Dr Rob Simmons, Reader in Sustainable Soil Management at Cranfield University will deliver his talk on Polymers to enhance emergence, stand establishment and yield in high value horticultural crops. He has over 30 years’ experience of sustainable soil management in the UK and overseas.
Rob has an extensive research and project management portfolio and has been PI/CoI on >20 BBSRC, NERC, Innovate UK (including x4 successful KTP Projects), Environment Agency, and AHDB projects with funding totalling >£7 million in the last 15 years. This includes extensive laboratory- and field-based experimental work in collaboration with multiple UK and International research and agri-business partners.
Rob's current UK based research activities focus on applied solutions to control runoff and erosion across a range of horticultural crops, soil management solutions to promote seeding emergence and stand establishment in baby leaf, field grown herbs and salad onions. In addition, from 2015-2021 Rob lead the highly successful AHDB FV450/a/b projects to improve yield and stand longevity in asparagus.
Dr Simmons has also been undertaking research projects in Kenya since 2017 with a focus since 2019 on adoptable soil management solutions to reduce waste and enhance incomes for smallholder and commercial fine bean growers in Kenya. Rob was also PI on the Innovate UK AgriTech Africa project Innovations in soil and irrigation technologies to improve Senegalese vegetable production.
The talk will be held on Zoom, members will receive direct email notification of the login but if you want to join and don't have the login information please contact Sarah at the Secretariat.
