The Scottish Environment Minister and MSP for Perth, Roseanna Cunningham, has paid a visit to SCRI, Scotland’s leading centre for crop research.

Ms Cunningham spent more than an hour and a half at SCRI and was briefed about the work currently being undertaken by the institute’s Director and Chief Executive, Professor Peter Gregory and by specialist members of staff.

Photograph: Gaynor McKenzie, assistant curator of the Commonwealth Potato Collection, shows Roseanna Cunningham around the glasshouse.

This year is the UN International Year of Biodiversity, and the Minister was shown the Commonwealth Potato Collection, a seed store of world importance that is maintained at SCRI. It contains 1500 variants of about 80 wild and cultivated potato species. It is used for research and breeding new, potato varieties for the market. The Minister was given a guided tour by the collection’s assistant curator, Gaynor McKenzie. Ms Cunningham was also shown some of the work SCRI does to protect and preserve the UK’s unique raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry varieties.

She was briefed on the high health service by Alison Dolan who explained to the Minister the importance of safeguarding Scotland's reputation as a source of healthy, disease-free plants.

Before leaving SCRI, the Minister for the Environment Roseanna Cunningham said: "I'm extremely impressed by the groundbreaking work being carried out at The Scottish Crop Research Institute.

"The research is vital to increasing global knowledge of biodiversity and helps in the quest to protect and preserve endangered species.

"It also contributes to Scotland’s long-standing reputation on the world stage as a centre of scientific and research expertise. I'm sure this status will be further enhanced when the SCRI merges with the Macaulay Land Research Institute next year."

SCRI has been established in Invergowrie for nearly 60 years and employs more than 300 people. Next year, it will merge with the Aberdeen-based Macaulay Land Use Research Institute to form a new organisation aimed at boosting Scotland's rural-environmental research capacity and further enhancing international competitiveness. It will be the first institute of its kind in Europe and the new organisation is expected to create an international office to reinforce its global presence.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA Office: 01382 560044 Mobile: 07810 860 701

or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 01382 562731 (switchboard)