Professor Philip Haygarth

Research Interests

Professor Phil Haygarth conducts research on the interface between soils and freshwaters, with a focus on diffuse (particularly phosphorus) pollution and runoff control in a catchment context. His research studies the way in which soils can be encouraged to hold phosphorus at an optimal level to supply plants for food production, whist defining conditions that prevent the unwanted leakage to fresh-waterways. The practical impact of his research has been to help the UK government, and others around the world, develop policies that help farmers and catchment managers optimize plant uptake of phosphorus but minimize losses to water. Often this involves efforts to reduce runoff energy, which can have dual benefits for both diffuse pollution and flood control.

Specific lines of research and impact include:

• Development and maintaining the UK ‘Demonstration Test Catchments’ that can help provide a focal meeting point for policy makers, farmers and researchers
• A focus on plant types that have particular benefit traits, such as the potential to be efficient users of phosphorus or rooting qualities that ‘soak up’ runoff water
• Studies of phosphorus biogeochemisty including the fate and transport of organic chemical forms
• A consideration of what may happen to flooding and phosphorus transfer under future climate change scenarios which predict warmer wetter winters and hotter drier summers

Phil is an enthusiastic teacher of Soil Science and Alpine Environmental Processes at the undergraduate level and also proudly leads the National Centre for Doctoral Training on Soil Science funded by NERC and BBSRC called STARS. Phil recently completed a term as President of the British Society of Soil Science.