PhD Studentship: Does fertilizer placement play a key role in crop establishment? (SCI274)

Job title:

PhD Studentship: Does fertilizer placement play a key role in crop establishment? (SCI274)

Company

University of Nottingham

Job description

Location: UK Other
Closing Date: Friday 03 May 2024
Reference: SCI274UoN Supervisor Craig SturrockPolyhalite is the first new mineral fertilizers for crop production in 75 years. It provides a fundamentally different approach because it nourishes crops while enhancing soils. Further, it meets key criteria of climate-smart crop nutrition. For example, in addition to improving crop productivity, it has an ultra-low carbon footprint, no chemical processing, zero water footprint, zero waste, and certification for organic agriculture. Unlocking the full potential of such a promising mineral is an urgent research priority. Preliminary work has shown positive agronomic responses to this fertilizer, although the magnitude of the response can be variable. A key unanswered questions is does the placement of polyhalite in the soil affect the nutrient uptake to the crop plant, therefore offering potential to optimize nutrient delivery and performance in the field.In this project the student will seek to develop a comprehensive understanding of how polyhalite interacts with soil environment to deliver nutrients to the crop plant.The studentship will be based within the group at the and involve collaboration with scientists at Anglo-American and will also provide a fully funded placement of three months at their facilities. The student will undertake a range of field and laboratory-based experiments where full training (as a beginner) will be provided opportunities to gain key skills across a wide range of interdisciplinary areas including in soil physics/mechanics, X-ray CT imaging, laser ablation tomography and plant-soil interactions. The student will also be able to access the generic training courses offered by the .Award Start Date: October 2024Duration of Award:4 yearsHome students are welcome to apply for this opportunity. Funding is available for four years from late September 2024. The award covers tuition fee (£4,786) at the home rate plus an annual stipend which will be (£19,237) for 2024. This is set by UKRI.To apply and check your eligibility, please click go to and you can find further information about how to apply to our programme.Informal enquiries may be addressed to orby noon on Friday 3rd May 2024

Expected salary

£19237 per year

Location

United Kingdom

Job date

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 03:13:27 GMT

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