Posts Tagged ‘Scotland’s Rural College’
‘Blockchain’ helps keep oats gluten-free
SHOPPERS will soon be able to check that their oats are gluten-free thanks to six Scottish farmers and “blockchain” technology. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, many of the facilities in which they are processed handle gluten and so contamination is an issue. Six Scottish farmers have been created a gluten-free oat supply chain, so customers…
Read MorePlaudits for precision potato predictor
FARMERS could produce more salad and seed potatoes thanks to a new way to predict the size of their crop while it’s still buried in the soil. The “Tuberzone” project used the global positioning system (GPS), satellite images, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor potato plants as they grew. It predicted the size of…
Read MoreChicken wings its way to charities
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has donated 1.4 tonnes of chicken to Scottish food banks, school breakfast clubs and homeless shelters. The meat, which included 600kg of whole chicken, 250kg of chicken legs and 615kg of chicken breasts, was donated by SRUC from its carcass evaluation unit on the Auchincruive Estate in South Ayrshire. The chicken…
Read MoreCourses for race horse lovers are revealed
Equine students at Scotland’s Rural College will be able to specialise in race horse care as part of their course thanks to the creation of a new Scottish Racing Academy. Scottish Racing, the body which promotes the sport in Scotland, has created the sister organisation to provide courses for students who want to develop their…
Read MoreCall for policy makers to protect pollinators
Pollinating insects could thrive if improvements are made to agri-environment schemes across Europe, a new study led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has found. More than 20 pollinator experts from 18 different countries looked at a range of wildlife habitats on farmland – named Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) – to determine how well they support…
Read MoreBecky puts best feet forward for struggling gardeners
An Edinburgh horticulture student will walk more than 150 miles along the Great Wall of China to raise money for struggling gardeners. Becky Cross, who is studying Horticulture with Plantsmanship at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is hoping to raise £3000 for Perennial – a charity which supports people working in horticulture. The challenge will see…
Read MoreGetting more from Scotland’s woodlands
Forestry professionals are set to share their expertise on how to boost the productivity of existing woodland. Organised through the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS), a free event will take place near Stirling later this month which will cover the best way to manage woods, from thinning to restocking, and provide details of Felling…
Read MoreFirst class education and a first class mum
Silvia Divine has managed to juggle the challenges of getting married and having a baby with her studies to gain a first-class honours degree in Horticulture. The 29-year-old was also awarded the prestigious Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland Silver Medal and the SRUC Trust Prize for best fourth year student on her course. Silvia,…
Read MoreHundreds of ponies at equestrian centre
A record number of competitors and hundreds of ponies gathered in West Lothian at the weekend for one of Scotland’s largest equestrian events. The Harbro Scottish Home Pony, which includes opportunities for show jumpers from across the British Isles to qualify for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show and Olympia, the London International Horse…
Read MoreScotland’s horses are a hit with American visitors
American students visited the Kelpies and Perth Races as part of a four-week equine studies programme at Scotland’s Rural College. The 16 students, who are studying at universities across the USA, took modules in Equine Anatomy and Physiology and Equine Fitness at SRUC’s Oatridge campus, with the credits added to their courses back in the…
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