Developing an integrated tool to assess soil health in agricultural settings

Director of Studies: Dr Jennifer Rowntree
2nd Supervisor: Dr Claire Kelly
3rd Supervisor: Dr Mark Whiteside 

Applications are invited for a 3.5 years PhD studentship within the Environmental Intelligence doctoral training programme at the University of Plymouth. The studentship will start on 01 October 2024. 

The health of our soil is integral to the ongoing health of our plant. When managed appropriately, soil can remove and retain large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Soils are also essential for future food security as well as underpinning well-functioning natural terrestrial ecosystems. Some agricultural practices, particularly those where soil is heavily managed through ploughing, grazing, nutrient input and compaction, can act in opposition to longer term carbon storage and productivity goals. In response, there is a strong focus on understanding and maintaining healthy soils in the UK agricultural sector. 

The concept of a healthy soil is complex and to be able to monitor improvements in soil health, we need to integrate knowledge from a diversity of sources. While we can sample soil and measure a suite of physical, chemical, and biological parameters, the people who manage soil are an untapped resource of high-resolution, often multi-generational, information. 

The aim of this project is to work across social, physical and biological sciences to address three objectives:

1. Explore inherent soil quality knowledge held by farming communities.

2. Integrate farmer knowledge with in-field assessments and physico-chemical soil parameters.

3. Understand how these factors affect soil invertebrate and microbial communities. 

Qualitative social science methodology (walking, kitchen table interviews) will be used to tease out multi-generational local land manager and farmer knowledge. In field farmer-led soil assessments (Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure, earthworm counts) will be combined with laboratory assessments of standard soil parameters (pH, P, K, Mg, SOM). Ecological surveying and molecular techniques will be used to assess indicators of biological soil health. Integrative tools will be co-designed with local farming communities, bringing these three strands of information together, to enhance environmental intelligence and facilitate decision making.

The successful candidate will benefit from transdisciplinary training in qualitative social and quantitative environmental and biological sciences. The candidate will develop key skills in cross-disciplinary data analysis, bioinformatics as well as chemical and molecular laboratory skills that will prepare them for a future position in a technology and data-led market. They will be supported in the development of communication and writing skills, essential for the establishment and maintenance of stakeholder partnerships and creation of knowledge exchange. On completion they will be well-placed to address global issues of environmental sustainability and make a positive contribution to future development.

We are looking for a person with a degree in environmental or biological sciences and a keen interest in transdisciplinary working. Experience of, or interest in, the agricultural sector would be beneficial, as would familiarity with handling complex data sets. An enthusiasm and ability to communicate with a wide range of people is essential.

Bünemann, E. K., Bongiorno, G., Bai, Z., Creamer, R. E., De Deyn, G., de Goede, R., Fleskens, L., Geissen, V., Kuyper, T. W., Mäder, P., Pulleman, M., Sukkel, W., van Groenigen, J. W. & Brussaard, L. (2018) Soil quality – A critical review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 120, 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.01.030 

Kelly, C., Wynants, M., Patrick, A., Taylor, A., Mkilema, F., Nasseri, M., Lewin, S., Munishi, L., Mtei, K., Ndakidemi, P. and Blake, W., 2022. Soils, Science and Community ActioN (SoilSCAN): a citizen science tool to empower community-led land management change in East Africa. Environmental Research Letters, 17(8), p.085003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8300

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in geography, soil science, biological sciences, or related fields, or a relevant masters qualification. 

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent. 

The studentship is supported for 3.5 years and includes full home tuition fees plus a stipend of £19,088 2024/25 rate (TBC). The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover international fees will have to cover the difference between the home and the international tuition fee rates approximately £12,697 per annum 2023/24 rate (2024/25 rate TBC).

NB: The studentship is supported for 3.5 years of the four-year registration period. The subsequent 6 months of registration is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ period.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Jennifer Rowntree.

Please see our how to apply for a research degree page for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our how to apply for a research degree webpage or contact The Doctoral College at research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.  Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.