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Blair McKenzie

Staff picture: Blair McKenzie
Ecological Sciences
Ecological Sciences
Plant-soil Biophysicist
Blair.McKenzie@hutton.ac.uk
+44 (0)1382 568790

The James Hutton Institute
Invergowrie
Dundee DD2 5DA
Scotland UK

 

Current research interests

Managing soil to maintain key functions such as food production, storing and filtering water, and preserving biodiversity has been an ongoing goal of my research and comes from understanding the interactions between soil, water and root growth for sustainable agriculture. Here I use agriculture in the broadest sense as I have interests ranging from perennial horticulture to crofting in the Machair of the Western Isles. I have conducted agricultural research based on managing the soil from the tropics through to temperate climates.

My research has built on understanding the interactions of individual roots or organisms such as earthworms with the soil. From the small scale I am interested to generalise into developing novel ways to screen crops for their ability to cope with physical stresses that manifest through the soil. In particular these stresses include water deficit and excess, mechanical impedance and aeration.

Related to this is investigating the influence of soil structure and strength on root growth and architecture. Because soil and crop conditions vary in time as well as space (e.g. depth in the soil) there is a need to quantify spatial and temporal variability in soil physical conditions for root growth, using approaches such as the least limiting water range.

Major threats to soil and its ability to provide a suitable environment for crops to prosper are erosion and compaction. These threats are often linked. Maintaining soil in a soft, stable condition and preventing the loss of soil are keys to preserving all the functions that soil is expected to deliver.

Externally funded research

Current, substantially-funded external projects:

  • I manage the Scottish component of the ADAS lead project Practical cost-effective techniques to reduce pollution from tramlines in combinable crops: a field and catchment scale evaluation funded by DEFRA Link until 31 March 2014.
  • HGCA have recently funded a James Hutton team (Paul Hallett, Blair McKenzie, Adrian Newton, Tim George and Tracy Valentine) and Ron Stobart of NIAB TAG to deliver Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments until 31 October 2016.
  • Potato Council has funded a related project at the James Hutton Institute (Blair McKenzie, Paul Hallett and Tim George) in collaboration with Cambridge University Farm (Mark Stalham).

Postgraduate students

Currently I co-supervise three postgraduate students.

  • Tim Lewis: Soil Erosion and Seed Banks: The Links for Sustainable Farming.
  • Elizabeth Young: Landscape and sediment sensitivity in the machair landscape of the southern Outer Hebrides.
  • Craig Baxter: Redistribution of soil fauna by erosion: using nematodes as a model organism.

I am also the James Hutton contact for NERC case funded student Sarah McCormack: Effects of biochar on soil biological communities and carbon turnover working with University of Lancaster and CEH Edinburgh.

External duties

Past research

I completed a BAgSc (Hons1) at the University of Adelaide in 1984 and a PhD from the same university in 1988 for research on the interactions between earthworms and soil physics. From 1989 until 2003 I was lecturer then senior lecturer in soil physics at La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was appointed to the Institute in 2003.

Bibliography

  • Mueller, L.; Blum, W.E.H.; Schenk, W.; Romanenkov, V.; Sychev, V.G.; Jones, M.; Kowarik, I.; Ball, B.C.; McKenzie, B.M.; Gerasimova, M.; Dronin, N.N.; Kazakov, L.K.; Kravchenko, V.V.; Bukvareva, E.; Sheudzhen, A.K.; Saparov, A.; Abuduwaili, J.; Kosolapov, V.M.; Schindler, U.; Mirschel, W.; Schnug, E.; Ewert, F.; Eulenstein, F., (2018) About landscapes and their utilisation: status and trends of landscape research processes., In: Sychev, V.G. & Mueller, L. (eds.). Novel Methods and Results of Landscape Research in Europe, Central Asia and Siberia. Volume 1 Landscapes in the 21st Century: Status Analyses, Basic Processes and Research Concepts. Federal State Budgetary Institution, Moscow, pp16-25.
  • Mueller, L.; Eulenstein, F.; McKenzie, B.M.; Schindler, U.; Mirschel, W., (2018) Tillage depth and crop yields: re-evaluation of late Holocene soil tillage trials in Eastern and Central Europe processes., In: Sychev, V.G. & Mueller, L. (eds.). Novel Methods and Results of Landscape Research in Europe, Central Asia and Siberia. Volume 4 Optimising Agricultural landscapes. Federal State Budgetary Institution, Moscow, pp312-319.
  • Gorman, A.; McKenzie, B.M.; Rowan, J.S.; Neilson, R., (2018) Understanding the interactions of nematodes with soil during landscape redistribution processes., In: Sychev, V.G. & Mueller, L. (eds.). Novel Methods and Results of Landscape Research in Europe, Central Asia and Siberia. Volume 1 landscapes in the 21st Century: Status Analyses, Basic Processes and Research Concepts. Federal State Budgetary Institution, Moscow, pp195-199.
  • McKenzie, B.M.; Tisdall, J.M.; Vance, W.H., (2011) Soil physical quality., In: Glinski, J., Horabik, J. & Lipiec, J. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Agrophysics. Encyclopaedia of Earth Sciences Series, Springer, The Netherlands, Part 18, 770-777.

  • Lilly, A.; Baggaley, N.J.; Loades, K.W.; McKenzie, B.M.; Troldborg, M., (2018) Soil erosion and compaction in Scottish soils: adapting to a changing climate., ClimateXChange Report, 21pp.
  • McKenzie, B.M.; Stalham.,M.; Hallett, P.D., (2018) Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments - potatoes., Final Report to AHDB Potatoes, Reference No. 11140022, Report No. 2018/3, 88pp.
  • Whitmore, A.; Watts, C.W.; Sizmur, T.; Ebrahim, S.M.; Pawlett, M.; Harris, J.; Ritz, K.; Wallace, P.; White, E.; Stobart, R.; McKenzie, B.M., (2017) Improvement of soil structure and crop yield by adding organic matter to soil., AHDB Project Report No 576, 152pp.
  • McKenzie, B.M.; Stobart, R.; Brown, J.L.; George, T.S.; Morris, N.; Newton, A.C.; Valentine, T.A.; Hallett, P.D., (2017) Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments., AHDB Final Report RD-2012-3786, 178pp.
  • Wheatley, R.E; McKenzie, B.M; Hallett, P.D; Wright, P.; Loades, K.W., (2012) Quality Green Compost Amendments and Cultivation and Equipment Wear ORI003-003., Zero Waste Scotland Report, 31 March 2012.
  • Wheatley, R.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Donn, S., (2011) Further studies on the slope at Riverside - Re:- OBF009-47 - Monitoring of engineered slope at the Riverside landfill site, Report to WRAP, 31 March 2011.
  • Bengough, A.G.; Hallett, P.D.; Loades, K.W.; McKenzie, B.M.; Wheatley, R.E., (2011) Green engineering for sustainable environmental solutions., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2010, pp12-13.
  • Davis, J.; McKenzie, B.M.; White, P.; Towers, W.; Coull, M.C., (2011) Agricultural applications for calcium sulphate filter cake and reclaimed gypsum in Scotland., Report for William Tracey Recycling and Resource Management Group.
  • Valentine, T.A.; Bengough, A.G.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M., (2010) Root traits for a changing physical environment., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2009, pp13-14.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Aspinall, R.J.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Buchan, K.; Donnelly, D.; Hawes, C.; McCrum, G.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.; Miller, D.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Squire, G.; Toma, L., (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., Final Report, RERAD, Scottish Government, November 2009, pp156.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Aspinall, R.J.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Buchan, K.; Donnelly, D.; Hawes, C.; McCrum, G.; McKenzie, B.; Matthews, K.B.; Miller, D.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Squire, G.; Toma, L., (2009) Changing land use in rural Scotland - drivers and decision makers., Rural Land Use Study Project 1. Scottish Government Social Research.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Hawes, C.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.B.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Toma, L., (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., Inception Report, RERAD, Scottish Government.
  • Miller, D.R.; Schwarz, G.; Sutherland, L.A.; Morrice, J.G.; Barnes, A.; Blackstock, K.L.; Hawes, C.; McKenzie, B.M.; Matthews, K.B.; Renwick, A.; Smith, M.; Toma, L., (2009) Rural land use study 1: Drivers and decision-making., First Progress Report, RERAD, Scottish Government.
  • Wheatley, R.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Donn, S., (2009) Compost in Soil Eco-engineering - benefits to plant root reinforcement and surface erosion., Report to WRAP, 30 November 2009.
  • Bengough, A.G.; Hallett, P.D.; McKenzie, B.M.; Valentine, T.A.; Wuyts, N., (2006) Dynamics of root-soil systems., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2006, pp40-41.
  • Birch, A.N.E.; Boag, B.; Newton, A.C.; Gordon, S.C.; Fenton, B.; Malloch, G.; Hallett, P.D.; Iannetta, P.P.M.; Stephens, S.E.; Neilson, S.; Wright, G.M.; Marshall, B.; McKenzie, B.M.; Squire, G.R.; Gill, P.; Wheatley, R.E., (2004) The SCRI LEAF Innovation Centre: Agro-ecosystem research which develops and promotes sustainable agriculture strategies and policies for Scotland, UK and Europe., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2003/2004, pp107-114.
  • Bengough, A.G.; Croser, C.; Kirby, J.M.; Young, I.M.; Pritchard, J.; McKenzie, B.M., (1998) Physics and physiology of root growth in soil., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 1997/98, pp134-135.

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The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.