Advanced Plant Growth Centre

World-leading plant science delivering innovative solutions for food and environmental sustainability.

The Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) is a project championed by The James Hutton Institute alongside industry and academic partners. As part of the Tay Cities Region Deal funding, the APGC received an overall investment package of £27 million to develop two Institute-led innovation centre projects.

It aims to harness the entrepreneurial spirit within the agriculture, food and drink sectors and enhance their collective capability and innovation. Our world leading plant and data science sits at the heart of agricultural, pharmaceutical and commercial developments, supported and enhanced by technological and digital innovation.

APGC website

Facilities

Hutton Molecular Phenotyping Centre
Our researchers will use the phenotyping equipment to understand how different environmental conditions affect plants at the molecular level.
High-throughput phenotyping platform
Our high-throughput non-destructive imaging platform is a fully-automated system that can grow crops in controlled environments then characterise them.
Vertical growth tower
Indoor vertical ecosystem that allow plants and crops to be produced at very high densities in totally controlled environments.
Post-harvest storage facility
Allows crops to be developed with improved storage and supply chain characteristics as well as being resilient in the field.
Advanced controlled environments
Our next-generation controlled-environment facilities include growth cabinets, growth rooms, a speed breeding facility, polytunnels and glasshouses.

The potential of the APGC is huge:

$23 bn expected worth of the global hub for precision and controlled environment agriculture by 2025.
£900 m what the APGC will deliver in net benefit globally in the next 30 years.
800 FTE jobs to the UK over the next 30 years
£160 m net benefit to Scotland.

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