My research interests focus on the synthesis and analysis of data and information from cropping and livestock systems. Key interests include:

• long-term cropping experiments
• impact of agricultural systems impact on the environment 
• the role of legumes on the sustainability of cropping systems
• rotation management on the sustainability of the system
• nutrient flows/budgets in agricultural systems
• GHG emissions from farming systems
• impact of disease on crop production
• impact of climate on agricultural systems

2021 - current Exploring host-microbiota interactions for improved crop health and food safety (Eastbio Studentship)

2018 - current Developing a “toolkit" of statistical approaches for cropping systems research 

2017-2021 Advantages of using detailed data to quantify socio-environmental aspects of agricultural systems

2017-2020 Modelling climate change impacts on European grassland-based livestock systems 

2016-2020 Towards supporting cohesive decision making across water, energy and food through understanding challenges in Malawi

2014-2018 Developing an environmental calculator for application in the beef industry

2014-2020 The opportunities to understand and improve nutrient assessment within a Scottish Nitrate Vulnerable Zone

2014-2018 Simulating soil N2O emissions from the arable soils of Scotland

2013-2017 Potential for Integrated Pest Management to reduce the need for fungicide use

Co-ordinator for MSc Sustainability of Food Production module.

Editorial roles

Agricultural Systems - Editor

Agriculture Ecosystems and the Environment - Editorial Board Member

Annals of Applied Biology - Guest Editor for Special Issue on Legumes

Agronomy Journal - Guest Editor Climate Factors Contribute to Grassland Net Primary Productivity

Contribution to reports

Contributed to The Third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Technical Report - published in 2021

Committee Roles

Association of Applied Biologists - Convenor of the Cropping and the Environment Group  and Council member

Stapledon Trust - Trustee and Committee member

Conferences Organising

GHG and ammonia mitigation 2022 (organised with AAB)

Crop production with reduced pesticide and fertiliser inputs to reduce carbon footprints (AAB 2021 - supporting organisers)

Advances in Legume Science and Practice 2 (organised with AAB, 2021)

Intercropping for sustainability (AAB 2021 - supporting role)

Current:

2022-2025 MI BICYCLE: Mitigation and Adaptation through Better biomass Cycling in Crop Livestock systems of North and West Europe (WP3 co-lead)

2021-2025 H2020 Multi-actor and transdisciplinary development of efficient and resilient mixed farming and agroforestry system (WP2 co-lead)

2021-2022 SFC UIF 2020/21 ACE Platform (lead)

2021-2022 SFC UIF 2020/21 Plant protein choices for Scotland - a research and industry partnership

2021-2022 Defra Review of Opportunities for Diversifying UK Agriculture through Investment in Underutilised Crops (SRUC co-lead)

2021 Defra  Scoping Study on the Opportunities and Barriers of Improved Forages for Livestock Sustainability and Productivity (SRUC co-lead)

2018-2022 H2020 Legumes Translated

2019-2022 ERA-NET Increasing productivity and sustainability of European plant protein production by closing the grain legume yield gap

Previous (selected):

2017-2021 H2020 Redesigning European cropping systems based on species MIXtures (ReMix)

2017-2021 ERA-NET Improved estimation and mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions and soil carbon storage from crop residues (ResidueGas)

2018-2020 NERC SARIC SARIC Translation: Grassland Management

2016-2019 BBSRC Newton Fund N-CIRCLE: Virtual Joint centre for Closed-Loop Cycling of Nitrogen in Chinese Agriculture