A new facility at the James Hutton Institute promises to futureproof crop production and enhance food security for the UK and beyond.
Opened by the UK secretary of state for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, and first minister of Scotland, John Swinney MSP, the Crop Innovation Centre (CIC) is home to the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and the International Barley Hub, which were created in partnership with the University of Dundee Plants Sciences Division.
According to Professor Colin Campbell, chief executive of the James Hutton Institute, the investment offers a unique combination of world-leading science and state-of-the-art facilities for field, farm and lab.
“We received funding for the CIC in 2020, but the project is underpinned by decades of research at The James Hutton Institute along with partners.
“It cements the reputation of Scotland and the UK as global leaders in research and innovation, and it was a pleasure to welcome the first minister and UK secretary of state to Scotland to officially name the facility. We’re grateful for all of the support we’ve received to make this ambition a reality,” he says.
International Barley Hub
Barley is the predominant crop grown in Scotland partly due to its key role in the world-renowned Scottish whisky industry – which accounts for 75% of the country’s food and drinks exports. However, given climate change and other environmental challenges, coupled with increasing demand for the crop, research into genetics and breeding is important to safeguard production and ensure a sustainable future, notes Colin.
As such, the International Barley Hub will promote scientific discovery and innovation to tackle these issues by piloting new breeding technologies such as precision phenotyping and crop management using data from sensors and drones.
Advanced Plant Growth Centre
Then, the Advanced Plant Growth Centre seeks to address global food, non-food and pharmaceutical crops.
The unit consists of five facilities: a molecular phenotyping centre (to study the characteristics of crops at a molecular level, such as their DNA, proteins and taste and aroma molecules); a high throughput phenotyping platform (which allows the collection and analysis of data in large quantities); a vertical growth tower; a post-harvest storage facility; and next-generation controlled environments with the ability to replicate current, and predicted future, global crop production conditions.
The centre aims to revolutionise crop production systems to local produce food with less environmental impact by utilising facilities such as indoor vertical farms.
Ian Murray MP says: “It was a real pleasure to open the James Hutton Institute’s new Crop Innovation Centre. Home to the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and the International Barley Hub, the UK Government is investing £45M in the centre through the Tay Cities Region Deal.
“These projects demonstrate Scotland’s cutting-edge research and innovation in practice,” he adds.
