Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
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
Projects
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)
Supervision
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.
Teaching
MSc Agricultural Professional Practice - distance learning: Programme leader and Core Team member
Topical Issues in Modern Agriculture - module lead
Professional Leadership & Management - module lead
MSc Organic Farming - distance learning: Core Team member
Organic Crop and Grassland Production - module lead
Soils and Nutrient Cycling - module lead
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, “Growth and nitrogen use of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown under reduced input conditions”, Department of Agriculture, Wye College, University of London
Award Date: 30 Apr 1999
Bachelor, Environmental Biology BSc (hons), University of Liverpool
Award Date: 14 Jul 1992
External positions
HRI Wellesbourne
1 Oct 1995 → 1 Jan 1999
Capespan UK
15 Jan 1993 → 15 Jul 1995
Fingerprint
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Network
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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RESAS 22-27: Jhi-d3-1 Healthy Soils For A Green Recovery
Watson, C., Parker, J., Bagnall, A., Buckingham, S., Hargreaves, P., Topp, K., Walker, R., Fraser, F. & Holden, N.
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
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Provision of agronomic trials for cultivation and use 2018-2023 Lot 2
30/06/18 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Historical varities of winter wheat, spring barley and spring oats at Woodlands field, Craibstone
2/03/20 → 1/04/21
Project: Research
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Exploring the inner workings of design-support experiments: Lessons from 11 multi-actor experimental networks for intercrop design
Sambelier, C., Aare, A. K., Bedoussac, L., Chongtham, I. R., de Buck, A., Dhamala, N. R., Dordas, C., Finckh, M. R., Hauggaard-Nielsen, H., Krysztoforski, M., Lund, S., Luske, B., Pinel, B., Timaeus, J., Virto, C., Walker, RL., Wendling, M. & Jeuffroy, M-H., Mar 2023, In: European Journal of Agronomy. 144, 126729.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Interplay: A game for the participatory design of locally adapted cereal–legume intercrops
Meunier, C., Casagrande, M., Rosies, B., Bedoussac, L., Topp, CFE., Walker, RL., Watson, CA. & Martin, G., Aug 2022, In: Agricultural Systems. 201, 103438.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Long-term evidence for ecological intensification as a pathway to sustainable agriculture
Maclaren, C., Mead, A., van Balen, D., Claessens, L., Etana, A., de Haan, J., Haagsma, W., Jack, O., Keller, T., Labuschagne, J., Myrbeck, A., Necpalova, M., Nzigueheba, G., Six, J., Strauss, J., Swanepoel, P., Thierfelder, C., Topp, CFE., Tshuma, F., Verstegen, H., & 4 others, Sep 2022, In: Nature Sustainability. 5, 9, p. 770-779 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Citations (Scopus)6 Downloads (Pure) -
New approach combining food value with nutrient budgeting provides insights into the value of alternative farming systems
Willoughby, C., Topp, CFE., Hallett, P. D., Stockdale, E., Stoddard, F. L., Walker, RL., Hilton, AJ. & Watson, CA., Nov 2022, In: Food and Energy Security. 11, 4, e427.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile15 Downloads (Pure) -
Soil pH influences the structure of virus communities at local and global scales
Lee, S., Sorensen, J. W., Walker, R. L., Emerson, J. B., Nicol, G. W. & Hazard, C., Mar 2022, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 166, 108569.Research output: Contribution to journal › Short communication › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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Cover Crops & Green Manures
Robin Walker (Speaker)
26 Jan 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Oral presentation
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CropCast - Cover Crops & Green Manures
Robin Walker (Speaker)
12 Jul 2022 → …Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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Protein Crops & Legumes
Robin Walker (Speaker)
22 Feb 2022Activity: Talk, evidence or presentation types › Invited talk
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EU MIXED
Robin Walker (Participant)
26 Apr 2022 → 29 Apr 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participating in a conference, workshop, ...
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Rothamsted Research, Harpenden Hertfordshire UK
Robin Walker (Visiting researcher)
9 Mar 2022 → 11 Mar 2022Activity: Visiting/partnership with an external institution type › Partnership with an external institution