How Scottish farmers and crofters are changing food systems with agroecology The work, funded by SEFARI Gateway, and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), and in collaboration with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) and Soil Association Scotland (SAS), was conducted by Dr Luz-Maria Lozada, a social scientist, and Dr Alison Karley, an agroecologist, both based at the James Hutton Institute. They carried out an online survey of 192 respondents and ten one-to-one interviews to understand whether farming practices, classed as agroecological, are commonly adopted in Scotland and whether they provide benefits for the environment, farm productivity, and ability to cope with external stresses such as climate change. Agroecology embraces multiple alternative farming approaches and practices, including regenerative, organic, permaculture, and Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF). The research showed that many respondents farmed using an approach that could be classed as agroecological. “Our analysis shows many Scottish farmers and crofters are innovating in the way they farm and produce food, motivated by the desire to improve soil health and biodiversity, and reduce inputs”, explains Dr Lozada. “They also see wider social benefits from creating closer links between their farms, local communities, and the consumers of their farm products.” Dr Karley added: “Agroecological farming approaches are knowledge intensive, and we need to think creatively about mechanisms to support the transition, whether through advice, training, incentives, or other means.” The research highlights how Scottish agriculture can lead the way in food system transformation to create socially and ecologically sustainable systems that are also economically viable. Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, welcomed the report: “This research shows that farmers, crofters, land managers and growers across Scotland can be a force for change, adapting to new practices to develop resilient and diverse businesses fit for the future. “Our Farming for Change evidence shows agroecology works - now it’s time for government to show support for finance, knowledge and skills that meet the needs of these innovators and address the triple challenge of the nature, health and climate crises.” Prof Lorna Dawson, SEFARI Gateway and James Hutton Institute, added: “The outcomes of this interdisciplinary collaborative work are already informing a wide range of stakeholders, such as the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Food, where the role of agroecology is being recognised for many benefits such as in creating alternative food production systems, supporting rural livelihoods and promoting healthy diets while adapting to and mitigating climate change.” The full research report can be found on the SEFARI website, along with recommendations for supporting broader uptake of farming approaches using agroecology principles. New research by James Hutton Institute scientists and partner organisations explores the use of sustainable farming practices in Scotland and how these support long-term land productivity and resilience amongst agricultural businesses. 10 Hutton Highlights An international research team featuring the James Hutton Institute has shed further light on the evolution and biology of potato as a genetically complex global food crop. Most commercially grown potato varieties are tetraploids, which means they possess four sets of chromosomes. Potato varieties that are diploid – with just two sets of chromosomes – are less complex to breed and have the potential to revolutionise future potato breeding and production. The team, led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, explored the genome evolution and diversity of 24 wild and 20 cultivated diploid potato varieties, and created a map of significant genetic traits that may help breeders accelerate the development of new varieties. Dr Glenn Bryan, a potato geneticist with the Institute’s Cell and Molecular Sciences group and a co-author of the study, said: “This work really gives a ‘pan genome’ view across a diverse set of diploid potatoes that span the domestication timeline of this important global food crop. “This work will be a fantastic source of information for potato geneticists and breeders and will provide a very rich source of data that will facilitate diploid hybrid breeding.” The study, entitled Genome evolution and diversity of wild and cultivated potatoes, is in the latest issue of Nature. Paper: Tang, D., Jia, Y., Zhang, J. et al. Genome evolution and diversity of wild and cultivated potatoes. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04822-x. Researchers explore genome of wild and cultivated potatoes The thin layer of soil surrounding plant roots, an interface that scientists define as the rhizosphere, is a habitat for a multitude of microorganisms collectively referred to as the rhizosphere microbiota. In analogy with the microbiota populating the digestive tract of vertebrates, the rhizosphere microbiota can promote the health, development and growth of their host plants. Thus, the rhizosphere microbiota emerges as a renewable alternative to synthetic agrochemicals. Akin to an orchestra conductor, the host plant can shape the composition of the rhizosphere microbiota. This capacity is mediated by specific genes in the plant genome which could be then used to re-wire plant-microbiota interactions for the benefit of humankind. Researchers at the University of Dundee’s School of Life Sciences and the James Hutton Institute, with the contribution of colleagues in the UK, Italy and Germany, recently identified genes shaping the rhizosphere microbiota in the staple crop barley. “The complexity of our work is in the numbers: the barley genome has tens of thousands of genes and each one of them could potentially shape the rhizosphere microbiota. Because of this, a breakthrough in our investigation came when, by deploying an innovative genetic approach, we ‘narrowed down’ a specific region of the barley genome, which we designated as locus QRMC-3HS”, commented co-first author Dr Carmen Escudero-Martinez. However, the locus encompassed over 50 genes: still too many to work with. “To overcome this obstacle, we made an educated guess. Since microbes we are interested in proliferates belowground, genes expressed in roots may represent the first port of call for the establishment of these interactions”, continued co-first author Dr Max Coulter. By looking at differences in genes expressed in barley roots, scientists ultimately ‘sieved’ the complexity of the barley genome and discovered three promising genes to be prioritised for further investigations. Paper: Escudero-Martinez, C., Coulter, M., Alegria Terrazas, R. et al. Identifying plant genes shaping microbiota composition in the barley rhizosphere. Nat Commun 13, 3443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31022-y. Finding a needle in a haystack: exploring the rhizosphere microbiota in barley December 2022 11 Comments?
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