Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) was an executive agency of the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
. In 2008 after a review of the public sector in Scotland the agency was 'reabsorbed' into the Scottish Government becoming a division of the Rural Affairs Department.The new name of Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture was chosen so that the commonly used acronym 'SASA' could be maintained. The work conducted by the organisation and its facilities remain the same. The Agency has responsibility for providing scientific evidence for the implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations in the areas of crop
s and environmental protection
. It provides scientific advice and support on a range of agricultural and environmental topics to the Scottish Government.
The organisation is based At Roddinglaw on the Western edge of the City of Edinburgh
.
. Following devolution
in Scotland
, the Agency became a part of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department. In 2000 SASA began developing plans to relocate from East Craigs due to the age of the facilities and the demands put upon them by new technologies, a suitable site was eventually identified on the Agency's own farm at Roddinglaw. SASA finally relocated to purpose built facilities at Roddinglaw in 2006. As of April 2008 SASA ceased to be an agency and became a division of the Rural affairs department, this forced a change of name, however to maintain the established acronym the name Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture was chosen.
Over the years the Role of SASA has expanded greatly.
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department was a civil service department of the Scottish Executive. SEERAD was responsible for the following areas in Scotland: agriculture, rural development, food, the environment and fisheries...
. In 2008 after a review of the public sector in Scotland the agency was 'reabsorbed' into the Scottish Government becoming a division of the Rural Affairs Department.The new name of Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture was chosen so that the commonly used acronym 'SASA' could be maintained. The work conducted by the organisation and its facilities remain the same. The Agency has responsibility for providing scientific evidence for the implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations in the areas of crop
Crop
Crop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , part of the alimentary tract of some animals* Crop , a modified whip used in horseback riding or disciplining humans...
s and environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
. It provides scientific advice and support on a range of agricultural and environmental topics to the Scottish Government.
The organisation is based At Roddinglaw on the Western edge of the City of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
History
From 1925 to 2006 the Agency and its precursors were based at East Craigs in Edinburgh. The Agency was first formed by the then Board of Agriculture for Scotland.The origins of SASA can be traced back to the opening of a full time seed testing station in 1914 at 21 Duke Street, Edinburgh. Following the introduction of the Testing of Seeds Order 1917, the unit moved to larger premises at 7 Albany Street in 1918. In May 1925 the Seed Testing Station moved to new purpose built laborotaries at East Craigs along with the Plant registration Station. The Board of Agriculture changed its name to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAFS) in 1960, and in 1961 the operations at East Craigs were renamed Agricultural Scientific Services of DAFS. In 1992, the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) was formed as an executive agency taking on the role of Agricultural Scientific Services for the then Scottish OfficeScottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
. Following devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Agency became a part of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department. In 2000 SASA began developing plans to relocate from East Craigs due to the age of the facilities and the demands put upon them by new technologies, a suitable site was eventually identified on the Agency's own farm at Roddinglaw. SASA finally relocated to purpose built facilities at Roddinglaw in 2006. As of April 2008 SASA ceased to be an agency and became a division of the Rural affairs department, this forced a change of name, however to maintain the established acronym the name Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture was chosen.
Over the years the Role of SASA has expanded greatly.
Role
The Role of SASA is as follows:- Ensuring the quality of seedSeedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and tuberTuberTubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
s for planting, and new crop varieties; - Keeping field and horticultural crops free of damaging diseases;
- Keeping serious pests of plants out of Scotland;
- Acting as the Scottish Executive's Inspectorate of genetically-modified crops;
- Developing new and more sensitive diagnostic tests for pests and diseases;
- Preserving and maintaining a wide range of historic, heritage and other varieties of potatoes, cereals, peasPEASP.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
and brassicaBrassicaBrassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards...
s; - Monitoring the pesticidePesticidePesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
load in the national diet, and the pattern of use of pesticides in Scotland; - Protecting wildlife against deliberate or accidental poisoning
- Understanding the ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
of vertebrate species that conflict with agriculture (e.g. rabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, foxFoxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, geese).