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    Staff Directory

    Professor Jim Monaghan

    BSc, PhD

    Professor of Crop Science / Director of the Centre for Crop and Environmental Science

    Photograph of Jim

    Teaching Duties

    • Crop phenotyping
    • Non-combinable crop production
    • Post harvest technology
    • Horticultural production systems
    • Food safety in the production of fresh produce

    Sustainable School of Food and Farming

    I am lead contact for the areas of fresh produce and potato crops at HAU.  In this role I co-ordinate interaction between relevant academics and commercial growers involved in the network School of Sustainable Food and Farming

    Research projects

    I am the Director of the Centre for Crop and Environmental Science and my own research is carried out within the Crop Science Group.

    My work is predominantly in the area of phenotyping and crop production systems, both pre and post harvest.  Current and recent projects I am working on include:

    • Vegetable Genetic Improvement Network - VEGIN (Defra funding)

    This work is joint with University of Warwick and is identifying genetic traits that are linked to stress resilience in leafy and root vegetables. The work at HAU focussing on abiotic stress resilience.

    •  Tuberscan (Innovate funding)

    This is a project led by B-Hive Innovations, to develop ground penetrating radar, underground scans and AI to monitor potato crops and identify when they are ready to harvest.  

    • PotatoLite (Innovate funding)

    This is a large R&D partnership led by PepsiCo studying low intensity tillage systems for potato production.  Other partners include McCains, Grimme, Cranfield University and NIAB. 

    • Extracting value from Onion waste (Innovate funding)

    This project is led by the Moulton Bulb Co. and is evaluating the option of pyrolysis to modify onion waste and generate a sustainable growing substrate.

    • The Paludiculture Innovation Project (Natural England)

    HAU are rewetting an area of lowland peat and evaluating the impact of this on environmental factors (e.g. GHG emissions) and biodiversity as well as studying options for paludiculture crops.

    • Commercial trials

    I have recently managed commercial trials for a number of companies including Primark, PepsiCo and G's.

    PhD Students

    (Director of Studies)

    Using less land better - manipulating growth of individual lettuce plants, synchronising maturity and reducing crop wastage. Jamie Cundy CTP studentship in collaboration with Cambridge University and G's Fresh Ltd.

    Realising the environmental benefits of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) via optimised nutrition and nitrogen fixation. Tamy Jithesh CTP studentship in collaboration with PGRO and James Hutton Institute

    Rapid rooting vegetables for a challenging environment – molecular and physiological analysis of rapid rooting traits in lettuce. Cara Wharton MIBTP CASE studentship in collaboration with University of Warwick and Syngenta.

    Breeding for Climate Change Resilience in Brassicas – Discovering Novel Traits for Resilience to Stressful Growing Conditions. Tallula Smithson  MIBTP studentship in collaboration University of Warwick and Syngenta.

    The role of agronomy and genotype in tissue integrity and associated sugar losses during storage of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Paul Chunga. BBRO studentship 

    (Supervisory team)

    Potential for pre-harvest prediction of potato storage disorders Ed Toreyevi. MIBTP studentship in collaboration with the Douglas Bomford Trust (DoS Prof Peter Kettlewell)

    Physiology of potato tuber disorders from heat and drought-stressed crops Favour Olu Olusegun. Commonwealth Scholarship (DoS Prof peter Kettlewell)

    Optimising growing environments for vertical farming of strawberries Katia Zacharaki. (DoS Dr Laura Vickers - HAU)

    Control of lettuce discoloration. Joint studentship with Warwick University Yao Lu. (DoS Dr Guy Barker - Warwick University)

      

    Professional Memberships

    • Member of the Association of Applied Biologists
    • Member of the International Society of Horticultural Science
    • Member of Eucarpia
    • Member of the Technical Board of the British Beet Research Organisation
    • Associate Editor Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology
    • Member of AAB Plant Physiology and Crop Improvement group
    • Member of Management Board UKRI-BBSRC Quality and Food Loss Network in Horticulture and Potatoes

    Academic Department: Agriculture and Environment

    Tel: +44 (0)1952 815425

    Fax: +44 (0)1952 814783

    X (Twitter): @vegprof

    Office: N6 Jubilee Adams, Tudor Lodge and NW Building

    Research profile: ORCID

    Publications

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    Other publications

    Contact

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