The Scottish Society for Crop Research is gearing up to celebrate its centenary this year – and it want to encourage more farmers to join it.

Based in Dundee, it is a registered charity that is committed to be an independent voice to promote world-leading, plant-based science in Scotland.

With the plant-based food sector seeing massive growth globally, the James Hutton Institute (formerly the Scottish Crop Research Institute, at Invergowrie) is well placed to evaluate how crops that thrive in Scotland can become part of this revolution in the global diet.

SSCR aims to be an ideal conduit to bring science from the laboratory to the field and supports the Arable Scotland event. But it wants new members as a boost for its 100th birthday – and at £15 per annum it looks to be great value.

The origins of SSCR go back to a time after WW1 when there was a drive to increase food production through plant breeding. In those days, the RHASS was a benefactor and a catalyst for crop improvement in Scotland and so, in acknowledgment of that, SSCR has recently donated £10,000 to the RHASS 'Save our Show' fund.

Last year, it also donated £10,000 to RHET in recognition of the work it does in bringing the classroom and schoolchildren to the farm.