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Why birth of IVF calf Hilda in Scotland is being hailed as a milestone for greener farming
Lesley Parsons Lesley Parsons

Why birth of IVF calf Hilda in Scotland is being hailed as a milestone for greener farming

Vets working on a project to breed more environmentally-friendly cows have described as “hugely significant” the birth of a calf using IVF, saying it could accelerate the dairy industry’s journey to net zero.

The calf, named Hilda, is part the Dumfries-based Langhill Herd, which has been a source of data for the UK dairy industry for more than half a century.

Source: The Scotsman

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Lightbulb moment for fungi scientists
Lesley Parsons Lesley Parsons

Lightbulb moment for fungi scientists

Researchers from SRUC and the Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) St Gallen, Switzerland have successfully inserted the decay fungus Desarmillaria tabescens – a white rot fungus – into balsa wood to make it glow, with the aim of producing functionality.

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Rural college gets degree-awarding powers
Lesley Parsons Lesley Parsons

Rural college gets degree-awarding powers

Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) is beginning a new chapter after becoming the country's first education provider in nearly two decades to be granted the power to award degrees.

Source: BBC

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World’s first GreenShed opens its doors
Lesley Parsons Lesley Parsons

World’s first GreenShed opens its doors

A world-first circular farming system which uses cattle waste to power a shed and grow indoor crops has opened its doors for the first time. More than 80 members of the beef industry attended the opening of GreenShed at Easter Howgate, an SRUC research farm near Edinburgh.

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The people working to help Scotland's bats bounce back
Lesley Parsons Lesley Parsons

The people working to help Scotland's bats bounce back

Beth Bridge, a PhD research student at the University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), is on the front line of the battle to protect Scotland’s bats.

She's working with farmers and landowners to create the conditions which would enable these endangered mammals to thrive again.

Source: BBC

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