Plant Varieties, Breeding & Licensing

Sector: Crop Science,   Food & Drink

The James Hutton Institute has a proud history of collaboration with government and commercial organisations, working in partnership to meet the needs of evolving industries and changing consumer tastes.

James Hutton Limited manages several breeding consortia and programmes, building alliances to support the development of the next generation of soft fruit and vegetable varieties.  With clearly established objectives, these partnerships are introducing new, industry ready varieties where they are needed most. 

James Hutton Limited has an extensive portfolio of more than 40 plant varieties, many of which are protected by Plant Variety Rights and are available for licensing worldwide. Alongside breeding and plant varieties, James Hutton Limited can also offer a huge number of scientific services from the James Hutton Institute laboratories, to maximise existing plant varieties and assist with natural plant breeding.  These include soil analysis, molecular diagnostics, crop trialling and pest management.

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Blackberry germplasm has been hybridised, selected and developed at the Institute since the early 1960s and has produced highly successful varieties such as Loch Ness and Loch Tay.
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Everyone knows the fruit drink Ribena, but few people realise that the blackcurrant varieties used to produce this ever-popular brand were bred at the James Hutton Institute.
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James Hutton Limited manages a blueberry breeding programme which in time will deliver new and improved blueberry varieties, suited to European growing conditions and carrying traits desirable to growers, retailers and consumers.
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A number of very popular brassica varieties have been bred at the James Hutton Institute and commercialised via James Hutton Limited including swede, turnip, kale and forage rape.
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Through our own experienced team of breeders, James Hutton Limited can offer commercial potato breeding programmes for both the fresh and processing sectors for customers in the UK or overseas.
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James Hutton Limited has a long tradition of breeding raspberries in the fertile soils of the Carse of Gowrie, just south of the city of Dundee, Scotland.
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James Hutton Limited’s only licensed strawberry, Symphony, is a late mid-season cultivar producing high quality fruit for fresh consumption.  
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Some of our heritage varieties developed through our breeding programmes. These have helped pave the way for our current varieties.

Case Studies

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Diagnostic testing for Free-Living Nemataodes.

Other Services