Skip to navigation Skip to content

Chinese and Scottish potato researchers establish collaborative links

Hutton-HAAS MoU signing (c) James Hutton Institute
“Our intention is to establish formal collaborative links to bring together different aspects of the research at each institution on these pests and pathogens of potato.

Chinese and Scottish researchers are to work together and explore joint solutions to potato pests and diseases that cause major losses to farmers and industry across the world.

Last week, the James Hutton Institute and the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HAAS), based in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, signed a memorandum of understanding to establish collaboration links and bring together different aspects of the research at each institution.

HAAS is the main Chinese government-funded centre for agricultural research in the province of Heilongjiang, which is the most productive agricultural province in China. HAAS addresses research covering many major crops in the province.

The agreement was signed by Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, and Yang Bo, vice president of HAAS. Mr Yang was joined by Dr Dianqui Lu, director of the Virus-Free Seed Research Institute (VSRI) within HAAS, and Dr Xiaodan Wang, who heads international collaboration at VSRI-HAAS.

Professor Campbell said: “Potato is a major crop in Heilongjiang, and seed production is a major research focus. Along with that is a heavy focus on potato pathogens, specifically late blight, viruses, aphids, bacteria and skin blemish diseases, all of which are key strands of research at the James Hutton Institute.

“Our intention is to establish formal collaborative links to bring together different aspects of the research at each institution on these pests and pathogens of potato. It is likely that, along with more fundamental science, areas of research associated with diagnostics, epidemiology and integrated pest and disease management are linked.

“The agreement provides a framework for these linkages to be formed and for collaborative funding to be sought.”

Press and media enquiries: 

Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or +44 (0)7791 193918 (mobile).


Printed from /news/chinese-and-scottish-potato-researchers-establish-collaborative-links on 29/03/24 12:01:20 PM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.