About Me
My research interests are in soil physics, mainly soil structure and soil gases, and in the links between soils and society. Soil structure determines soil porosity which provides the space for soil life. I have devoted much effort to the description of soil structure and the modelling of soil porosity. Alongside colleagues, my research currently involves investigation of how organic farming, dairy farming, crofting, tillage and compaction influence greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen status and soil quality. I work closely with colleagues from the James Hutton Institute on the assessment of soil quality and how it influences the sustainability of crop management systems and adaptation to climate change. I am also interested in the spiritual and ethical connections between soil, agriculture and communities with a view to improving food security by empowering farmers. I work on drawing parallels between soil and human characteristics and behaviour. This enables me to identify priorities for developing holism and deeper connections within and between individuals and with the environment with the aim of improving sustainability. I have links with Brazil, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand on visual assessment of soil quality and on soil recovery from compaction damage. I collaborate with colleagues in New Zealand on mitigation of greenhouse gases fluxes from intensively grazed pastures. My consultancy interests mainly centre on the development and promotion of the spade test called visual evaluation of soil structural quality (VESS) #vess and #subvess. This simple test enables farmers to identify soil problems such as compaction and poaching by animal hooves, tillage and anaerobic conditions caused by flooding and to target appropriate remedial action.