This theme encompasses:

• all aspects of Animal Welfare and productivity for farmed/managed animals. It can include environmental impacts of such livestock including water quality, as well as any concerns relating to downstream food chain issues such as microbiological safety and food quality.
• anything to do with plants including plant physiology, genetics and development. It includes both model and crop species and all aspects of crop breeding, productivity, crop protection (pathogen and pest management). In addition, all aspects of soil as a major resource (ecosystem services) including soil formation, function, health and includes the impacts of agriculture on the environment and environmental protection.

Dr Hari Ram Upadhayay

Dr Hari Ram Upadhayay is an esteemed landscape biogeochemist affiliated with Net Zero and Resilient Farming strategic areas at Rothamsted Research. He completed MSc in Soil Science and PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium. He specialises in investigating the sources and impacts of sediment and diffuse pollutants within agricultural landscapes and has international experience, including in Nepal, Belgium and the UK. His work integrates advanced stable isotope techniques and Bayesian mixing models to address issues related to land use and cropping system changes and their effects on soil functions, organic carbon dynamics and soil erosion in the context of a changing climate. His research is also actively involved in advancing methods to better align on- farm management practices with broader environmental policy goals, ensuring that agricultural productivity and environmental health can coexist harmoniously.

• Exhibition stall in Einstein's Garden, Green Man Festival - to raise public awareness of the importance of plants, pollinators and ‘plugging yourself into a greener world’
• Coding camp, Devon - sharing knowledge and experience of R programming for data analysis and graphics
• Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) conference, Seville - international conference focusing on animal, plant and cell biology, with all students having the opportunity to present their work
• Riverford Organic Farm visit, Devon - discussions with the founder (Guy Woodford) about organic farming and the future of UK farming, with a behind-the-scenes tour

You can read further information about some of these events on our news page:

• SWBio DTP Agriculture and Environment Research Theme Events 2019 >>
• Promoting Plant Power: Green Man Festival >>