b'SEEDS OF INNOVATION:HOW SCOTLANDS PLANT BREEDING SHAPES THE FUTUREFROM POTATOES TO WHISKY BARLEY, OATS TO FLAX, THE JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTES RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE ENDURING ROLE OF SCOTTISH SCIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE CROP DEVELOPMENT.BY: MARCEL BRUINSI n 2025, the Euroseeds Congress takesTHE HUTTON IN CONTEXTplace in Edinburgh, Scotland. It offers aThe Hutton is recognised internationally timely moment to reflect on the countrysfor its research on crops, land and natural long history in plant breeding and its con- resources. Its work ranges from boosting tinuing influence on European agriculture.agricultural productivity to managing soils Few organisations illustrate this better thanand water sustainably. By bringing together The James Hutton Institute (the Hutton),natural and social sciences, it connects based in Dundee and Aberdeen, wheregenetics and agronomy with economics researchers are shaping the future of cropsand policy, ensuring that research findings that matter locally and globally. Whetherinfluence farming and society more broadly.preserving potato diversity in the SvalbardRather than working in isolation, the Global Seed Vault, developing barley for theHutton emphasizes interdisciplinarity, col-whisky industry, improving oat stability forlaboration and independence. This means healthier diets, or reviving flax for sustain- potato specialists can draw lessons from oat able textiles, the Huttons work shows howtrials, barley researchers test sustainability crop research in Scotland links heritagepractices that may apply to other cereals,The James Hutton Institute.with innovation. and flax scientists connect crop perfor-CPC curator Gaynor McKenzie demonstrating potato genebank material.8ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | SEPTEMBER 2025'