Hutton Highlights, June 2019

Arable Scotland: a brand-new arable event for Scotland Hutton has joined forces with AHDB and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to launch a brand-new field-based arable event for Scotland: Arable Scotland, which will take place at the Institute’s Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie on 2 July. The event will bring together the key players in food production, from farmers to distillers and exporters, to demonstrate and discuss key industry issues such innovative and sustainable farming. While all Scottish arable crops will feature, the inaugural event will focus particularly on spring barley for its markets. Future Arable Scotland editions will major on other crops and alternative markets, and will track new innovations over several years. On average over 250,000 hectares of Scotland’s arable land is devoted to the production of spring barley, much of which will be used as a base for malt whisky, while a significant chunk will be used as animal feed. Growing spring barley for whisky isn’t always easy, but it does pay off, with farmers paid a premium for a high-quality crop. Although barley is a mainstay in Scottish arable rotations, it needs to be profitable and sustainable, something very much a focus of the event. Visitors to Arable Scotland will be taken on a whistle-stop tour of a core set of innovation- focused field plots, as well as having the chance to visit a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibitors, field-based demonstrations and trials and tours of the Centre for Sustainable Cropping Platform. Professor Adrian Newton, senior cereal pathologist at the James Hutton Institute, says the aim is to create a really exciting new event which will pull together the entire arable industry allowing them to learn from one another. “Collaboration really will become even more vital in the future” he maintains, ”for organisations like ourselves, but also for farmers, processors, researchers; the entire supply chain. We need to ensure that we are growing the right varieties for the right markets, that we are protected from the most damaging diseases, and that we are producing high-quality, efficient, resilient crops while minimising our environmental impact. “Events like Arable Scotland give us the chance to get the entire industry together, to discuss what we need to do to thrive, and to really make a difference to the Scottish arable sector.” The event will host a number of ‘Arable Conversations’ focusing on new entrants, sustainable agriculture, future crop production and grain markets. These sessions will see industry experts introducing the issues involved before inviting the audience to participate in an open discussion. AHDB’s knowledge exchange manager Claire Hodge sees the ‘conversations’ as something of a call to action: “With the Arable Conversations we were keen to avoid simply informing people about a subject we felt was important. Instead we want to encourage them to share their experiences so we can jointly guide industry forward. That’s what these sessions are all about. “However, we know not everyone is comfortable speaking out at these types of open sessions so they will also be able to text questions or comments which can then be shared with the group.” This year’s demonstration plots are focused on four key areas or ‘zones’ in the field – innovative breeding, quality crops for defined markets, innovative crop management and sustainable farming systems. As well as featuring on regular tours throughout the day, visitors will also be able to speak directly to the companies and researchers who have set up the demos. The event will feature an incredible range of crops and management techniques including intercropping, crop protection, innovative varieties, technological solutions and novel crops. It will showcase to growers potential new avenues they could explore to help make them more productive, profitable and sustainable in future. More info here a nd register (free!) here . Some dates for your diary Date Event Location Who should come and why? 20 - 23 June 2019 Royal Highland Show Ingliston Show Ground, nr Edinburgh Policy makers, farming community, general public - showcase of Hutton’s contribution to research and development and how this contributes to the success of Scottish farming, food and drink and our land-based industries 2 July 2019 Arable Scotland James Hutton Institute, Balruddery Farm, Dundee A new, high profile event for the Scottish arable industry – producers, primary & secondary processors, representative bodies 25 July 2019 Fruit for the Future James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie One of the Institute’s longest-running events – aimed at farmers, agronomists, food and drink representatives and others in the soft fruit industry 8 August 2019 Potatoes in Practice James Hutton Institute, Balruddery Farm, Angus The UK’s biggest field-based event for the potato industry – aimed at farmers, agronomists, breeders and others in the potato industry 2 October 2019 42nd TB Macaulay Lecture Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Political/policy/academics/stakeholders/general public – the lecture is designed to stimulate thinking and dialogue about contemporary environmental issues. The lectures are designed to inform a professional audience and each year we host a world renowned speaker from across the globe and this year we are delighted to welcome Professor Dieter Helm CBE 7 November 2019 Hutton Research Symposium West Park Conference Centre, Dundee Staff, students, Board members get a chance to hear from selected colleagues about their work, with the aim of sparking more internal collaborations and joined up working within the Institute 19-20 November 2019 Food Matters Live – Reception and Speakers in programme London, ExCeL Centre Food industry and general public – public exhibition in London ExCeL bringing together hundreds of exhibitors and speakers to visitors interested in the global food and drink industry. Unique event dedicated to creating cross-sector connections focusing on the future of food, drink and sustainable nutrition 11-13 May 2020 Pint of Science 2020 Locations across the Uk tba Join us in the pub to hear from some of our researchers about what they’re working on and why 18 Hutton Highlights June 2019 19 Comments?