NIAB Agronomy

Katharina is a plant physiologist with a particular interest in plant stress responses. For her PhD she worked on drought stress responses in potatoes in collaboration between Lancaster University and NIAB . Her field of expertise is closely linked with challenges through climate change. Hence, she is interested in innovative ways to make potato production more sustainable.

Katharina is working at Wageningen University as postdoctoral researcher in vertical farming and remains connected to NIAB in the function of a research consultant.

Peter joined NIAB in August 2022 and is part of an established team of research scientists, crop specialists and field/laboratory technicians, widely known for providing potato R&D, services and advice across the UK and beyond.

Gary provides agronomy advice and technical services to farmers across the eastern region, working closely with NIAB’s Head of Membership Technical Services Andrew Watson and agronomist Stephen Keach on-farm in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Patrick is an agronomist and soil scientist. He manages five long-term field trials around Cambridge on the re-integration of species-rich leys and sheep grazing into arable farming systems. Particular research interests in this project include the effects of species diversity on forage production and nitrogen fixation, the accumulation of aggregate-bound soil organic carbon in ley systems, and the effects of ley cultivation on subsequent wheat performance.

Will is based in Somerset and manages NIAB Agronomy membership activities across the south-west alongside supporting our southern and western region agronomists.

Joseph is a research agronomist at NIAB, with a mixed background in academia as a soil scientist and in industry as a commercial agronomist. He has a strong interest in how farm management approaches may be brought together into farming systems to increase the sustainability and resilience of food production.

Responsibilities

Vivien's role include the general coordination of the Eastern Agri-Tech Hub, administrative support and the arrangement of meetings or events, as well as being the first point of interaction for anyone wishing to use the site or interact with other SMEs and Hub users.

With a BA (Hons) in business management and a keen interest in horticulture, Emma is part of the glasshouse and ornamental specialist team delivering trials and R&D services for mainly commercial customers of arable, fruit and ornamental and protected crops in the glasshouses.

Emma provides the team with business development, contract management, customer liaison, coordination and technical services for activities including variety trials and variety characterisation, product evaluation trials, nutrition and growing system studies.