The Centre for Sustainable Cropping: A long-term platform for research and innovation

You may be wondering what we can do to help? Well, at the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC) near Dundee, we’re aiming to develop a cropping system that can produce high quality food, whilst still maintaining a healthy environment. This means using what we understand about ecology to work with the environment to improve the health and physical structure of the soil, minimise the losses of nutrients and chemicals from cultivated fields, and support a rich variety of farmland wildlife.

Representing SEFARI at UK Parliament

Leaving the European Union could have major repercussions on a wide range of environmental and land use concerns within Scotland, and across the whole of the UK. Whilst some of these issues may seem complex, it is increasingly recognised that SEFARI contains a wealth of expertise which can contribute to such discussions. Of course our place is not to delve into the politics, but to use our research and expertise to provide an evidence-led platform for discussion.

Knowledge exchange, medicated grit and Scottish grouse moors

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, has commissioned the Werritty Committee (Grouse Moor Management Group) to examine areas of concern in moorland and grouse management (specifically peatland restoration, muirburn and the use of medicated grit) and to inform on the advantages of licensing these moors. This report is due to be published imminently, having gathered evidence from all relevant sectors involved in upland land management.

Scotland’s harmful acidic soils - Can liming improve cropping sustainability?

The Soil Survey of Scotland shows that large areas of Scotland have acidic soils. Soils with a pH less than 5.6 inhibit root growth, which can reduce crop yields. Liming, the addition of calcium and magnesium-rich materials that alkalinise the soil, is a valuable practice to manage soil acidity. Indeed, liming has implications for both the environment and agricultural production. To understand the consequences of liming better, we have studied historic data on crop yield responses to liming.

Dr Fiona Kenyon

Fiona is a researcher at the Moredun Research Institute, who specialises in how differenct anthelmintic treatment strategies affect the development of anthelmintic resistance, and has been working on developing targeted treatment (optimised whole-flock treatments) and targeted selected treatment (treating only those individucals within a flock that will gain a benefit) strategies in sheep.

Fiona Kenyon

Moredun
Pentland Science Park
Bush Loan
Penicuik
Midlothian
EH26 0PZ

Climate Change - Discussing Extreme Scenarios

Climate change and the impact it will have presents significant challenges to our future. The effects will be felt across many sectors of society and will influence our personal and professional lives in some profound ways. Some of these impacts have not been identified yet and even when they have they can still be difficult to assess, both in terms of how important they will be and what knock-on effects they will have.