Funded Mres

**Agriculture & Environment**:
**Location**:

- Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB**Salary**:

- As per advert**Post Type**:

- Full Time**Closing Date**:

- 23.59 hours BST on Monday 02 September 2024**Interview Date**:

- To be confirmed**Reference**:

- MRES-ED1-A-R**FUNDED MRes (Agroecology) Studentship - Tuition Scholarship (12 months funding)**

**Supported by the HAU as part of Innovate UK funding**

Background

This MRes studentship will support the Innovate UK Funded project ‘Robotic Arable Polyculture Farming’ which aims to test the feasibility of an innovative autonomous robot and toolset capable of farming broadacre arable crops in a polyculture strip cropping system[1]. This is driven by the need for environmental sustainability and resilience, along with regenerating biodiversity and our soils.

The element of the project this MRes focuses on will aim to investigate crop growth, development, resource capture and agronomy. A particular advantage of strip cropping is the ability of plants on the edges of strips to capture more resources such as light and water. Different sowing and harvest dates achieves temporal complementarity or relay effects where neighbouring strips use resources at different times rather than competing with each other.

Current arable farming practice in England (and much of the world) is heavily reliant on monocultures, to grow crops as time efficiently as possible[2]. For many years this has provided ever increasing crop yields, spurred on by agrochemicals and ever larger machinery, but the yields have plateaued and the detriment of monocultures to our environment and soils is more evident than ever. The proposed polyculture strip cropping system can potentially alleviate the issues associated with monocultures[3] while decreasing fertiliser and agrochemical usage, regenerating biodiversity, regenerating our soils, and increasing yields[4].

**Project Objectives**

The key project objectives are to:

- Investigate the impact of a Robotic Arable Polyculture Cropping System on:

- Crop, growth, development and resource capture.
- Crop yields and quality.
- Critically evaluate how a robotic arable polyculture cropping system compares to a conventionally farmed system with relation to agronomy and further develop agroecological solutions to complex problems arising from intensive land use

The outputs from such research should inform stakeholders within the sector about the potential impact of polyculture farming systems on achieving sustainable intesification. This information will be valuable to any individual or organisation with an interest in the impact of polyculture farming systems and emerging agro-ecological technologies. Dissemination of findings will be through journal publication and through delivery of a short lecture to the relevant stakeholders and other interested parties, including the HAU internal research conference.

A further objective is that this MRes scholarship supports the development of a researcher focused on crop physiology and agronomy. As part of the MRes programme additional support will be provided through selected taught modules that introduce and develop essential core skills within the student. Through this project the student will receive training and support as required in research and information skills, advanced research methods, principles and practices of crop production and fundamentals of agroecology. The student will develop skills suited to working as an academic researcher or a public sector/industry researcher, or to a range of roles related to agricultural education and outreach.

The MRes (Agroecology) Studentship is supported by HAU as part of an existing Innovate UK funded project entitled ‘Robotic Arable Polyculture Cropping’.

**Applications**

**The deadline is 5 pm UK time Monday 2**nd** September 2024**

**All applicants must have**:

- One of the following:

- UK honours degree (or equivalent) in agriculture, plant science, biology, land-based studies, or related fields, with a minimum 2.1 achievement in degree qualification (or equivalent)
- Honours degree plus previous and appropriate research experience
- Postgraduate diploma or equivalent (at merit or distinction)
- Evidence of interest and experience in agricultural systems
- The ability to work as part of a research team and self-motivation to take responsibility for their own work, and evidence to illustrate this.
- A minimum level of competency in English. International applicants must be classed with an overall International English Language Test System (IELTS) grade of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component. International applicants, or those whose first language is not English, may provide evidence of this by uploading their certificate. Alternatively, evidence of successful achievement of a degree taught in English may be sufficient.

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