Adrian Newton is a cereal pathologist by training but his current research spans broader aspects of arable crops in the context of integrated crop management. His first degree was in Agricultural Botany from the University of Reading, followed by a PhD in Genetics from the University of Birmingham. His PhD and subsequent post-doc work at Birmingham were on the population biology of Puccinia striiformis (yellow rust) and Phaeosphaeria nodorum (Stagonospora nodorum formerly Septoria nodorum; glume blotch) on wheat and barley. Moving to the former Scottish Crop Research Institute he focussed on Blumeria graminis (formerly Erysiphe graminis; powdery mildew) and Rhynchosporium commune (formerly Rhynchosporium secalis; rhynchosporium or scald) on barley. This work continued his interest in pathogen population biology but focussed more on disease control through resistance, tolerance, exploitation of in-crop diversity and the development of resistance elicitors as crop protectants. Other interests included adaptation to climate change in plant pathology.
Adrian’s research interests in cereal pathogens continue, including Ramularia collo-cygni (Ramularia Leaf Spot). The crop diversity interest has taken more of an ecological focus working with Hutton colleagues and others, and has encompassed intercropping, especially cereal-legume combinations for both biomass (wholecrop) and grain. His IPM interests in general have included soil cultivation, particularly the effects of non-inversion versus inversion tillage. The particular approach of direct drilling or conservation tillage and it’s farming systems context are another current area of interest and exciting developments.
Some links to previous areas of work: Epidemiology, crop protection and resistance deployment [1]; Resistance elicitors [2]; Analysing epidemic spatial trends and local competition effects in heterogeneous vegetation [3] and cultivar mixtures in general [4].
Adrian is a key staff member leading Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM) research at the Institute. For details of ongoing IPM research areas and projects, please visit the IPM@hutton [5] website.
He is also honoured to be a Visiting Professor of Cereal Pathology at SRUC, Edinburgh; an editor for Plant Pathology; a Member of the Association for Crop Protection in Northern Britain Standing Committee and Programme Committee and its Treasurer; a Member of HGCA Barley, Oats and Other cereals Recommended List Committee; a Member of Scottish Variety Consultative Committee (Cereals); a Member of the International Committee for the International Workshop on Barley Leaf Diseases; a Member of the Scottish Society for Crop Research - Combinable and Energy Crops Committee; and an Associate of the Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience.
Current research grants activities
Links:
[1] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/cell-and-molecular-sciences/rhynchosporium-barley/epidemiology
[2] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/cell-and-molecular-sciences/rhynchosporium-barley/epidemiology/resistance-elicitors
[3] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/cell-and-molecular-sciences/rhynchosporium-barley/epidemiology/variety-mixtures
[4] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/cell-and-molecular-sciences/rhynchosporium-barley/epidemiology/mixtures
[5] http://ipm.hutton.ac.uk/