Ryan Douglas

Barley productivity and nitrogen losses under climate change in Scotland

Project Dates: October 2024 – October 2028

Ryan is part of the Barley Industrial Training Network Collaborative Training Partnership (BARIToNE CTP), funded by BBSRC and the Scotch whisky industry.

Spring barley is Scotland’s most important crop, underpinning the Scotch whisky industry which contributed £7.1bn of gross value added to the UK economy in 2022. Spring barley production relies on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser which leads to substantial nitrogen losses to aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. By 2050, Scotland is predicted to experience drier summers, wetter winters and more variability within and between years, which will likely impact barley yield, quality and nitrogen losses. 

This work aims to understand how nitrogen fertiliser application strategies affect barley productivity and nitrogen losses under current and future climatic conditions by:

• Conducting field trials to investigate the impact of fertiliser rate and timing on spring barley yield, grain quality and nitrate leaching
• Using the data from these field trials and other sources to calibrate a crop simulation model for commercial spring barley in Scotland
• Using this crop simulation model to explore how climate change will affect spring barley production in the future and how best to mitigate negative impacts

This work will provide new insights on optimal fertiliser application strategies in the Scottish context and what climatic variables influence this. It will also outline the challenges that climate change poses to Scottish spring barley production in the future, as well as provide actionable recommendations for the sector. These findings will support the Scotch whisky supply chain in optimising productivity, minimising environmental impacts and enhancing resilience to future climate change.

Ryan’s academic background is a MSc Food Security from the University of Glasgow and a BSc (Hons) Plant Science from the University of Edinburgh. He has also completed the MDS Graduate Scheme and worked as a Sustainable Agriculture Consultant.