Latest Briefing in Food, health and wellbeing
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How investment in fundamental scientific research leads to practical outcomes
The societal benefits of funding applied scientific research – research which addresses a question that is immediately and directly relevant to an end user such as a farmer or policy maker – are clear. It is nearly always relatively straightforward to identify practical outcomes that emerge from such projects, making them highly attractive to funding bodies and industrial collaborations, particularly at a time of financial constraint. However, these applied outcomes frequently rely upon and develop previous fundamental research programmes for which practical outcomes were not immediately or obviously apparent at the time. This article describes how Scottish Government (SG) investment in a number of fundamental scientific areas at Main Research Providers (MRP), through the Strategic Research Programme has underpinned research which is now yielding practical outcomes that are making a difference in Scotland and beyond.
Read morePublished on 8 March 2016 in Food, health and wellbeing
Recent Briefings in Food, health and wellbeing
Changing Farm Biosecurity Practices
The Scottish Government policy on disease control is that prevention is better than cure, however in practice this can be difficult to achieve. Read more
Published on 10 February 2015 in Sustainability and Communities , Ecosystems and biodiversity , Food, health and wellbeing
Integrated Disease Management in Spring Barley
Intergrated Disease Management (IDM) could help greatly reduce the volume of crops lost to disease in Scotland, contributing to our future food security. Read more
Published on 16 December 2014 in Climate, water and energy , Ecosystems and biodiversity , Food, health and wellbeing
On-Farm Assessment of Soil Carbon Status
Soil Organic Matter (or soil carbon) is of significant importance, in terms of soil fertility, water retention, structure and biodiversity. Read more
Published on 4 September 2014 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing
The Impact of Animal Health Status on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock
Ruminant livestock production is a key contributor to the rural and national economy of Scotland, as well as the world-renowned Scottish Food and Drink industry. Read more
Published on 8 July 2014 in Climate, water and energy , Food, health and wellbeing
The Journey from Genes to Plant Traits Reveal a Flexible Response to a Changing Environment
To address the challenges brought about by the impact of climate change and our increasing reliability on plant based food, fuel and materials, requires an understanding of molecular processes that underlie crop responses to environmental stresses. Read more
Published on 1 May 2014 in Climate, water and energy , Food, health and wellbeing
Improving Food Security and Nutrition Through Fisheries and Aquaculture
The aim of this strand of research is to assess the efficiency and sustainability of the food supply chain and food security in Scotland. Read more
Published on 24 April 2014 in Food, health and wellbeing
Electronic Identification as a tool for Precision Livestock Management
The aim of this brief is to present some ideas on how to use EID as a management tool in beef and sheep systems, based on research, demonstration and knowledge exchange activities conducted by research staff at SRUC's Hill & Mountain Research Centre, Kirkton and Auchtertyre research farms. Read more
Published on 24 March 2014 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing
Can Deer Management Help Control Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases?
The impact of reducing deer numbers by fencing or culling was shown to have an impact on tick abundance, this research showed. Read more
Published on 24 February 2014 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing
Controlling Ticks by Treating Deer with Acaricides
This research used a mathematical modelling approach to explore whether treating deer with acaricide could, in theory, be an effective way of controlling ticks as an alternative to culling deer. Read more
Published on 21 February 2014 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing
Peatland Restoration may aid the Ecosystem Service of Regulating Pests and Disease
This research looked at the impact on tick numbers when forestry was felled and the land restored to peatlands. Read more
Published on 19 February 2014 in Sustainability and Communities , Food, health and wellbeing
