Cover crops and below ground biodiversity (MILLER_J17ICASE)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East Anglia
Department Name: Graduate Office
Abstract
Cover crops and below ground biodiversity - measuring the potential of different farming systems to improve soil fertility.
This project is a distinctive opportunity to look at soil biodiversity with trials that have been established for more than 10 years. Cover or break crops can provide a green manure that improves soil fertility providing a more sustainable rotation agricultural system. For example, cover crops in rotation with winter wheat have been shown to provide benefits for yield and soil structure, but little is known of what drives these effects. This project will use field trials to provide new insights into understanding how cover crops can impact on below ground diversity and soil fertility. The student will be trained in molecular and biochemical techniques and will have an opportunity to learn how to use new soil sensors for monitoring nutrient availability. Molecular methods for monitoring soil microbes and their activities will be taught. The project will develop a unique suite of measurements that will help define and quantify soil health.
This project is a distinctive opportunity to look at soil biodiversity with trials that have been established for more than 10 years. Cover or break crops can provide a green manure that improves soil fertility providing a more sustainable rotation agricultural system. For example, cover crops in rotation with winter wheat have been shown to provide benefits for yield and soil structure, but little is known of what drives these effects. This project will use field trials to provide new insights into understanding how cover crops can impact on below ground diversity and soil fertility. The student will be trained in molecular and biochemical techniques and will have an opportunity to learn how to use new soil sensors for monitoring nutrient availability. Molecular methods for monitoring soil microbes and their activities will be taught. The project will develop a unique suite of measurements that will help define and quantify soil health.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Tony Miller (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Marco Fioratti (Student) |
| Description | The potential of different types of cover crops, in combination with different tillage regimes or inorganic fertiliser application, to shape below-ground communities has been ascertained across different soil types. |
| Exploitation Route | The impact of different below-ground communities on nutrient cycling is currently being investigated as part of the same award. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Description | Preliminary findings about the effect of cover crops on yield and soil biodiversity were communicated to non-specialist audiences with contribution to printed media and public engagement events targeted at farmers and agricultural professionals. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Poster presentation at the All-party Parliamentary Group Meeting on Science and Technology in Agriculture, Palace of Westminster, 15th of January 2019 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Anglia Farmer article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Interview about soil health carried out in the field by journalist Judith Tooth. The interview resulted in a 3 page article published on the August 2020 issue of Anglia Farmer |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Attendance and presentation at Sensors in Food and Agriculture 2018 meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Field testing and the research underpinning the soil sensor development was reported at the Sensors in Food and Agriculture 2018 meeting. At this meeting an industrial partner was identified who has relevant expertise to commercially develop the soil sensor technology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.rsc.org/events/detail/33486/sensors-in-food-and-agriculture-2018 |
| Description | Biology Research Collaboration Review Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Talk given as part of the annual Syngenta Biologic Research review for collaborators and participants in projects funded of partly-funded by Syngenta. It was the occasion to showcase findings relative to glasshouse and field-based experiments investigating the impact of soil fauna on crop residue degradation and N cycling. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Conference presentation, REAP 2018, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, 7th of November 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Short talk given to the plenary assembly at the conference. The findings about the influence of cover crops in shaping below-ground communities were summarised for a mixed audience of professionals in the agrochemical sector, academics and farmers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Meeting with Novozymes Industry representatives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discuss future collaborations with Novozymes representatives (led by Jeanne Kjaer). Skype call with contacts in USA and India. (11 March 2019) I presented my current research and we discussed opportunites for future collaboration. Meeting facilitated by Jon Clarke at JIC. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poster presentation at John Innes Annual Science Meeting, 10 October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation on remote real-time ion sensing: a reliable, low-cost tool for monitoring soil health |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poster presentation, John Innes Ce3ntre Annual Science meeting, 10 October 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presented poster on cover crops and below-ground biodiversity: an ecological approach to measuring soil health |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Poster presentation, Syngenta Biological Sciences and Product Safety External Collaboration Review, Jealott's Hill, 5 september 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation covering the development of cheap and reliable soil ion sensors based on selective membranes and capable of transmitting data in remote, including the computational pipeline for calibration, validation and analysis, and their application in soil ecology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation at Chinese University Lecturers Conference - Fujian Agricultural University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Miller A. J.(2018) Nitrogen uptake and assimialtion in Crop Plants (2 lectures) Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China. Chinese University Lecturers Conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation at Mardlers dinner |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The Mardlers are a group of approximately 25-30 Norfolk farmers, which all have reach beyond the farm gate, either through processing and marketing of their crops or stock, or through membership of industry bodies, political, research or marketing. There are also members who are involved with banking, accountancy and land agency, and as such they have a very broad range of interests across the agricultural, food and business sectors, both regionally and nationally. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation at UK-China Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 15-17 October Workshop at UEA. Chinese representatives from Anhui Agricultural University (AAU) and Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS). Meeting organized by Dr Yuelai Lu (SAIN, School of International Development, UEA). Title of presentation: Soil Nitrogen and Crops |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation of findings and forward plan of activities to the heads of research and policy of GWCT - Allerton Trust, 10 September 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of findings about the effectiveness of cover crops at recovering soil health and forward plan of activities to the heads of research and policy of GWCT - Allerton Trust |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation to R&D board representatives, Syngenta, 19th of June 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of findings and forward plan of activities relative to the I-CASE studentship to Syngenta representatives from the R&D departments in molecular microbiology, entomology, environmental stewardship, crop protection, GIS and remote sensing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Presentation to Suffolk Organic Gardners, Bury St Edmunds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 'Soils: root/microbial relationships and nutrient cycling' - presentation to the Suffolk Organic Gardeners Association in Bury St Edmunds (11 th February 2020). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/suffolk-organic-gardeners |
| Description | Presentation to a group if Industry Representatives (BAYER) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to BAYER - visiting group of representatives. The effects of a biostimulant on crops and developing soil nutrient sensors. 13 Feb 2019 at Church Farm. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://www.primeag.co.uk/ |
| Description | Soil Health workshop AgriScience YIF Conference 2018: Leading Change Through Innovation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Practical workshop: demonstration of approaches to measuring soil health in the field and introducing sampling techniques to estimate and characterise below ground biodiversity targeted at a group of farmers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Syngenta Biological Sciences and Product Safety External Collaboration Review Event, 6th of September 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on the impact the impact of cover cropping, tillage and nitrogen application on below-ground biodiversity and how this affects nutrient cycling and availability. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |