Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
- Integrated Pest Management
- Applied Plant Pathology
- Crop Protection
- Agroecology
- Farmer behaviour
Biography
I am an Applied Plant Pathologist in the Crop Protection team at SRUC Edinburgh. I lead research projects developing integrated pest management (IPM) programmes for arable crops and social science projects that aim to understand barriers and enablers to IPM adoption and identify approaches to improve information flow between stakeholders. I deliver teaching on several BSc and MSc programmes at SRUC and University of Edinburgh as well as a course for professionals to achieve the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection IPM.
After completing my PhD in plant ecology and pathology at the John Innes Centre (UK) in 2013, I worked as a Crops Researcher for the Organic Research Centre (UK) where I was involved in large European projects on agricultural systems. In 2015, I moved to Teagasc (Ireland) where I worked to improve IPM approaches to arable farming and increase adoption of best practice at farm level. I moved to SRUC in 2017 to take up a lectureship position in the Crop Protection team.
Other work
IPM practices are numerous and varied, which makes them difficult to quantify. I recently led a team of researchers in developing a survey and metric to measure IPM practices on arable farms (https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.5428) and determine the barriers to further uptake of IPM practices (https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6452). The Voluntary Initiative have based their IPM Assessment Plans on this research and, since launch at the start of 2021, over 10,000 plans have been completed in the UK. IPM plans are an annual requirement of farmers operating under quality assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and Scottish Quality Crops. This allows for the monitoring of changes in IPM practice, which provides an indication of the effectiveness of R&D and Knowledge Exchange activities related to IPM.
Teaching
Module coordinator for ‘New Perspectives in Plant Protection’ in the BSc Horticulture programme and ‘Plant Protection: Integrated Approaches’ in the HND Agriculture programme. I deliver teaching on nine undergraduate and post-graduate courses including: University of Edinburgh (BSc Plant Science, MSc Sustainable Food Production), Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems (BSc Agricultural Science, MSc Global Food Security and Nutrition), SRUC (HNC/HND/BSc Agriculture, BSc Horticulture, BSc Horticulture with Plantsmanship). I also contributes teaching on a course leading to professional BASIS Crop Protection Certificate.
Supervision
PhD project (2020-2026) 'Enhancing Integrated Pest Management in UK Forestry'. Joint with Forestry Research and University of Edinburgh.
PhD project (2022-2026) ‘Strategies for Control of Head disease in Spring Barley’. Joint with University of Dundee, Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain.
MSc project in Global Food Security and Nutrition (2022-2023) ‘Systematic review of the effectiveness of Integrated Pest Management in Asia’
MSc project in Organic Farming (2020-2021) 'Significant factors in effective weed control strategies for UK organic arable crops'.
MSc project in Sustainable Plant Health (2019-2020) Investigate the role of various mixtures on disease resistance and yield of winter barley.
MSc project in Agricultural Science (2016-2018) Identifying how to improve Knowledge Transfer relating to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on Irish tillage farms. Joint with Teagasc and University College Dublin.
Projects
2023-26: PHC 2.0: Centre of Expertise for Plant Health. £3.3million. Role= Impact Officer/Knowledge Exchange lead for Agriculture.
2023: Understanding farmer / agronomist perceptions for decision making in crop health and the impact of that on key metrics such as IPM scores and pesticide usage’. Plant Health Centre Scotland funded project. £35K. Role= Principal Investigator
2022-2027: Integrated Crop Protection’: A1-2. RESAS Strategic Research Programme. ‘Development And Implementation Of Tools, Strategies, And Stakeholder Engagement To Understand Threats And Improve Disease Management In Practice’. £1.2million. Role= Principal Investigator for Work Package ‘IPM into Practice and Policy’.
2022-2027: Epidemiology of Key Pests and Diseases’: A1-1. RESAS Strategic Research Programme. ‘Understanding Of The Principal Drivers Of Pest And Disease Incidence, Severity, And Spread In Scotland, And The Factors Currently Limiting Effective Disease Control. £197K. Role= Co-investigator.
2022-23: IPM Test &Trial 2 - Environmental Land Management - Integrated Pest Management'. Collaboration with ADAS. DEFRA funded project. £260K. Role= SRUC lead, WP lead, Co-investigator.
2022: ‘Biosecurity for plant health: better justification of precautionary measures’. Plant Health Centre funded. £30K. Role=Co-investigator
2021: ‘IPM Non Broadacre Crop Review’. Defra funded. £40K. Role=Co-investigator.
2021: 'Mapping information networks that influence farmer behaviours related to IPM adoption'. Plant Health Centre Scotland funded project. £40k. Role=Principal investigator.
2021: 'Exploring the Twitterverse: Developing novel approaches to scaling the dissemination of expert knowledge on social media platforms in Scotland'. SEFARI gateway funded project. £12k. Role=Co-investigator.
2020-2021: 'IPM Test &Trial - Environmental Land Management - Integrated Pest Management'. Collaboration with ADAS. DEFRA funded project. £130k. Role=Co-investigator.
2019-2020: 'Review of evidence on Integrated Pest Management'. DEFRA funded project. £55k. Role=Co-investigator.
2018-2019: 'Network analysis – where do people in Scotland get their plant health information?’ Plant Health Centre Scotland funded project. £13k. Role=Co-investigator.
2019-2023: 'The combined effects of tillage regime and crop variety on fungicide requirement of winter barley crops'. Mains of Loirston trust funded project. £54k. Role=Principal investigator.
2018-2022: 'Integrated Pest Management techniques with agronomy inputs to produce a profitable winter barley crop in a sustainable fashion' Mains of Loirston trust funded project. £38k. Role=Principal investigator.
2017-2021: RESAS Strategic Research Programme- WP2.1 Crop and grassland production and disease control. WP2.1.6. ‘Integrated Pest Management’. £86k. Role=Principal investigator.
2017-2021: RESAS Strategic Research Programme- WP2.3 Productive and sustainable land management. WP2.3.9 ‘Integrated Farming Systems’ £38k. WP2.3.12. ‘Uptake of best practice’ £35k.Role=Co-investigator.
2017-2021: 'Integrated Pest Management approaches to achieve a high feed value crop of winter barley through use of varietal mixtures'. Mains of Loirston trust funded project. £34k. Role=Principal investigator.
2015-2017: 'Establishing a Platform for Integrated Pest Management in Irish Crops’. Department of Agriculture Fisheries and the Marine Research Stimulus funded project. £200k. Role=Co-investigator.
2013-2016: 'Coordinating Organic plant BReeding Activities for diversity. CORE organic II funded project. €3 million. Role=Co-investigator.
2010-2014: 'Strategies for Organic and Low-input Integrated Breeding And Management' European Commision Seventh Framework (FP7) funded project. €8 million. Role=Co-investigator.
2009-2013: 'The role of genotypic diversity in stabilizing plant productivity in variable environments’ BBSRC funded project. £150k. Role=PhD student.
Education/Academic qualification
PGCert , Tertiary and Higher Education, University of the Highlands and Islands
1 Oct 2019 → 1 Aug 2020
Award Date: 1 Sept 2020
PhD, The role of genotypic diversity in stabilizing plant productivity in variable environments, John Innes Centre
1 Oct 2009 → 30 Sept 2013
Award Date: 1 Jul 2014
Master, Advanced Methods in Taxonomy and Biodiversity, Imperial College London
1 Oct 2008 → 1 Sept 2009
Award Date: 1 Sept 2010
Bachelor, Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia
2005 → 2008
Award Date: 1 Jul 2008
External positions
Advisor, NRI/ Univeristy of Greenwich
Jan 2021 → …
Advisor, The Voluntary Initiative
Apr 2020 → …
Expert, British Crop Production Council
Mar 2020 → …
Keywords
- S Agriculture (General)
- Applied Plant Pathology
- Integrated Pest Management
- Agronomy
- Sustainable Crop Production
- Crop Disease Management
- Farmer behaviour
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Network
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Understanding farmer / agronomist perceptions for decision making in crop health and the impact of that on key metrics such as IPM scores and pesticide usage
Creissen, H., Botero Degiovanni, H., Maloney, K. & Burgess, P.
27/02/23 → 30/11/23
Project: Research
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RESAS 22-27: Jhi-a1-2 Development And Implementation Of Tools, Strategies, And Stakeholder Engagement To Understand Threats And Improve Disease Management In Practice
Creissen, H., Botero Degiovanni, H., Burnett, F., Gorniak, K., Kennedy, C., Kiltie, D., Bain, R., Bingham, I., Yoxall, T., Laing, A., Burnett, F., Havis, N., Rees, H., Kaczmarek, M., Fortune, J., Botero Degiovanni, H. & Jones, L.
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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RESAS 22-27: Jhi-a1-1 Understanding Of The Principal Drivers Of Pest And Disease Incidence, Severity, And Spread In Scotland, And The Factors Currently Limiting Effective Disease Control
Havis, N., Yoxall, T., Topp, K., Creissen, H. & Jones, L.
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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‘Disease management and yield of winter barley grown under different tillage regimes
1/09/19 → 31/03/24
Project: Research
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IPM Non Broadacre Crop Review
Bowsher-Gibbs, M., Burnett, F. & Creissen, H.
1/11/21 → 28/02/22
Project: Consultancy
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Perceptions of pest risk and differences in IPM uptake by arable farmers and agronomists in Scotland
Creissen, H. E. & Meador, JE., 16 Nov 2022, Plant Health Centre. 46 p.Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Commissioned report › peer-review
Open AccessFile30 Downloads (Pure) -
Review and guidance for integrated management of economically significant weeds, pests and diseases in a range of horticultural and other edible field crops.
Young, C., Cook, S., Wedgwood, E., Bennison, J., Bartel, E., Blake, J., Huckle, A., Allen, J., Godfrey, K., Eyre, C., Butters, L., Rees, H. J., Bowsher-Gibbs, M. & Creissen, H. E., Mar 2022, Agricultural And Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). 63 p.Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Commissioned report
Open Access -
Effectiveness of varietal resistance and risk prediction for the control of ramularia leaf spot of barley under Irish growing conditions
Mulhare, J., Creissen, H. E. & Kildea, S., Jan 2021, In: Crop Protection. 139, 105317.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)32 Downloads (Pure) -
Exploring the twitterverse
Meador, JE., Creissen, H. E. & Williams, AW., Jul 2021, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC). 15 p.Research output: Book/Report/Policy Brief/Technical Brief › Research brief
Open AccessFile121 Downloads (Pure) -
Identifying the drivers and constraints to adoption of IPM among arable farmers in the UK and Ireland
Creissen, H. E., Jones, P., Tranter, R., Girling, R., Jess, S., Burnett, F., Gaffney, M., Thorne, F. & Kildea, S., Sept 2021, In: Pest Management Science. 77, 9, p. 4148-4158 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Citations (Scopus)83 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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'Reducing Inputs: Integrated Pest Management' (Webinar)
Henry Creissen (Speaker)
22 Feb 2023Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Scottish Society for Crops Research (External organisation)
Henry Creissen (Member)
2023Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee
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British Crop Production Council (External organisation)
Henry Creissen (Member)
19 Jan 2023 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee
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IPM experiences from Scotland
Henry Creissen (Speaker)
10 Mar 2023Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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AHDB Monitor Farm meeting: Measuring the unmeasurable – how to quantify IPM
Henry Creissen (Speaker)
27 Jan 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
Press/Media
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Integrated Pest Management: You're probably already doing it.
Henry Creissen & Fiona Burnett
13/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
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Integrated Pest Management's top tips from high scoring farms - The Scottish Farmer
11/03/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
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Cropcast: Podcast on IPM - Farm Advisory Service
Henry Creissen & Fiona Burnett
24/11/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media
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