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General Information
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Sunday, July 6, 2008
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The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) was established as an Executive Agency of what is now called the Environment and Rural Affairs Department (ERAD) of the Scottish Executive on 1 April 1992. The Agency was previously known as Agricultural Scientific Services or, more usually, by the name of its headquarters - East Craigs where, in 1925, the then Board of Agriculture for Scotland opened its variety registration and seed testing station
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The principal functions of SASA are to provide the appropriate scientific input (tests, diagnoses, analyses) for the implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations in the areas of crops and environmental protection, and to provide ERAD with information and advice to support policy in these areas. This work varies from the prevention of crop losses owing to disease in planting materials, to the assessment of the pesticide load in the diet, the enforcement of regulations for genetically-modified crops, and the management of wild geese. Most of the Agency scientists are plant biologists, specialising in aspects of taxonomy, pathology, biochemistry or molecular biology, or analytical chemists, but there are smaller groups of zoologists and farm surveyors. Their work can be divided into six main, but largely inter-related, areas: seed testing, variety testing, certification of the Scottish seed potato industry, plant health, disease and pest diagnosis, control of vertebrate pests, and pesticides.
The Aim, Functions & Principles of the Agency are described
here
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Staff of SASA are actively involved in UK and international technical committees, as representatives of ERAD, permitting the Agency to contribute to, and benefit from, a wide range of scientific developments. The statutory and regulatory work of SASA is supported by a continuing programme of research and development.
As an Executive Agency, SASA has the flexibility and independence to respond promptly and effectively to the needs of both the Department and the rural economy. SASA is particularly interested in undertaking new work, for government or private customers, which relates to its core activities, as laid out in the attached leaflets.
Two reviews of the scientific work of SASA, 1992-7 and 1997-2000 have been published and can be downloaded from this website. |
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