I am a researcher and lecturer with over 25 years experience in crop and soil systems research, teaching and KE delivery. I am programme lead for the distance learning MSc in Agricultural Professional Practice and have been teaching into the Organic Farming distance learning MSc for over 15 years. My research focuses on low input cropping systems and how these can be managed more efficiently in terms of the balance between production, economics and environmental factors. I am also interested in how to optimise the integration of crops, grassland and livestock. Areas of interest include:

• Diversity in cropping systems
• Rotational effects on cropping systems, both organic and non-organic.
• Environmental impacts of crops, their varieties and their role in rotations within agricultural ecosystems.
• Crop / soil nutrient dynamics within cropping / farming systems (particularly N, P, trace elements and organic matter).
• Improving the optimization / integration of leguminous species / varieties into cropping systems with an emphasis on intercropping.
• Home grown protein cropping options
• Cover crops & green manures

Involvement in selected research projects as a collaborator:

EU MIXED 2020-2024 (Euro 7 million)

Scottish Organic Canola (SCOCAN) 2019-2020 (£30K lead)

Loirston Trust – Diverse Herbal Leys 2019-2022 (£15K lead)

Loirston / Cruickshank Trust - Historical Cereal Varieties 2019-2020 (£8.5K lead)

EU Legume Translated 2018-2022 (Euro 2.2 million)

AHDB Soils Programme Research Partnership: Management for Soil Biology and Health 2017-2021 (£1 million)

EU ReMIX 2017-2021 (Euro 5 million)

WP2.1.8 Novel Crops 2016-2022 (Scottish Government RESAS)

WP2.3.8 Alternative Management Practices 2016-2022 (Scottish Government RESAS)

EU Legume Futures 2010 - 2014 (Euro 4.1 million)

EU Climate Cafe 2015-2018 (Euro 2.1 million)

PhD student - Verena Schmidt - Pasture-associated laminitis in ponies: The grassroots! (2020-2024)

PhD student - Catriona Willoughby - Designing Crop Rotations that are fit for the Future. (2019-2023)

PhD student - Rose Boyko - Investigation of the impact soil pH management has on Scotland’s grassland productivity (2018-2022)

PhD student - Samantha Dolan - Topsoil and Subsoil Phosphorus Dynamics: Evidence from long-term experiments (2015-2019)

PhD student - Anastasia Fountouli - Are pH driven shifts to soil physical structure caused by chemical or biological process? (2013-2017)

Also supervisor for numerous MSc and Honours year student presentations.

MSc Agricultural Professional Practice - distance learning: Programme leader and Core Team member 

Topical Issues in Modern Agriculture - module lead

MSc Organic Farming - distance learning: Core Team member

Organic Crop and Grassland Production - module lead

Soils and Nutrient Cycling - module lead