Silvoarable farming is a novel type of farming that involves integrating rows of trees through arable (cereal) fields. Interest in it is growing, as it mitigates against climate change and biodiversity loss. You will assist with fieldwork measuring soil health on farms, and identify earthworms to species in the laboratory.
Department: Sustainable Land Management
Supervised by: Dr Amelia Hood
Mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts are two of the most pressing challenges in agriculture. Agroforestry (intercropping trees with other crops/livestock) can contribute to climate change mitigation and resilience, and interest in silvoarable agroforestry (intercropping trees with arable crops) is growing globally. Recent studies have shown that agroforestry can increase carbon sequestration and promote beneficial biodiversity (e.g., pollinators and natural enemies of pests), but many knowledge gaps remain. In particular, the impact of silvoarable farming on soil health has not been determined. In this project, you will assist a PhD student who is experimentally testing the ecological and environmental benefits of silvoarable farming on soil health. You will travel to silvoarable and arable sites in England to measure soil health indicators (e.g., soil water content). You will also help with processing samples in the lab, including receiving specialist training to identify earthworms to species; this is a valuable skill as these taxa are understudied despite being highly ecologically important. In addition, you will learn how to quantify soil organic matter in in the laboratory, therefore gaining both laboratory and field-based skills. The results will contribute to a future publication which you will be invited to co-author. You will have the opportunity to get involved in wider departmental activities, e.g., attending the Reading agroforestry group meetings and/or relevant departmental seminars.
• Assist a PhD student with fieldwork in silvoarable and arable sites across Southern England, measuring soil health indicators (e.g., soil water content). • Process samples in the lab, including receiving specialist training to identify earthworms to species level and measure soil organic matter analysis. • Attending departmental group meetings to integrate into the wider team and get experience of working in an academic research environment • At a later stage, be invited to co-author the resultant publication.
Essential: • Ability to work in SAPD for the majority of the placement • Willing to travel to farms to do fieldwork • Interest in agriculture, conservation and/or entomology • Some practical work experience (in the field or lab) Desirable: • Ability to work independently • Attention to detail • Able to be flexible in working hours for fieldwork
• Understanding of research question development and methodological design • Fieldwork skills: safe working in a commercial farm environment • Fieldwork skills: measurement of key soil health indicators • Laboratory skills: earthworm identification to species level • Laboratory skills: soil organic matter analysis of soil • Laboratory skills: independent lab use and safe working • Data management, analysis, & coding in R • Teamworking: collaboration with PhD students and staff • Understanding of the agroforestry research carried out at UoR • Knowledge and understanding of silvoarable and arable farm management
School of Agriculture, Policy, & Development (SAPD) with occasional day trips to field sites supervised by a PhD student. Travel from SAPD will be included.
9-5 mostly, but longer days may sometimes occur for fieldwork (followed by shorter days thereafter). Flexible hours possible.
Monday 10 June 2024 - Friday 13 September 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 5th April 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/pMgea0dAHv. To find this project in the application form, please filter ‘school of project applying to’ and select School of Agriculture, Policy & Development