Two PhD positions on the benefits of multispecies grassland leys in crop rotations

Research area and project description:
Grassland leys have long been an important element of crop rotations, maintaining soil fertility and carbon storage, compared to arable monocropping. Including legumes and herbs decreases external inputs, and increases yield stability. Yet, while many benefits of diversified grassland leys within the grassland stage are identified, the benefits for following arable crops in the crop rotations are currently underexplored.

The two PhD positions are part of the Doctoral Network LegumeLegacy . The first position will aim to understand particularly the impact of species diversity on nitrogen fluxes from the grassland stage to the follow-on crop, including a modelling approach, while the second position will aim to determine the dynamics in interspecies competition or facilitation above- and belowground to identify suitable species compositions. The PhD positions are advertised jointly and will collaborate closely. The PhD projects include research stays abroad, offering the successful candidates to establish a strong research profile and network.

We are looking for open minded, curious persons that either have an interest in modelling soil processes, or in agronomy and agro-ecological processes. Candidates can mention a preference for of the two positions or apply for both simultaneously

For details on the position and how to apply please visit https://phd.tech.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/saeropslag/two-phd-positions-on-the-benefits-of-multispecies-grassland-leys-in-crop-rotations

LegumeLegacy Project Description

LegumeLegacy is a Marie Sk odowska-Curie Doctoral Network titled LegumeLegacy Optimising multiple benefits of grass, legume and herb mixtures in crop rotations: modelling mechanisms and legacy effects . It is funded under the Horizon-MSCA-DN-2021 programme. This project brings together Principal Investigators and collaborators from 14 academic and industry partners from across Europe and one Canadian partner. LegumeLegacy will hire and train 11 Doctoral Researchers and will implement a research programme aimed at improving the sustainability of farm-scale crop rotations. The role of multi-species grassland mixtures within crop rotations will be investigated in the search for solutions to develop lower nitrogen farming systems that will promote sustainable farming practices. The Doctoral Researchers will be located across Europe at partner institutions. The coordinating partner is Trinity College Dublin (Ireland). The hiring partners are Teagasc (Ireland), Devenish Research and Innovation Development Ltd. (Ireland), University of Reading (United Kingdom), the Louis Bolk Institute (the Netherlands), University of Aarhus (Denmark), University of Hohenheim (Germany), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), Agroscope (Switzerland) and Poznan University of Life Sciences (Poland). Other partners Goldcrop Ltd. (Ireland), Cotswold Seeds (United Kingdom), Wageningen University (the Netherlands), Danko (Poland) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Canada) will contribute to the research and training programme.

LegumeLegacy is a highly interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together experts in ecology, agronomy, plant breeding, animal nutrition and statistics. The LegumeLegacy Doctoral Researchers will carry out their own individual research projects and collaborate on a multi-site experiment conducted across the network. The Doctoral Researchers will undertake a world-class training programme developed and implemented by the LegumeLegacy collaborating experts and will meet twice per year to participate in joint training events. Each Doctoral Researcher will be expected to undertake two mobility secondments during their PhD facilitating them to develop a deep collaborative network during their PhD.

LegumeLegacy aims to lead the way in transforming productive agricultural crop rotation systems and the 11 Doctoral Researchers will be trained to emerge as the next generation of leading researchers in this field. Further information at: https://legumelegacy.scss.tcd.ie/.