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The
Department of Soil Science is 5-rated in a research field that is
little represented elsewhere in British universities. The
Department has 12 academic and academically related staff of
which 9 are centrally funded. There are about fifty postgraduate
students in the Department. The research is concerned with the
role of soils in environmental functionality. The work is carried
out from molecular studies to global impact studies. Field
research, laboratory experiments and modelling techniques are
utilised to develop a thorough understanding of the earth system.
Currently active areas of research include: Application
of geostatistical analysis to issues of micro-precision
agricultural practice and human health issues; Biogeochemistry
and fate of agricultural nutrients in the soil and water
environments; Use of x-ray tomography to investigate dynamics of
root growth in soils and interactions between roots and pests;
Novel techniques for the study of diversity and activity of soil
microorganism; The nature and function of natural soil systems in
relation to their conservation value.
Phosphate has
always been a key concern of the Department in relation to soil
fertility and crop production. Since his arrival in the
department in 1996, Dr Robinson has obtained NERC, Defra (UK
government) and EU funding to establish his own research theme on
phosphorus biogeochemistry with wider implications for
environmental quality and sustainable farming systems. The
current PROTECTOR project builds upon this theme, as well
as on Dr Robinson’s PhD thesis (Factors influencing the
dissolution of phosphate rock) which yielded five publications in
internationally recognised scientific journals.
Dr Geoff
Warren has worked on the projects "Residual value of
phosphate fertilizer in tropical soils", in collaboration
with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics), Hyderabad, and "Maintenance of Soil
Fertility and Organic Matter" in collaboration with Kenya
Agricultural Research Institute, funded by the UK Overseas
Development Administration (now DFID) and the Rockefeller
Foundation. He will supply (i) laboratory skills with a wide
range of methods (eg: flow-injection analysis, AA and ICP
spectrometry, scintillation counting) including the use of the
isotope 32P, (ii) design and execution of field,
glasshouse and soil incubation experiments to assess soil
dynamics of P, nutrients and contaminants, and (iii) statistical
experience in the interpretation of results using computing and
statistical methods.
The work of the Soil-Plant-Microbe
Interactions Team in Soil Science, led by Dr Martin Wood (Reader
in Soil Microbiology), is focused on the development and
application of novel techniques for studying biologically
mediated processes in soil, with a particular emphasis on
microbial processes. The main aims of the team are to improve our
understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in the the
cycling of nutrients and degradation of organic constituents by
soil microorganisms, and to relate these mechanisms to the
chemical and physical environment in soil at scales ranging from
the microscopic to the whole plant to the field-scale. Recent
developments include the application of GC-FAME and mass
spectrometry to determine the influence of organic and inorganic
amendments (including P fertilisers, manures and sewage sludges)
on microbial populations and functioning. In summary, the
Department is adequately staffed and equipped to supervise
technical personnel involved in a wide range of microbiological
techniques, including GC-FAME.
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The
PROTECTOR project is co-funded by the European Commission within
the 6th Framework Programme of RTD. Thematic Priority
5- Food Quality and Safety.
The author is solely responsible
for the content of this web page, which does not represent the
opinion of the European Community. The European Community is not
responsible for any use that might be made of data appearing
therein.
Terra Humana Ltd. - All right reserved. No part
of the internet site may be reproduced without prior written
permission of the copyright holder. The comprehensive PROTECTOR
method, apparatus and products are patented and protected by
international intellectual property rights.
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