities, resources and skills into a coherent team. Our internationally recognised expertise...
September 9, 2011
Aphid-plant interactions (Research Page)
Aphids are sap-feeding insects that induce extensive feeding damage, achieve high population densities and transmit economically important plant diseases worldwide. These insects cause significant economic losses in staple food and bioenergy...
September 9, 2011
September 9, 2011
Potato Cyst Nematodes (Research Page)
The potato cyst nematodes (PCN) – Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis cause damage valued at over £50 million in the UK each year. They are present in two thirds of potato growing fields in the UK and the withdrawal of effective...
September 9, 2011
Platforms, resources and approaches (Research Page)
Solanaceous model host and effector-target bioassays
Nicotiana benthamiana is the Solanaceous model plant used to study effector functions and to investigate the roles effector targets play in the plant immune system. Read more on host plants...
September 9, 2011
The Consortium (Research Page)
The consortium is composed of groups studying the roles and recognition of effectors in the following pathosystems:
September 9, 2011
Science Departments (Research Page)
Our research is conducted in the following Science Departments.
September 9, 2011
A joint meeting between the BSSS Scottish Soils Discussion Group and the Scottish Root Group will be held at SAC (Edinburgh) on 2 November 2011. It has been organised to forum for review, discussion and learning about recent developments in root...
July 7, 2011
Now make your own wormery (Page)
Take a look and see how you too can make your own mini composter and make a little difference in saving resources. This activity is in accordance with RGC’s school eco-code, “Don’t throw your world away”.
Watch the video...
May 5, 2011
Design and Crops (Page)
The Centre for Sustainable Cropping comprises a 42 hectare block of six fields in the south-east of Balruddery Farm. The effects of sustainable (S) versus conventional (C) cropping systems are tested using a split-field design over multiple six...
May 5, 2011
The Centre for Sustainable Cropping: a long-term platform for research on arable sustainability (Page)
For all enquiries and for access to fields, data or archived material, please contact Dr Cathy Hawes
The Centre for Sustainable Cropping is an experimental research platform at Balruddery Farm near Dundee, Scotland. The farm platform...
March 3, 2011
Balruddery Research Farm (Page)
Balruddery Research Farm is an 170 ha arable farm located seven miles west of Dundee and between 70 and 124m above sea level on the lower slopes of the Sidlaw Hills. There are 23 fields varying in size from 2.0 ha to 11 ha. The soil is a sandy...
March 3, 2011
VLT Development Theatre (Page)
A development and demonstration virtual reality theatre has been constructed to compliment the mobile Virtual Landscape Theatre. The dimensions and capabilities of the development theatre are the same as the VLT enabling the preparation and...
March 3, 2011
At Glensaugh we have started calving our suckler cows. The latest bovine celebrity is L5 who calved a pair of Charolais twins. Multiple births in hill cows are regarded as a disaster because the demands of two calves (who incidentally are doing...
March 3, 2011
Virtual Landscape Theatre (Page)
What is it?
The Virtual Landscape Theatre (VLT) is a mobile curved screen projection facility, in which people can be 'immersed' in computer models of their environment to explore landscapes of the past, present and future. It is used...
March 3, 2011
LEAF-related research (Page)
Research priorities
Scientific research at the Institute covers a wide range of scales and disciplines from landscape processes to gene functioning. As a LEAF Innovation Centre, our priorities are:
March 3, 2011
Plant Bioinformatics Group (Research Partners)
This website hosts a range of databases developed by scientists at the Institute including the Arabidopsis Nucleolar Protein Database, Barley and Potato SSRs, Germinate, Wheat InSitu Database, Protein Localisation Database, Barley SNP Database,...
March 3, 2011
LEAF Linking Environment and Farming promotes environmentally responsible farming. LEAF brings together thousands of individuals and organisations to deliver a shared vision for the future of farming and food.
March 3, 2011
Kerry Waylen (Member of Staff)
Kerry Waylen is a senior researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department at the James Hutton Institute. She builds understanding of how to achieve more 'joined up' approaches to natural resource...
March 3, 2011
Agroforestry at Glensaugh (Page)
Agroforestry is a system of land management which combines livestock farming and forestry: trees are grown for timber on the same land as that used for animal production. The growing of trees on farms diversifies and sustains production leading...
February 2, 2011
Publications (Page)
For the James Hutton Institute's legal framework, annual reviews, financial statements and other documents, please see Documents.
Consultation responses
Read consultation responses submitted on behalf of the James Hutton Institute.
February 2, 2011
Research partners (Page)
Find details of some of our research partners and commercial affiliates.
January 1, 2011
Research (Page)
Science connecting land and people
Across the globe nations are facing growing demands to provide food, energy and water from finite land and natural resources. These challenges are complex, interconnected and ever-changing. Encompassing a...
