News - Advanced Plant Growth Centre

Published: 8th April 2025

Curious about the future of crop science in Scotland?

Take a look at this brilliant new video from Tay Cities Region Deal, highlighting the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, and The James Hutton Institute’s other innovation centre, the International Barley Hub.

The centres were designed to foster advancements in plant biology and develop new crop varieties in response to global agricultural challenges such as climate change and the need for sustainable food production.

With £62 million in funding secured through the Tay Cities Deal in 2018, with UK Government Scotland and The Scottish Government investment, we’re proud to be driving innovation in crop improvement from a region renowned for its rich agricultural heritage.

Discover how science is shaping the future of agriculture – watch now:

Planting the seeds of innovation: The Advanced Growth Centre flourishes in Tayside

8th April 2025 | Take a look at this brilliant new video from Tay Cities Region Deal, highlighting the Advanced Plant Growth Centre.

April 8, 2025
James Hutton Institute secures £2.4m in funding for trailblazing research projects

26th September 2024 | Projects include medical cannabis standardisation, vertical farming light technology and genetic optimisation of lettuce.

September 26, 2024
The James Hutton Institute to co-lead a new UK-wide centre to develop planet-friendly alternatives to animal proteins

The James Hutton Institute has announced its role in co-leading a new £38m UK-wide centre which could develop alternatives to animal proteins.

August 28, 2024
The James Hutton Institute opens pioneering crop storage facility

A new facility focused on the future of crop storage has opened at the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie.

May 24, 2024
APGC: Super strawberries bring hopes for diabetics and dieters

Rob Hancock, Deputy Director of The Advanced Plant Growth Centre, speaks with The Herald on his latest research exploring LED lighting and its impact on strawberries which could produce better fruit and boost farmers’s crops.

May 9, 2024
James Hutton Institute joins forces with Crocus Labs to transform light use in plant and crop production

The research is initially focusing on the berry propagation in greenhouse as well as in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).

April 10, 2024
APGC welcomes project to develop precision breeding pipeline in potato

The Advanced Plant Growth Centre are pleased to announce a new research project working in collaboration with Lincoln-based R&D company B-Hive Innovations and Branston Ltd., a leading supplier of potatoes and other fresh produce to UK retailers.

March 21, 2024
Blog: Embracing Opportunities – The James Hutton Institute and APGC’s Path Forward in Light of COP28 Outcomes

As the world’s attention turned to the pressing issues of climate change at COP28, particularly the critical role of agriculture and food systems, the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC), supported by Scottish Development International (SDI), took a pivotal step forward. My role as Business Development Manager for APGC, situated within James Hutton Limited (JHL) -…

March 4, 2024
Vertical farming consortium secures UK Government funding to advance low-emission, low cost food production in the UK.

V-FAST consortium backed by Innovate UK and the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council. A consortium of four British companies, comprising UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT), Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd, RheEnergise and James Hutton Institute has received a grant from the UK Government to advance the development of low-carbon and low-cost food production. Specifically, the V-FAST…

December 18, 2023
Scotland is ready for the phenomic revolution

In the year 2000, advances in technology enabled us to identify a plant’s complete DNA sequence. It unlocked our understanding of crop genetics but since then, scientists have struggled to use this information fully.

October 4, 2023