A new organisation looking at the issues affecting Scotland’s plant life has been officially launched.

More than 60 experts and stakeholders from the diverse worlds of forestry, horticulture, the environment and agriculture today (Tuesday) gathered at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to hear about the aims and vision of a new virtual Plant Health Centre for Scotland.

Chief plant health officer for Scotland, Professor Gerry Saddler of Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), spoke at the official stakeholder launch event having marked the occasion by planting a Sorbus arranensis tree – carefully and locally sourced to ensure its health and provenance.

Funded by the Scottish Government, the Plant Health Centre is an interdisciplinary consortium based around the strengths and expertise of 10 leading research organisations: Forest Research, the James Hutton Institute, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the Universities of Strathclyde, Exeter and Edinburgh, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, SASA, and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland.

For the full story visit here.