Facilities
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The Agronomy Institute is sited on the Orkney College campus which consists of modern, purpose-built buildings on the outskirts of Kirkwall. The College has very good IT and video-conferencing facilities, a lecture theatre, classrooms, library and cafeteria. The Agronomy Institute (AI) has two research laboratories which are equipped with a range of basic scientific equipment (drying ovens, balances, microscopes, photographic equipment, fume cupboard, fridges, freezers). The AI also owns a GCMS which is located at Inverness College. |
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Currently, the AI has about 15ha of land under trials with annual and perennial crops. These are located on Orkney Island Council’s Weyland Farm, which is adjacent to Orkney College. Additional land for trials is available on the farm if necessary and good links exist with a number of local farmers if different locations or soils are required. |
| In 2006, SRIF funding was used to build a plant materials / machinery store for the AI at Weyland Farm to provide storage facilities for the grain produced by the AI and for its farm machinery. |
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The AI also has one polythene tunnel and one shade tunnel which are used for plant propagation and research into growing crops under protected cropping. The AI has access to most standard agricultural equipment through Weyland Farm and in addition has its own trials combine, grain dryer, pneumatic drill, swather and power harrows.
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A Skye Mini-Met automatic weather station
has recently been purchased, providing background weather data for the
field trials.
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