Hutton Highlights, September 2018

Contents 04 News Highlights 06 Awards, Accolades & Appointments 08 Scotland’s first vertical indoor farm unveiled 10 Scotland’s warming rivers 12 Spotlight on Hutton women in science 14 Improving malting barley quality 16 New research to support sustainable farm businesses in Europe 18 UK-China seed potato deal welcomed 19 Farmers invited to intercrops Field Lab 08 05 15 16 2 Hutton Highlights September 2018 3 The James Hutton Institute magazine team Gillian Stirton, Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Adam Walker, Sarah Horne editor@hutton.ac.uk The James Hutton Institute is a well-respected and globally recognised research organisation delivering fundamental and applied science to drive the sustainable use of land and natural resources. @JamesHuttonInst /JamesHuttonInstitute /JamesHuttonInstitute A good summer for science. . . Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of The James Hutton Institute and SEFARI Chair. The summer’s weather was great for the holiday season but caused problems for growers and the natural environment with heat waves, water shortages and wildfires. This brought many issues to the fore including climate change, the resilience of our food and feed systems, including the need for heat-resistant crops, and interest in climate-independent growing such as indoor vertical farming. This was reflected in media interest in the Hutton’s work and - coupled with continuing geopolitical uncertainty and the need to discuss how policy can enable the changes we need - we had numerous politicians visiting and attending our public events. This included visits to Invergowrie to see tech company IGS Ltd, whose controlled-environment vertical farm demonstrates that the technology to grow plants economically indoors is now here. The research requirements and opportunities for this new approach are large, numerous and exciting. Our excellence and impact in science were recognised in June with Hutton being granted Independent Research Organisation status by the BBSRC. This gives us immediate and direct access to all the UKRI research councils. I would like to thank all those involved in this successful application as this has major significance for our future and is critical to our distinctive way of working from basic science to real-world outcomes. The stories in this issue outline some of what we have been up to and, as always, we are keen to hear what you think so do get in touch if they provoke or interest you. Comments? With funding for the Gateway having been secured until 2021, SEFARI Strategic Research Programme Advisor Dr Charles Bestwick took over in September as Interim Director. Following the conclusion of his secondment during which he set up and drove forward the SEFARI concept and SEFARI Gateway, outgoing director Graeme Cook has returned to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. SEFARI activity New 3-year funding agreed for KE Gateway The SEFARI Gateway is the knowledge exchange and impact hub for SEFARI; set up as a means to coordinate and develop knowledge exchange and engagement across the research institutes delivering the SG funded portfolio. The new funding period will see an evolution of existing work combined with new developments. A key focus in the Gateway will be to strengthen and extend knowledge exchange links with and across the wider Scottish Government portfolio. This will see an expansion of funded programmes such as Responsive Opportunity, Think Tanks and Fellowships, and new flexibility to inter-link these to enhance impact in areas of stakeholder need. The aim is to provide a unique capability to enhance the delivery to stakeholders of multi/ inter-disciplinary expertise under the Gateway’s “leading ideas” concept.