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Scientists at SCRI work on a wide range of projects, from breeding new varieties to doing research into climate change, plant diseases, pesticides and the health properties of different foods. …
Scientists at SCRI work on a wide range of projects, from breeding new varieties to doing research into climate change, plant diseases, pesticides and the health properties of different foods.
• Blackcurrants bred by SCRI (all bearing the 'Ben' prefix) account for 50 per cent of all the blackcurrants grown in the world.
• Potato varieties bred at SCRI include Lady Balfour – the number one organic variety in the UK.
• The Glen Ample raspberry bred by SCRI is the most popular variety in the UK.
• Researchers at SCRI are working on ways to increase the vitamin C content of potatoes.
• Scientists at SCRI believe blackcurrants might be able to protect the human brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
• SCRI scientists have identified factors in wheat that influence the yield of alcohol from distillation.
• SCRI is helping to develop a new type of bread containing 20 per cent barley – to reduce cholesterol and cut the risk of heart disease.
• Researchers at SCRI have discovered that baking rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically increases levels of anti-cancer chemicals called polyphenols.
• SCRI hosts the Commonwealth Potato Collection – a major gene bank containing 86 different species.
• Researchers at SCRI are developing new ways to reduce the use of pesticides on soft fruit, using biological control and plant-derived volatiles to trap insects.