A study to help farmers protect their barley against Ramularia Leaf Spot is among four projects to benefit from a total of almost £100,000 in new grants.
The Mains of Loirston Charitable Trust has awarded the grants to four projects from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC).
Among other recipients include the annual Winter Wheat Challenge, which has been awarded a further two years’ worth of funding, while an Aberdeen-based study into using a rye/vetch cover crop to improve crop utilisation has also been awarded a grant.
A further award from the Trust will fund new research to help farmers create Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. This research will also be based in Aberdeen.
Established by the late Alexander Williams Allan, the Aberdeen-based Trust awards grants “to advance the science and practice of agriculture across Scotland”.
Professor Fiona Burnett, head of Crop and Soil systems at SRUC said the generous funding for specific crop projects will benefit the North East of Scotland.
“It is such a diverse geographical area and has specific needs, I don’t think that funding from a general UK or European trust would be as easily accessible for projects like these,” Professor Burnett said.
She added: “We have been able to do studies, such as the Winter Wheat Challenge, where students are able to get practical experience, and most of the time that would be too impractical or expensive for funding. The Mains of Loirston Trust has ties to the North East and it really is a perfect niche for researchers trying to develop that region.”
Projects
• Rye/vetch study to improve crop utilisation (Dr John Baddeley) – £19,637
• Winter Wheat Challenge (Alex Hilton and Scott Murray) – £23,574
• Fungicides and Integrated Pest Management (Dr Henry Creissen) – £37,833
• Ramularia Leaf Spot (Dr Neil Havis) – £18,684
