Assessing the impacts of regenerative farming on UK lowland peatlands

Dr Nick Girkin (University of Nottingham), Dr Hannah Cooper (University of Nottingham), Julius Joel (G’s Growers)

BACKGROUND

The Cambridgeshire Fens are an extensively drained lowland peatland landscape, covering 4,000 km2 and an important contributor to UK food and nutritional security. UK lowland peatlands have an important role in climate regulation, acting as both sources and sinks for greenhouse gases (GHGs). Intact peatlands are an important carbon store, but degraded peatlands now account for 3.5% of total UK GHG emissions, resulting in substantial greenhouse gas footprints for food produced in the fens. Interest is growing in the potential of regenerative farming due to potential benefits for climate resilience, and emissions mitigation compared to conventional farming practices. However, significant uncertainty remains regarding the precise impacts of a transition to regenerative farming on peat soils, including for GHG emissions and crop yields/quality, and how these impacts scale to the farm and landscape. Moreover, we lack understanding of the impacts of different interventions at the scale of microbes, which are important for driving crop performance, and underpinning emissions. Collectively this limits the ability of farmers, supermarkets, policymakers and other stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding sustainable peatland management. This project will address these challenges.

OBJECTIVES AND APPROACHES

You will work to address the following objectives:

1: Synthesise the evidence for the impacts of regenerative farming practices and associated management (increasing water levels) on environmental processes (e.g. GHG emissions) and crop yields and quality on organic and peatland soils.

You achieve this, you will undertake a wide-ranging literature review, focussed on understanding the impacts of management of high carbon organic and peat soils on crop yields, emissions, and microbial community structure and function.

2: Assess the impacts of regenerative management on greenhouse emissions, crop yields, and soil health at field to farm scales.

You will undertake monitoring across a range of key conventional and sustainable management practices using sites across the Cambridgeshire Fens, working to identify how changes in management impact yields, soil health, soil carbon sequestration, microbial communities, and the production and emission of greenhouse gases.

3: Quantify the impacts of microbial inoculants on crop growth, soil microbial communities, and soil function.

You will undertake a fully-replicated mesocosm experiment under controlled conditions to explore the potential of emerging microbial inoculants on crop performance and soil health, integrating a range of methodologies to assess microbial community structure and function.

4: Explore the impacts of climate change on the resilience of crop yields, carbon sequestration, and emissions under new management practices.

You will use a widely used biogeochemical model (DNDC) to predict how changes in management will impact the resilience of crop yields, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions to further change, including climate warming, drought and salinity changes.

PRIMARY LOCATION OF THIS PHD

The student will be registered with and based at the University of Nottingham

TRAINING

At the University of Nottingham you will receive training in project specific skills from the supervisory team (laboratory and fieldwork skills, statistical analysis and modelling), and wider training in transferable skills. You will be joining an active and welcoming research group undertaking related research projects creating multiple further opportunities for training, collaboration and networking.

The CTP – SAI (https://www.ctp-sai.org) is a groundbreaking partnership between leading businesses, charities and research providers offering outstanding training for the agri-food sector. Students will have access to training opportunities through their University to complement their scientific development. This will be augmented by training in key bioscience skills to enhance employability and research capability through the CTP-SAI.

There will be additional training to enhance employability and research capability. All CTP-SAI students will receive Graduate Training in Leadership and Management as well as personal development skills training from MDS (www.mds-ltd.co.uk).

INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT

Placements are a key feature of CTPs and UKRI-BBSRC expects all doctoral candidates on a CTP programme to undertake a placement. Placements can be in the form of research placements (3-18 months duration) or used more flexibly for experiential learning of professional skills for business and/or entrepreneurship. All placements are developed in collaboration between the partners with input from the doctoral candidate.

APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY

Contact Dr Nick Girkin (Nicholas.girkin@nottingham.ac.uk) for an informal discussion on the research content of this PhD.

This studentship will begin in October 2025. The successful candidate should have (or expect to have) an Honours Degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of 2.1 in Plant Science, Applied Statistics, or other related science subjects. Students with an appropriate Masters degree are particularly encouraged to apply.

We welcome UK, EU, and international applicants. Candidates whose first language is not English must provide evidence that their English language is sufficient to meet the specific demands of their study. Candidates should check the requirements for each host organization they are applying to, but IELTS 6.5 (with no component below 6.0) or equivalent is usually the minimum standard.

This studentship is for four years and is fully funded in line with UKRI-BBSRC standard rates. These were for 2024/25, an annual maintenance stipend of £19,237, fee support of £4,786, a research training support grant of £5,000 and conference and UK fieldwork expenses of £300.

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria and the associated residency requirements:

• Be a UK National or,

• Have settled status or,

• Have pre-settled status or,

• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

• Be an Irish National

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an international student and must demonstrate the ability to meet the supplement in fees required for an international student.

Anyone interested should complete the online application form before the deadline of 5th January 2025. interviews will be held during January and February 2025.

Please contact recruitment-ctp-sai@niab.com for further application details.

APPLY

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