"Every year, we lose some of our precious agricultural soil to erosion, and, similarly, out of our 1.9 million hectares of peatland, about 270,000 hectares show evidence of peat erosion" ‘Erosion’ is partly a natural process where soil particles are transported by our rivers and streams to the sea. ‘Accelerated erosion’ however, is caused by inappropriate land use or land management and this is a global issue that affects our ability to manage soils sustainably. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has estimated that a third of the world’s soils are already
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"We cannot be complacent if we want to conserve the soil and the carbon, nutrients and biodiversity it holds for future generations" Our soils are under threat from ever more intensive agriculture and climate changes. Extreme rainfall events such as Storm Frank in 2016 are predicted to become more common: a recent report from the Met Office suggested that there is a 34% chance of somewhere in the UK breaking a rainfall record each winter. Apart from flooding, these rainfall events can cause widespread erosion on unprotected or damaged soils, loss of soil nutrients and carbon, reduced crop
Tony has a background in environmental psychology (MSc Surrey, 1998, PhD RGU, 2006), and has previously worked on a large number of research projects looking at people's attitudes to various issues, including sustainable wastewater management, prefabricated housing, sustainable housing, and public participation in urban design. Before working at the institute, Tony previously worked as a researcher in the school of architecture at the Robert Gordon University. His PhD (2006) was concerned with the relationship between sustainable design, environmental preferences, and environmentally friendly
Current research interests Leaf rust caused by Puccinia hordei is an important fungal disease on barley. Resistance of barley to leaf rust ( Poccinia hordei) is genetically controlled by both single genes ( R-genes) and multiple quantitative loci (QTL). Due to the short-term effectiveness of R-gene-mediated resistance, exploration and use of the durable partial resistance have become a more favorable strategy to control the disease. However, identification of the underlying genes through map-based approach is a process both cumbersome and time consuming. The current project adapts a novel
Prof. Nick Birch is a key staff member leading Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM) research at the James Hutton Institute. For details of ongoing IPM research areas and projects, please visit the IPM@Hutton website Long-term research goals Policy led environmental research with practical outcomes for global agriculture: I develop and use a multi-disciplinary, ecosystems approach to optimise key ecological services (Integrated Pest Management/IPM, biocontrol) for Scottish, UK and international crop protection, conserving and utilising on-farm biodiversity. By understanding the role of
Lesley is Director of Science at the James Hutton Institute and Professor of Biology at the University of St Andrews. She was President of the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) in 2014. Current research interests Molecular biology of plant virus-host and virus-vector interactions Aims: To understand the role and function of virus encoded proteins and their interactions in the pathogenicity and spread of plant virus diseases. Background: Potato is an important crop in Scotland with around about 1.3 million tonnes of potatoes produced and 76,000 tonnes of seed exported to over 30
Jennifer joined the institute in October 2013. With a background combining a BSc in Agricultural Sciences, an MSc in Environmental Management and a PhD in geoarchaeology, her research has been interdisciplinary with an emphasis in the use of soil science techniques. She currently holds collaborations with the University of Stirling, where she is an Honorary Research Fellow, and the University of Glasgow, where she holds an affiliate position. Current research interests: Modelling of water and heat transport in soils. Soil resilience. Soil/roots interactions and root biomechanics.
Lorna is an agricultural ecologist at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) working in SAC Consulting’s Environment Team. Lorna believes that feeding our growing world population whilst protecting our environment is the greatest challenge we face. Her research has a strong focus on exploring how biodiversity goals can be positively incorporated into agricultural systems and how this can be achieved in an economically viable way. Lorna is particularly interested in beneficial insects, including pollinators and predatory beetles. The focus of her research is increasing our understanding of how
Research interests Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils Soil carbon stocks and land-use change Climate change mitigation Spatial and temporal variability in nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils Predicting and modelling nitrous oxide emissions Biochar soil amendments for GHG mitigation Legume intercropping and nitrogen fixation Soil nitrogen cycling Agro-environmental science I am an environmental scientist interested in agricultural land-use change and agricultural management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Selected research projects N
"I feel truly privileged and honoured to be elected to represent and promote activities of this working group, a fantastic community of over 400 outstanding researchers and members of society" James Hutton soft fruit breeder Dr Dorota Jarret has been appointed chair of the International Society for Horticultural Science’s (ISHS) Rubus and Ribes Species and Management working group - the first female scientist, and the youngest, to ever take up the position. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, James Hutton Institute, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0