Programme 1, with a value of ca £10 million, is co-ordinated by Professor Howard Davies at SCRI.   Whilst outputs from Programme 1 will be delivered predominantly by SCRI specific work packages have important contributions from SAC and the Macaulay Institute, two other Major Research Providers (MRPs) in Scotland. 

Each of the four commissioned programmes has been structured into a number of work packages which identify the key aspects where the Scottish Government requires research effort to be applied.  With regard to Programme 1: Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture – Plants,  the work packages are:

Work Package 1.1 - Barley Genetics - Leader  Dr Bill Thomas

Work Package 1.2 - Potato Genetics - Leader  Dr Glenn Bryan

Work Package 1.3 - Soft Fruit Genetics and Pathology  - Leader  Dr Rex Brennan

Work Package 1.4 - Barley Pathology - Leader Dr Simon Oxley (SAC) - SCRI contact - Dr Adrian Newton

Work Package 1.5 - Potato Pathology - Leader Dr Ian Toth

Work Package 1.7 - Sustainable Crop Systems - Leader Dr Christine Watson (SAC)

Cross-Cutting Themes

The Scottish Government's strategy indicates that future research should be more policy relevant and new areas where research is needed have been identified. Three important issues of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Rural Sustainability have been identified as Cross-Cutting Themes (CCTs). These key issues will be addressed by research in each of the four main research programmes.  SCRI has identified Cross-Cutting Theme Champions to help develop our strategy on these globally important issues. 

Climate Change: contact Dr Adrian Newton
Biodiversity: contact Dr Gavin Ramsay
Sustainability: contact Dr Cathy Hawes

Publications outlining SCRI's research on each of these three subjects can be found on the Cross-Cutting Themes publications page.

Advisory Groups

Programme level
Programme 1 has an advisory group to assist with strategy development, science evolution, work package delivery and implementation of knowledge transfer at programme and cross programme levels. The group consists of:

• Professor Janet Bainbridge (Chair)
• Professor Peter Gregory (Director of SCRI)
• Professor Howard Davies (Programme 1 Co-ordinator)
• Jim McNicol (BioSS)
• Professor John Oldham (SAC)
• Dr Peter Millard (Macaulay Institute)
• Professor John Porter (KVL University Denmark)
• Douglas Morrison (farmer and HGCA committee member)
• Dr Linda Saunderson (Scottish Government).

Work package level
Each work package has an advisory group with the remit to provide specific advice relevant to the science and KT portfolio of the work package in question. They will provide, for example, a commodity focus in work packages 1.1 to 1.5.