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    Professor Andy Wilcox

    BSc, MSc, PhD, PgD

    Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department

    Photograph of Andy

    Overview

    I am Head of the Agriculture and Environment (A&E) Department at the University. The A&E Department hosts over 100 academic and technical staff and  represents a unique range of expertise wtihin the UK including:

    • soil science
    • animal production,
    • crop breeding,genetics,& agronomy
    • precision farming and GIS,
    • farm business management
    • sustainable agriculture
    • sustainable energy
    • fresh produce production
    • environmental science & protection
    • countryside & wildlife management
    • forestry & woodland management

     Within the A&E Department, we undertake four key activities:

    • high quality teaching;
    • applied research;
    • professional training;
    • development and consultancy.

    Harper Adams University is located in Shropshire, UK, and we operate nationally and internationally in the delivery of our services.Please see https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/research/ for examples of some of our research activity and https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/courses/short-course/ for details of our short course portfolio.

    Professional Interests

    My main professional interests is the facilitation and provision of agricultural and environmental education both in the UK and overseas, particularly Africa. I worked on behalf of Harper Adams with Strathmore University in Kenya on the delivery of a 2-year professional qualification for potential employees of the machinery manufacturer, AGCO. We continue to work with AGCO in the development of agricultural education within Africa.

    In addition to my interests in agricultural and environmental education, I also have a focus on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) education. I am keen to promote the use of GIS amongst non-GIS specialists and I undertook a Postgraduate Diploma in GIS to underpin my interests in the area. GIS lends itself very well to online delivery and I develop on-line learning training in this area. I am most familiar with ESRI's ArcGIS Desktop and Pro software. I also run my own website  www.upskillgis.net that provides free practical GIS training based on ArcGIS Pro.

    My academic research interests focus on agricultural ecology with a particular reference to conservation of farmland biodiversity and I have published extensively within this area. My specific research areas include the agro-ecology of field margins, beetlebanks and farmland birds. I am interested in statistical analysis and data presentation and how this can effectively be applied to sustainable agriculture.

     

    Professional Memberships

    • British Ecological Society

    Academic Department: Agriculture and Environment

    Tel: +44 (0)1952 815373

    Fax: +44 (0)1952 814783

    X/Twitter: @dr_andy_wilcox

    Office: G02 Jubilee Adams, Tudor Lodge and NW Building

    Research profile: ORCID

    Publications

    Loading publication details from The National Libraries for AgriFood (NLAF)...

    Harper Adams University supports The National Libraries for AgriFood (NLAF), the online land-based library.

    Other publications

    • Claire J. Blowers, Heidi M. Cunningham, Andrew Wilcox and Nicola P. Randall (2018) What specific plant traits support ecosystem services such as pollination, bio-control and water quality protection in temperate climates? A systematic map protocol Environmental Evidence 7
    • Bayliss, Helen R.; Wilcox, Andrew; Stewart, Gavin B.; Randall, Nicola P. (2012) Does research information meet the needs of stakeholders? Exploring evidence selection in the global management of invasive species Evidence and Policy Volume 8, Number 1, pp. 37-56
    • Zheljazkov V.D., Craker L.E., Xing B., Nielsen N.E. and <strong>Wilcox A.</strong> (2008) Aromatic plant production on metal contaminated soils. Science of the Total Environment. 395(2-3): pp51-62.
    • Cunningham H., Bradbury R, Chaney K. and <strong>Wilcox A</strong>. (2005) The effect of non-inversion tillage on field usage by UK farmland birds in winter. Bird Study. 52: pp173-179.
    • Brooks A.S., <strong>Wilcox A</strong>, Cook R.T. and Crook M.J. (2005) A laboratory-based comparison of a molluscicide and an alternative food source (red clover) as means of reducing slug damage to winter wheat. Pest Management Science. 61: pp715-720.
    • Cunningham H.M., Chaney K., Bradbury R. and <strong>Wilcox A</strong>. (2004) Non-inversion tillage and farmland birds: A review with special reference to the UK and Europe. IBIS. 146: pp192-202.
    • Brooks A.S., Crook M.J., <strong>Wilcox A.</strong> and Cook R.T. (2003) A laboratory evaluation of the palatability of legumes to the field slug, Deroceras reticulatum. Pest Management Science. 59(3) pp245-251.
    • Collins K.L., Boatman N.D., <strong>Wilcox A.</strong> and Holland J.M. (2003) Effects of different grass treatments used to create overwintering habitat for predatory arthropods on arable farmland. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment. 96 (1-3) pp59-67.
    • Collins K.L., Boatman N.D., <strong>Wilcox A.</strong> and Holland J.M. (2003) A 5-year comparison of overwintering polyphagous predator densities within a beetle bank and two conventional hedgebanks. Annals Of Applied Biology. 143(1) pp63-71.
    • Bell J.R., Haughton A.J., Boatman N.D. and <strong>Wilcox, A.</strong> (2002) Do incremental increases of the herbicide glyphosate have indirect consequences for spider communities? Journal of Arachnology. 30(2) pp288-297.
    • Collins K.L., Boatman N.D., <strong>Wilcox A.</strong>, Holland J.M. and Chaney K. (2002) Influence of beetle banks on cereal aphid predation in winter wheat. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 93 (1-3) pp337-350.
    Additional Information

    Outside Interests

    Wildlife (partiiculalry birds), Photography, GIS, Technology, Land use.

    Other Roles

    Former President International Farming Systems Association (IFSA) 2014-16

    Committee Member: Adviscory Committee on Releases to the Envrionment (ACRE)

    External Examiner Warwick University: MSc Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century

    Research projects

    Modules

    You can contact Professor Andy Wilcox if you would like to discuss any of the following course modules:

    Contact

    Enquiry