UK: Science protects Scottish potatoes and raspberries from climate change

Scottish staple crops such as potatoes, some barleys and soft fruits such as raspberries all need cool weather to grow. However, the top ten warmest years since records began in 1884 have all occurred after 1997, posing a serious threat to Scotland's agriculture and horticulture. Some experts argue that growers now urgently need to use the power of genomics to identify resistant varieties. Technological advances and commercial services now make it possible to obtain the complete genome of a crop, i.e. the complete DNA blueprint, in just a few months. As a result, more than 200 horticulture crops, including ornamentals, fruits and vegetables, grains and spices, have now been mapped, meaning we know the structure of their DNA. However, a new phenomenal revolution has occurred; a boom in our ability to use advanced automation, imaging and controlled environments, such as gas and light, that opens new doors for plant scientists. It unlocks our capacity to ...