Researchers based at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen have contributed to a study which has found that pollutants cause ‘worrying’ changes in sheep livers.

Most of us need to get more fibre into our diets, we now hear, but we’re also told that it’s quite hard to do that. Happily, our scientists have been working on ways to help get past that difficulty, through several strands of research with industry on plant-derived dietary fibre.

Potato tuber skin and flesh colours are attractive traits for consumers and frequently influence purchase choices. In a new study, scientists of the James Hutton Institute have identified a genetic molecule that regulates the production of anthocyanin, a natural pigment which in turn influences tuber skin and flesh colour. 

The researchers also identified previously unknown inhibitors of anthocyanin production, offering an opportunity for potato breeders to target these genes in new breeding programmes to establish new colour combinations.

Attendance at Fruit for the Future 2019 is free but visitors are encouraged to pre-register by filling in the form below. This will help to speed things up on arrival at Event Registration and you'll be entered into the free prize draw. Fields marked * are mandatory.

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Even if it has been dark for months, Rudolph always knows when it is Christmas Eve.

In a new paper published in Scientific Reports, an international collaboration of scientists from the James Hutton Institute, the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research has shown that even in 24 hours of light or darkness, Svalbard reindeer maintain a 24-hour clock.

Warmer winters may not provide sufficient chilling for blackcurrants in the UK, delaying the start of the growing season and resulting in reduced yields and lower fruit quality, researchers have found.

Like many fruit crops and woody plants, blackcurrants require a period of chilling before they start to grow in spring. This reduces the risk of frost damage to new buds and ensures that buds burst rapidly in the spring and flower together, when pollinators are abundant.

The James Hutton Institute's commercial subsidiary, James Hutton Limited, has entered into a five-year agreement with Technico Agri Sciences, a subsidiary of Indian company ITC Limited, for the provision of 16 potato varieties and 600 clones to be trialled and tested in India. 

It is hoped that the introduction of new potato varieties will benefit India's potato growers and industry by addressing the demand of processors and exporters and improving yields, thereby enhancing farmgate prices and farmer incomes.

NASA’s InSight lander has been headline news in recent weeks, as it continues to send back clear images of the rocky and unforgiving surface of Mars. However, the previous exploration robot sent to roam the red planet, the Curiosity rover, has been beaming back invaluable data for years, giving scientists a glimpse into the Martian landscape. Unlikely as it may seem, analysis by scientists at the James Hutton Institute has found that some soils on Mars are very similar to those found in Scotland.

Please complete the field plot treatment form, along with an exhibitor booking form to request a field plot exhibitor space at Potatoes in Practice 2019. Fields marked * are mandatory. Hold the CTRL key to select multiple options from the drop-down lists. A separate field treatment form must be completed for each plot requested.

Deadline for submission of field plot bookings is 28 February 2019.