Alison Karley

Agroecologist
Ecological Sciences
T: +44 (0)1382 568820

Ali is an agroecologist with over 25 years’ experience in plant production and ecology. Ali leads the ‘Integrated Cropping Systems’ team within the Agroecology Group and currently leads the institute’s Science Challenge of supporting sustainable and resilient communities through social, economic and technical innovations. Her work contributes towards Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM) research at the Institute: for details of ongoing IPM research, please visit the IPM@hutton website.

Research

As pressure mounts to reduce dependence on agri-inputs, accompanied by uncertainty about the effects of climate change on crop production, the importance of diversifying agroecosystems for future sustainability is increasingly being realised. Ali’s research tests alternative cropping practices and pest control strategies to reduce reliance on external inputs and increase resilience to environmental stress. Her recent research has shaped current concepts about, and provided supporting evidence for, the design, management and ecological benefits of diversified agricultural systems and how to select crop types that optimise system functions. As co-ordinator of DIVERSify (EU Horizon 2020: 2017-2021), she led a consortium of 25 EU and international partner organisations to understand and demonstrate the benefits of mixed species cropping and identify crop species and cultivars that perform optimally when intercropped.

Ali works with scientists from diverse disciplines and actor groups, including farmers, agricultural industries, policy advisors and knowledge transfer organisations, to gain a cross-disciplinary understanding of the challenges of alternative cropping practices and the opportunities for innovation. Her work takes a collaborative approach with agricultural stakeholders in the UK and internationally to find out what knowledge already exists, where we can build on this with new research, including through on-farm participatory research and co-innovation, and how we can use open science to share data and new knowledge with the people who need it.

She is co-Chair of the Executive Committee for the annual Arable Scotland event, a member of the Impact Advisory Board for the University of St Andrews School of Mathematics, and an Associate Editor for Ecological Entomology.

  • NIHR Global Health research Group ‘Global CFaH’ 2022-2025 (£2.9M) (Co-I)
  • MDT Fellowship ‘Sustainable Food Systems’ 2023-2026 (£247K) (PI)
  • Darwin Partnership Award ‘Malawi-AgroBio’ 2021-2022 (£10K) (PI)
  • Scottish Government ‘EndoScot’ 2020-2023 (£66.5K) (Co-I)
  • EU Horizon 2020 ‘FRAMEwork’ 2020-2025 (€1.4M) (Co-I)
  • AHDB ‘Soft Fruit IPM’ 2020-2022 (£444K) (Co-I)
  • GCRF ‘ClimateSmart’ 2020-2022 (£50K) (Co-I)
  • Mains of Loirston ‘NOVELLA’ 2019-2023 (£47K) (Co-I)
  • Esmée Fairburn Foundation ‘SEAMS’ 2019-2023 (£400K) (Co-I)
  • Innovate UK ‘CherryBerry’ 2018-2021 (£734K) (Co-I)
  • EU Horizon 2020 ‘MiRA’ 2017-2021 (€3.65M) (Co-I
  • EU Horizon 2020 ‘DIVERSify’ 2017-2021 (€5M)

Publications

The following Publications have not yet been migrated to the James Hutton Institute's Pure service and relate to the research outputs from the two legacy organisations: The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and The Scottish Crop Research Institute.

Journals

Books / chapters

  • White, P.J.; Karley, A.J. (2010) Potassium., In: Hell, R. & Mendel, R. (eds.). Plant Cell Monographs, 17, Cell Biology of Metals and Nutrients. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp199-224.
  • White, P.J.; Bengough, A.G.; Bingham, I.J.; George, T.S.; Karley, A.J.; Valentine, T.A. (2009) Induced mutations affecting root architecture and mineral acquisition in barley., In: Shu, Q.Y. (ed.). Induced Plant Mutations in the Genomics Era. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, pp381-384
  • Karley, A.J.; Marshall, B. (2007) Functional-structural modelling as a potential tool to assess the impact of resource competition on arable communities., In: Vos, J., Marcelis, L.F.M., de Visser, P.H.B., Struik, P.C. & Evers, J.B. (eds.). Functional-Structural Plant Modelling in Crop Production. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp231-241.

Technical / contract reports

  • Squire, G.R.; Begg, G.S.; Hawes, C.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; James, E.K.; Karley, A.J.; Young, M.W. (2011) Scotland’s wild arable plants., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2010, pp21-23.
  • Karley, A.J.; Johnson, S.N.; Clark, E.; McMenemy, L.S. (2010) Insect herbivore-microbe interactions: impacts on insect fitness and behaviour., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2009, pp23-24.
  • Johnson, S.N.; Karley, A.J.; Hawes, C.; Mitchell, C. (2008) Aboveground-belowground trophic linkages., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2007, pp40-41.
  • Iannetta, P.P.M.; Begg, G.S.; Wishart, J.; Young, M.W.; Karley, A.J.; Valentine, T.A.; Hawes, C.; Squire, G.R. (2006) Common wild plants as biodiversity indicators., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2006, pp42-43.
  • Karley, A.J.; Marshall, B.; Young, M.W.; Holroyde, S.; Wright, G.M.; Squire, G.R. (2004) Plant archtecture and structural-functioning modelling., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2003/2004, pp157-159.

Conference papers

  • Johnson, S.N.; Karley, A.J. (2011) Root-feeders and aboveground multi-trophic interactions., 14th Symposium on Insect-Plant Interactions, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 13-18 August 2011.
  • Karley, A.J.; Hawes, C.; Valentine, T.A.; Johnson, S.N.; Toorop, P.E.; Squire, G.R.; Young, M.W.; Iannetta, P.P.M. (2011) Can arable weeds contribute to ecosystem service provision? Functional diversity in shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris L. Medik.)., Aspects of Applied Biology, Agricultural Ecology Research: Its role in delivering sustainable farm systems, Dundee, 15-16 June 2011, 109, pp31-38.
  • Young, M.W.; Hawes, C.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; James, E.K.; Karley, A.J.; Squire, G.R. (2011) Increasing the sustainability of arable yield and reducing the dependence on chemical N fertilisers., Aspects of Applied Biology, Agricultural Ecology Research: Its role in delivering sustainable farm systems, Dundee, 15-16 June 2011, 109, pp81-86.
  • Karley, A.J.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Valentine, T.A.; Bingham, I.J.; Hoad, S.; Young, M.W.; Squire, G.R. (2010) Impact of plant traits on nitrogen-efficiency and compartmentation in arable systems., Association of Applied Biologists – Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Plants and Crops, Olde Barn Hotel, Marston, Lincs, UK 15-16 December 2010. Aspects of Applied Biology, 105, 89-96.
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Daniell, T.J.; Wishart, J.; Hubbard, S.F. (2009) The community composition and influence on aphid performance of the bacteria associated with the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae., 8th International Symposium on Aphids, Catania, Italy, 8-12 June 2009.
  • Cook, N.; Karley, A.J.; Russell, J.R.; Hubbard, S.F. (2008) Population genetics of farmland sawflies., Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Reno, NV, USA, 16-19 November 2008.
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Daniell, T.J.; Wishart, J.; Hubbard, S.F. (2008) The bacteria associated with the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae): their community composition and influence on aphid performance., Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Reno, NV, USA, 16-19 November 2008.
  • Squire, G.R.; Hawes, C.; Begg, G.S.; Karley, A.J.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Young, M.W. (2008) Cumulative impacts of GM herbicide-tolerant cropping on arable plants assessed through species-based and functional taxonomies., Theorie in der Ekologie 14, Bremen, Germany, 2-4 April 2008.
  • Karley, A.J.; Binnie, K.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Valentine, T.A.; Wright, G.M.; Young, M.W. (2008) Crop traits for crop-weed coexistence in reduced input arable systems., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2008, Imperial College, London, 3-5 September 2008.
  • Falconer, F.; Wheatley, R.E.; Karley, A.J. (2008) Nitrification rates in soils of potato and barley fields receiving carbon amendments., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2008, Imperial College, London, 3-5 September 2008.
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Daniell, T.J.; Hubbard, S.F. (2008) Molecular characterisation of the community composition of secondary symbiont bacteria associated with the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae, to test their influence on aphid-virus-parasitoid interactions., Royal Entomology Society Meeting of the Insect Endosymbionts Special Interest Grou, University of Reading, 7 May 2008.
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Hubbard, S.F. (2007) Multitrophic factors influencing aphid vector competence in a spatially heterogeneous environment., Royal Entomological Society Aphid Special Interest Group Meeting, University of Birmingham, 22 June 2007.
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Hubbard, S.F. (2007) Using molecular techniques to characterise and quantify the secondary endosymbionts of the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae)., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting. Glasgow, 10-12 September 2007.
  • Valentine, T.A.; Karley, A.J.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Bengough, A.G. (2007) Genetic variation and interactions of root traits involved in plant:soil physical interactions., Rhizosphere 2, Montpellier, France, 26-31 August 2007.
  • Karley, A.J.; Marshall, B. (2006) Functional-structural modelling as a tool to assess the impact of competition for light and nutrients on arable communities., FRONTIS International Workshop, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 5-8 March 2006.
  • Karley, A.J.; Valentine, T.A.; Greig, J.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Squire, G.R. (2006) How does root morphology and response to nutrients relate to life history traits in ecotypes of Capsella bursa-pastoris?, 14th New Phytologist Symposium, The Royal Society, London, 23-24 January 2006.

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Valentine, T.A.; Karley, A.J.; Squire, G.R.; Hawes, C.; Hallett, P.D.; Bengough, A.G. (2011) Soil physical indicators: matching root traits to soil physical constraints., Rhizosphere 3 International Conference, Perth, Australia, 25-30 September 2011. (Poster)
  • Graham, J.; Johnson, S.N.; Karley, A.J.; Mitchell, C.; Woodhead, M.; Brennan, R.M.; Cooke, D.E.L. (2011) How root and leaf traits of soft fruit help resist pest and pathogen attack., Fruit for the Future, Dundee, 14 July 2011. (Poster)
  • Aslam, T.; Johnson, S.N.; Karley, A.J. (2011) Climate change and multi-trophic interactions: Plant mediated effects of drought on pedator-prey dynamics., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2011, University of Sheffield, 12-14 September 2011. (Poster)
  • Anandanadesan, A.; Chaplin, M.A.J.; Karley, A.J.; Hubbard, S.F.; Schofield, P.G. (2011) Mathematical modelling of the spatio-temporal dynamics of aphid-parasitoid-plant-virus interactions., Association of Applied Biologists – Agricultural Ecology Research: It’s Role in Delivering Sustainable Farm Systems, Dundee, 15-16 June 2011 (Poster).
  • Anandanadesan, A.; Chaplain, M.; Hubbard, S.F.; Karley, A.J. (2010) Mathematical modelling of the spatio-temporal dynamics of aphid-parasitoid-plant-virus interactions., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2010, Leeds, 7-9 September 2010 (Poster).
  • Clarke, H.; Karley, A.J.; Hubbard, S.F.; Cullen, D.W. (2010) Manipulating the secondary symbionts of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2010, Leeds, 7-9 September 2010 (Poster).
  • Clark, E.; Karley, A.J.; Hubbard, S.F.; Daniell, T.J. (2008) Using molecular techniques to characterise and quantify the eubacteria associated with the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae)., Royal Entomological Society Aphid Special Interest Group, Edinburgh, 22 August 2008 (Poster).
  • White, P.J.; Bengough, A.G.; Bingham, I.J.; George, T.S.; Karley, A.J.; Valentine, T.A. (2008) Induced mutations affecting root architecture and mineral acquisition in barley., Joint FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Induced Mutations in Plants, Vienna, Austria, 12-15 August 2008, 143.
  • Valentine, T.A.; Karley, A.J.; Binnie, K.; Post, J.; Young, M.W.; Wright, G.M.; Marshall, B.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Bengough, A.G. (2006) Plant growth responses to soil physical constraints., ESF – Wellcome Trust Conference, Cambridge, 8-11 November 2006. (Poster)
  • Karley, A.J.; Hawes, C.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Squire, G.R. (2005) Functional diversity in Capsella bursa-pastoris – the impact on insect herbivores., Abstracts of the Annual Main Meeting of Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) Annual Meeting, Barcelona, Spain, 11-15 July 2005 (Talk). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 141, S227.
  • Karley, A.J.; Valentine, T.A.; Haggarty, M.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Squire, G.R. (2005) Does root morphology and nutrient acquisition explain life history traits in ecotypes of Capsella bursa-pastoris?, Scottish Plant Molecular Biology Meeting, February 2005 (Poster).

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