Plant & Soil Ecology

• Increasing global demand for food, feed and energy crops requires sustainable intensification of agriculture, which must occur without impact on biodiversity or the environment.
• We have a strong research team that integrates knowledge of molecular genetics, root physiology, environmental microbiology, soil chemistry and physics.
• We study how plants and microorganisms interact with the soil to provide the resources for crop production, and how biotas improve their environment to make it more resilient to the stresses of land use and climate change.
• We assess the impacts of biotic and abiotic challenges to the health of soil ecosystems and deliver strategies for higher-yielding, lower-input cropping-systems.

Yield, Quality, Plant Physiology (Philip White)

Crop Models, Imaging Systems (Lionel Dupuy)

Root Traits, Physical Interactions (Tracy Valentine)

Root Soil Dynamics (Glyn Bengough)

Plant Physiology, Rhizosphere, Microbiology (Eric Patterson)

Root Physiology, Rhizosphere Biochemistry (Tim George)

Above-below ground Interactions, Plant Fungal (Alison Bennett)

Plant Soil Interactions, Soil Ecosystem Function (Tim Daniell)

Plant Ecophysiology, Carbon/Nitrogen Cycles (Pete Millard)

Soil Ecology, Nematology (Roy Neilson)

Microbial Diversity, Organic Matter Turnover (Steve Chapman)

Functional Soil Biodiversity, Soil Quality Indicators (Heleina Black)