Written by Rachel Martin
SRUC is one of three industry organisations to have joined forces to launch a brand new field-based arable event for Scotland.
Arable Scotland, which is jointly organised by SRUC, AHDB and the James Hutton Institute will take place at Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie on July 2.
The event aims to bring together the key players in food production from farmers to distillers and exporters to demonstrate and discuss key industry issues such innovative and sustainable farming.
While all Scottish arable crops will feature, this year’s event will focus particularly on spring barley.
The Arable Scotland events will major on other crops and alternative markets and will track new innovations over several years.
On average, more than 250,000ha of Scotland’s arable land is devoted to the production of spring barley – much of which will be used as a base for malt whisky, while a significant chunk will be used as animal feed.
Growing spring barley for whisky isn’t always easy, but it does pay off, with farmers paid a premium for a high-quality crop.
Arable Scotland
The event will host a number of ‘Arable Conversations’ focusing on new entrants, sustainable agriculture, future crop production and grain markets.
These sessions will see industry experts introducing the issues involved before inviting the audience to participate in an open discussion.
Visitors to Arable Scotland will be taken on a whistle-stop tour of a core set of innovation-focused field plots, as well as having the chance to visit a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibitors, field-based demonstrations and trials and tours of the Centre for Sustainable Cropping Platform.
This year’s demonstration plots are focused on four key areas or ‘zones’ in the field – innovative breeding, quality crops for defined markets, innovative crop management and sustainable farming systems.
As well as featuring on regular tours throughout the day, visitors will also be able to speak directly to the companies and researchers who have set up the demos.
Prof. Fiona Burnett from SRUC said: “This year’s event will feature an incredible range of crops and management techniques including intercropping, crop protection, innovative varieties, technological solutions and novel crops.
“We hope that they showcase to growers potential new avenues they could explore which will help make them more productive, profitable and sustainable in future.”
Vital collaboration
Prof. Adrian Newton, senior cereal pathologist at the James Hutton Institute, said: “We wanted to create a really exciting new event which will pull together the entire arable industry allowing them to learn from one another.
“Collaboration really will become even more vital in the future, for organisations like ourselves, but also for farmers, processors, researchers; the entire supply chain.
We need to ensure that we are growing the right varieties for the right markets, that we are protected from the most damaging diseases, and that we are producing high-quality, efficient, resilient crops while minimising our environmental impact.
“Events like Arable Scotland give us the chance to get the entire industry together, to discuss what we need to do to thrive, and to really make a difference to the Scottish arable sector.”
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