The death has been announced of Professor John Hillman, one of the UK's top scientists and former Director and Chief Executive of the Dundee-based Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI), a forerunner of the James Hutton Institute.

Recognition of the North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership’s (NESBiP) 2020 Biodiversity Champion Awards has this year gone virtual. The awards acknowledge the efforts of local individuals and projects that have had positive impacts in the community.The Champions include farmer Dan Gordon and his “alien eating” sheep, Banchory Golf Club manager Richard Mullen welcoming wild bees to his bunkers and Matthew Agnew of the Bin Rangers Club.

The James Hutton Institute has announced three non-executive appointments, bringing business leader Samantha Barber, former MEP and MSP Aileen McLeod and agricultural expert Ken Greetham to its Board of Directors.

Samantha Barber specialises in environmental, social and governance leadership, focussing on corporate strategy, sustainability, non-financial risk, governance, culture, and people. She has been a non-executive director with global energy company Iberdrola since 2008 and joined the Board of Scottish Water in 2017.

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 collaboration of 20 partners from eight countries, launches today and will explore the most promising berry genetic resources to address these challenges.

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 their size and largely nocturnal behaviour. However, utilising an innovative camera trapping technique a study, including scientists from the James Hutton Institute, has captured valuable data on these small creatures.

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 with enhanced resilience to pests, disease or extreme weather.

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 Institute.

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.

Mylnefield Lipid Analysis, the James Hutton Institute’s specialist lipid analysis laboratory, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2020, a major milestone for the Invergowrie-based team.

Mylnefield Lipid Analysis was founded in 1995 by legends of lipid analysis Professor Frank Gunstone and Dr Bill Christie MBE at the Scottish Crop Research Institute, one of the forerunners of the James Hutton Institute.

River corridors exemplify places in busy farmed landscapes where researchers and land managers can use environmental measures for multiple benefits. These areas often fringe the main working points of the farm but are important interface zones between land and water.