Research Overview

After completing an M.Sci. in Earth & Environmental Science (predominantly volcanology) at Lancaster University I embarked on a Ph.D. studying the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on plants across a range of experimental environments, from the controlled laboratory to polytunnels in the field. The ultimate aim of this work was to understand the repercussions for horticultural crops cultivated in UV-transparent polytunnels, particularly around the Mediterranean. The regulatory response of partial stomatal closure in crops (tomato) and the consequential increase in leaf temperature, and effects on water use efficiency, were specifically investigated.