The James Hutton Institute already has a large number of glass houses – but it is going even further by artificially creating the sort of conditions that may exist in 75 years.
Climate modelling shows that Scotland can expect hotter, dryer summers and milder, wetter winters by the end of this century.
The institute’s new advanced plant growth centre is effectively a climate simulator.
It’s able to control plants’ light, water and nutrient intake to test how they cope with stresses – and then select species which are likely to fare best against all that climate change can throw at them.
For the past three months they have been experimenting with fava beans, which are photographed daily so scientists can monitor their progress.
Dr Robert Hancock says they need to switch from breeding crops for specific environments, such as hot or dry climates, towards ones which are more generally resilient.
“We need to start breeding those crops now and start understanding what Scottish farming’s going to look like,” he says.
“Farmers need time to plan, we need to get those crops out to the farmers and registered.
“Ultimately it’s about what those guys do in the fields that matters, not what we do inside a climate simulator.”
