Event Details

A postgraduate conference to welcome new PhD students to the Plant & Crop Science research group; introducing them to colleagues with similar interests, while also giving them an idea of their likely progress throughout their PhD studies. With social in Fylde Bar to follow.

The conference will comprise a series of talks by our current PhD students as well as supervisors introducing their new students.

1400-1415 INTRODUCING NEW STUDENTS AND WELCOME

Michael Clarke (Ashworth, Wild & Long - Royal Society Studentship) Quantifying the impact of megacity pollution on regional crop production and food security

Thomas King (Ashworth, Dodd & MacKenzie (Birmingham) – Royal Society Studentship) Evaluating the response of forest ecosystems to future change

César Ponce (Roberts & Toledo-Ortiz - CONACyT scholarship) Assessing the long-term impacts of plant activator compounds on disease resistance and crop productivity

Hattie Roberts (Ashworth, Dodd & Hayes (CEH Bangor) - ENVISION DTP Studentship) Do biogenic VOCs protect plant productivity under multiple environmental stress?

Patrick Skilleter (Dodd & Whalley – Rothamsted - Waitrose CTP Studentship) Exploiting genetic diversity in root phenotypes to overcome soil constraints to potato yields

Dominic Stevenson (Roberts- Waitrose CTP Studentship) Maternal priming of seeds for enhanced pest and disease resistance

Louis Caruana (MSc by Research – Carmo-Silva) Investigating the impact of Rubisco accumulation factor 1 on the resource use efficiency of wheat

Bailey Kretzler (MSc by Research - Dodd & Carmo-Silva) Impacts of Introgressed Genes from Wild Relatives of Domesticated Wheat on Water Use Efficiency in Drying Soil Conditions

Thomas Martin (CGE MSc by Research - Stevens and Rothwell) Water conservation treatments to maintain plant health within water limited environments

Kellie Smith (MSc by Research - Roberts) Evaluating a range of bio-adjuvant products for use in organic and conventional crop production

Hao Zhou (MSc by Research - Ashworth & Dodd – starting January 2019) How does irrigation or urban green infrastructure affect air pollution?

1415-1515 FIRST YEAR TALKS Scheduled for 5 minutes each

Rachel Baxter (Rothwell, McNamara & Dodd – CGE Studentship with Silverwoods) Optimising the use of cement bypass dust and other soil alkalising agents in agriculture

Jon Rodriguez Escalante (Roberts & Parry - CGE Studentship with Environmental Crop Management) The use of amino acids to improve crop yields by reducing abiotic stress and improving nitrogen utilisation

Vasileios Giannakopoulos (Puertolas, Owen & Dodd – CGE Studentship with J Mallinsons) Do surfactant based wetting agents improve resource-use efficiency of irrigated crops grown in sandy soils?

Brittany Heap (Toledo-Ortiz & McAinsh – CGE Studentship with Redag) New synthetic chemistry to protect crops against abiotic stresses

Claire Holden (McAinsh & Taylor – CGE Studentship with Phlorum) New biochemical solutions for the control of Japanese knotweed

Hend Mandour (Dodd & Carmo-Silva – Newton-Moshrafa Sholarship) Improving the sustainability of legume yields under water-limited conditions by exploiting genetic variation in transpiration responses to VPD

Phoebe Sutton (Toledo-Ortiz & McAinsh – CGE Studentship with May Barn Consultancy) Optimization of Phytonutrient and Vitamin Content of Salad Leaves Grown in an Intensive, Multi-Level Hydroponics System Using LED Lighting

Yulin Yin (Carmo-Silva – Self-funded) Linking spectral characteristics of pre-harvest wheat with grain yield and quality

Faye Mansfield (CGE MSc by Research with Grazers – Roberts & Wilson) The action of a biologically active pest deterrent product

1515-1545 COFFEE BREAK

1545-1615 SECOND YEAR TALKS Scheduled for 10 minutes each

Gustaf Degen - Exploiting variation in the regulation of carbon assimilation to improve wheat productivity

1615-1700 THIRD YEAR (AND ABOVE) TALKS Scheduled for 15 minutes each

Jennifer Shemmings - Reducing pesticide inputs and improving crop production under environmental stress by using seed treatments to prime plant defences

Tom Williams - Improving energy efficiency in protected crops by exploiting crop responses to ultraviolet radiation

Sarah Donaldson - Soil management impacts on crop water relations