Plotting the future: A cereal walk

Often known as the last crop before the desert, it is now cultivated from the Arctic Circle to the equatorial highlands and to southerly latitude, so it has adapted to a wide range of environments.  Hutton scientists use this adaptive variation to develop novel varieties to tackle the challenges faced by the barley industry today.

Senior Postdoctoral Scientist, Dr Joanne Russell, said, “The IBH is a world-leading centre for barley research and is committed to advancing agricultural science that supports the entire industry, from breeders and growers to the Scottish whisky industry that is so vital for our economy.

“Our cutting-edge science is leading to new barley varieties that will potentially play a huge role in global food security. 

“We are very much looking forward to sharing our work on this crop walk.  Many of the trials our visitors will see are student projects which are sponsored by industry and cover a wide range of topics from agronomic and management practices to remote sensing, malting quality and breeding.”

There will be three one-hour tours, during which visitors can find out how scientists are exploring the possibility of retrieving valuable genetic biodiversity from wild barley species and re-introducing ‘lost’ genetic biodiversity into the barley breeding gene pool to future-proof this important crop.  Their aim is to increase resilience to the changing climate and reduce barley’s carbon footprint while maintaining productivity and quality.

“We are very much looking forward to sharing our work on this crop walk.  Many of the trials our visitors will see are student projects which are sponsored by industry and cover a wide range of topics from agronomic and management practices to remote sensing, malting quality and breeding.”

Dr Joanne Russell, The James Hutton Institute