SUPERVISOR: Rebecca HOOD-NOWOTNY

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Damjan Orepić

Sustainable intensification requires innovative approaches to increase productivity on existing agricultural land without negative impacts on soils and waters. The Green Deal suggests there should be an increased focus on the application of external organic amendments (EOMs) derived from the circular economy. Current models for nutrient cycling from EOMs are insufficient as they often neglect new scientific paradigms including soil microbial interactions, and the role of dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon in water. Having pioneered analytical techniques to measure plant N uptake from EOMs and investigate organic N cycling in soil we will expand on this research to underpin existing models, using stable isotope approaches and bespoke laboratory methods. These in-depth studies will allow us to predict the agronomic outcomes, nutrient losses, and potential pollution impacts of EOMs on groundwater and river water quality.