Hutton Highlights, February 2021

Do you get your recommended 400 grams or more of fruit and veg each day? As sources of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytochemicals, this is what the FAO and WHO say adults need to prevent chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and to counter micronutrient deficiencies. To bring public attention to the key role of fruit and vegetables in human nutrition, food security and health, 2021 has been designated the United Nations’ International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. Research here at the Institute research makes direct contributions to knowledge, agricultural practice and government policies in many areas connected to this latest ‘International Year’ including developing resilient, productive fruit and vegetable varieties. Products developed here and at our forebears include popular raspberry and potato varieties, brassicas that dominate the UK market, and fifty per cent of the world’s blackcurrant crop. Investment in the Advanced Plant Growth Centre research facility, at the very forefront of emerging plant science technology, aims to see Scotland become a leading hub for the development of indoor and vertical farming, and the aim is for Tayside to become central to ensuring consistent, high-quality produce year-round across the globe. Mayan Gold and Vales Sovereign potatoes developed by the James Hutton Institute and grown on Hutton research farms as part of a long-term trial of sustainable cultivation methods were donated to food banks across Tayside in early December. During the first COVID19 lockdown, conversations with local politicians and food banks identified an opportunity to supply the potatoes as an ideal source of a highly nutritious staple, in the hope also of encouraging other growers to donate fresh produce to those in need. The shipments went to Dundee’s Food Insecurity Network covering 25 groups across the city, and to other distribution hubs across the region. Soil and crop specialists from the Institute have been working with various local food initiatives advising on how to grow soft fruit and vegetables and our social scientists are also involved in engaging communities to tackle food insecurity. In its Destitution in the UK 2020  report, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimated that the number of households across the UK that have experienced destitution – including a lack of food - during the year increased by 35% between 2017 and 2019. At the same time, it’s also estimated that around 88 million tonnes of food - 20% of what’s produced - are wasted each year across Europe, and avoiding food waste has been identified as a significant way in which industry and consumers can help protect our climate. “Despite all the disruptions due to COVID19 we had a good harvest of Mayan Gold and Vales Sovereign potatoes this year, and we saw this as an opportunity to do something positive and help communities across Tayside,” explains Euan Caldwell, the Institute’s head of Farm, Field and Glasshouses. Mayan Gold has yellow tubers and golden flesh, with a long, oval shape, high dry matter and a superb flavour. The colour is due to pigments which help stop it going off and its short cooking time means they are energy saving too. The variety is also being trialled in Kenya where charcoal for cooking is scarce and having a delicious variety that cooks in half the usual time is a distinct benefit. News Highlights 4 Hutton Highlights Potatoes and expertise donated to local food projects February 2021 5 Comments? Mylnefield Lipid Analysis celebrate 25th anniversary Mylnefield Lipid Analysis, the Institute’s specialist lipid analysis laboratory, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020. The firm was founded 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. Together they led the lab and forged a worldwide reputation for excellence in lipids which continues to this day, with clients sending samples to the laboratory from all over the world.  Claire Traynor, now Head of Mylnefield Lipid Analysis, was recruited as the laboratory’s first analyst just as the firm moved to its current premises on Hutton’s Invergowrie site.   Mylnefield has expanded and become a leading international laboratory for the specialist analysis of oils and fats, with an outstanding reputation for high quality and reliability and full ISO9001:2015 accreditation. It regularly participates in international programmes to ensure the quality of its measuring methods. In 2016/2017 the firm took first place in the GOED Nutraceuticals Series of the American Oil Chemist Society Laboratory Proficiency Program; the worlds’ most extensive and respected proficiency testing programme for oil and fat related commodities. It is one of the few labs in the world approved by both the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Good Manufacturing Practices in the analysis of oils and fats and has undergone a successful Good Clinical Practice inspection by the MHRA. The laboratory’s annual course in fatty acid and lipid analysis attracts delegates from all over the world. Looking to the future, Claire says it is essential to keep evolving, stay up to date with technology and to identify customer needs; developing the appropriate methods to address them: “We want to ensure that Mylnefield Lipid Analysis becomes a one-stop-shop for all our customers.” To find out more about the history of Mylnefield Lipid Analysis and their perspectives for the future, watch   this series of videos specially produced to mark the 25th anniversary or visit the MLA website . Online celebration for North East Biodiversity Champions North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership’s (NESBiP) 2020 Biodiversity Champion Awards has this year gone virtual. The awards acknowledge individuals and projects that have had positive impacts in the community. 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 celebration of the 2020 Champions and their achievements now feature in an online video , complete with introduction from Scottish Government Minister, Mairi Gougeon MSP, who praised the “shining examples of how local action can help wildlife and promote biodiversity, never more important than now, as we face the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss”. NESBiP Chair, Roger Owen note that the pandemic had demonstrated just how important access to “greenspace” is to our physical and mental wellbeing. “The natural world is not just an optional extra - it is a basic human necessity. Climate change and biodiversity loss are not just for others to sort out, we all have to play our part in making things better,” he said. The Institute hosts the Partnership at its Craigiebuckler site. Complete details of the Award Winners,along with both videos, can be found on the NESBiP Website News Section .