Experience

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  Rothamsted Research

  • Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ

  • Soil Science & Agricultural Engineer

    • May 2004 - Present
    • Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ

    I have many years’ experience in the study of sustainable soil management systems ranging from the design and testing of novel and commercially successful cultivation equipment to the measurement of processes responsible for the aggregation of clays and their role in sequestering soil organic carbon. In support of these activities I have used my engineering knowledge to design a number of pieces of novel laboratory and field test equipment. I am the author of more than 100 papers, technical and contract reports. These include almost 60 refereed papers in high impact factor journals plus two book chapters.My career has three distinct though overlapping strands:i) Use of engineering principles in the design testing and evaluation of novel tillage equipment for commercial companies and in support of long-term field experiments evaluating the efficiency of different tillage and field traffic techniques.ii) The use of engineering, soil and material science principles to develop a number of physically based measures of soil quality. The provisions of robust measures of soil physical quality combined with accessible advice on soil management form vital components of a sustainable and productive UK agricultureiii) The utilization of engineering, geotechnical and soil science techniques to facilitate practical measures of soil and root physical characteristics that are relevant to crop growth and soil environmental function.Food security, global and environmental change, together with the requirement for sustainable development are all issues of great importance that face the world today. As an agricultural engineer and soil physicist I am well placed in concert with my colleagues to address many of these problems and find practical solutions. My work helps provide a solid foundation to a better understanding of the effects of agricultural management on sustainable soil function and on practical ways of improving crop production and soil quality.

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  Silsoe Research

  • Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HA

  • Soil Science Agricultural Engineer

    • Jul 1978 - May 2004
    • Silsoe, Bedfordshire, MK45 4HA