The International Barley Hub (IBH) Field Centre at the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie was officially opened last month by UK Government Minister for Scotland, Malcolm Offord.

Funded through the Tay Cities Deal Partnership, the Field Centre is part of the £62 million IBH and marks a major milestone in establishing Scotland as a leader in global food security and crop resilience.

The investment by the Tay Cities Deal is an acknowledgement of the James Hutton Institute’s pioneering research in barley science and recognition of the huge role this crop plays in Scotland’s economy.

Barley is the most predominant crop grown in Scotland. Securing its resilience is critical to the future of global food and drink chains. Particularly for Scotland’s £20bn drinks industry, with 44 bottles of Scotch exported every second and a whopping 22 million pints of beer drunk in the UK every day.

Demand for the crop has grown in recent years, due to £2bn investment in national distillery infrastructure, growth in the craft beer sector and increased whisky sales. However, research from the James Hutton Institute has found it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet this demand, due to adverse weather conditions reducing barley yields, changes in pesticide bans and crop management challenges.

By promoting scientific discovery and innovation to tackle these issues, as well as piloting new technologies for crop management, such as precision agriculture sensors and drones, this world-class, contemporary innovation hub aims to drive research excellence.

The IBH is a platform to promote barley science and collaboration across the scientific, industrial and commercial sectors. Its goal is to generate new discoveries and their effective translation into wider economic, social and commercial benefits and is an essential tool to support cereal growers, brewers, distillers, and new business in Tayside.