Newcastle University

Qualifications

BSc Agr 1986 University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Major: Soil Science, Minor: International Agriculture
MSc Biology 1994 Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
PhD Biology 2007 Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Research Interests

My main areas of research interest are soil C and N cycling in agroecosytems, with particular emphasis on: reductions in N losses via leaching and denitrification; greenhouse gas emissions; and C sequestration. I have considerable experience using a range of techniques to study soil C and N processes. These include basic nutrient extractions, enzyme assays, soil C and N mineralization incubations, and nucleic acid techniques to study soil biodiversity.

Other Expertise

I work in the area of organic farming and sustainability and have practical and research experience in organic sources of plant nutrients including compost, manure, green manures and cover crops.

Current Work

I am currently involved in two EU FP7 projects. I am coordinator of N-TOOLBOX which is a Coordination and Support Action aimed at reducing N losses to water from agriculture. More details can be found at the project website (www.ntoolbox.eu).
I am also actively involved with the coordination of NUE-CROPS, which is a large integrating, research project related to the identification of genetic markers for improved nutrient use efficiency in wheat, potatoes, maize and oilseed rape (research.ncl.ac.uk/nefg/nuecrops). At Nafferton farm we have trials on wheat and potatoes as part of this project.
Part of the NUE-CROPS project will involve detailed studies of C and N cycling processes in the rhizosphere of wheat, and investigations of genotypic effects on rhizosphere microbiology (especially diversity and activity of fungi and bacteria).

Future Research

In the future I will continue to develop my research into the effects of soil management on soil processes that control the cycling of C and N. This will include more in depth studies on the quantity and quality of C fractions within long-term plots at Nafferton farm. It will also include further studies on soil microbial diversity in long-term plots under organic and conventional management.

Research Roles

My research roles include the management of the research activities described above, as well as preparation of future grant applications, statistical analysis of data and writing and editing manuscripts for publication (my own, as well as those of other members of our research group). I am also actively involved in postgraduate student supervision.

Postgraduate Supervision

I am a co-supervisor of Caroline Orr, a University of Northumbria student who is nearing completion of her PhD on the microbial ecology of free-living N fixing bacteria in soils taken from the Nafferton Factorial Systems Comparison trial.
I jointly supervise Mftah Almadni, who is working on the effects of crop variety choice and management on N leaching in experimental trials at Nafferton.
I supervise Jodi Handley who has just started a BBSRC-funded CASE studentship PhD focussing on wheat rhizosphere biology (as described above).
I am on the supervisory committee of Mohammed Almuarifi, a PhD student who is studying the effects of fertilization strategy and genotype on the phenolic composition of leaves and disease incidence in winter wheat.
I am also on the supervisory committee of Leo Rempelos who studies the effects of variety and crop management on the protein profiles of potato leaves and tubers.

Esteem Indicators

I will be co-convening a session on "Predicting soil N mineralization; relevance of extractable organic matter fractions" at the upcoming European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna (meetings.copernicus.org/egu2011/). Please consider submitting an abstract!

Funding

N-TOOLBOX (2009-2013) Toolbox of cost-effective strategies for on-farm reductions in N losses to water. Role: co-ordinator; Sponsor: EU-FP7; Total grant: € 994K; Newcastle budget: € 345K
NUE-CROPS (2009-2014) Improving nutrient use efficiency in major European food, feed and biofuel crops to reduce the negative environmental impact of crop production. Role: project management in Newcastle; Sponsor: EU-FP7; Total grant: € 6,000K; Newcastle budget: € 1,566K
BBSRC Industrial CASE PhD Studentship - Genotype-soil interactions regulating nutrient use efficiency in winter wheat (2010-2014) Role: Principal Investigator Sponsor: BBSRC

Undergraduate Teaching

I co-teach ACE1015 Soil Management for Crop and Animal Production with Dr. Robert Shiel.

Postgraduate Teaching

I lead the postgraduate module ACE8062 in Soil Management in Ecological Farming Systems.

• Haghighi RS, Critchley N, Leifert C, Eyre M, Cooper J. Individual and interactive effects of crop type and management on weed and seed bank composition in an organic rotation. International Journal of Plant Production 2013, 7(2), 243-268.
• Quemada M, Baranski M, Nobel-deLange MNJ, Vallejo A, Cooper JM. Meta-analysis of strategies to control nitrate leaching in irrigated agricultural systems and their effects on crop yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 2013. Submitted.
• Rempelos L, Cooper J, Wilcockson S, Eyre M, Shotton P, Volakakis N, Orr CH, Leifert C, Gatehouse AMR, Tétard-Jones C. Quantitative proteomics to study the response of potato to contrasting fertilisation regimes. Molecular Breeding 2013, 31(2), 363-378.
• Tétard-Jones C, Shotton PN, Rempelos L, Cooper J, Eyre M, Orr CH, Leifert C, Gatehouse AMR. Quantitative proteomics to study the response of wheat to contrasting fertilisation regimes. Molecular Breeding 2013, 31(2), 379-393.
• Palmer MW, Cooper J, Tetard-Jones C, Rednicka-Tober D, Baranski M, Eyre M, Shotton PN, Volkakis N, Cakmak I, Ozturk L, Leifert C, Wilcockson SJ, Bilsborrow PE. The influence of organic and conventional fertilisation and crop protection practices, preceding crop, harvest year and weather conditions on yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum) in a long-term management trial. European Journal of Agronomy 2013, 49, 83-92.
• Giotis C, Theodoropoulou A, Cooper J, Hodgson R, Shotton PN, Shiel RS, Eyre M, Wilcockson S, Markellou E, Liopa-Tsakalidis A, Volakakis N, Leifert C. Effect of variety choice, resistant rootstocks and chitin soil amendments on soil-borne diseases in soil-based, protected tomato production systems. European Journal of Plant Pathology 2012, 134(3), 605-617.
• Orr CH, Leifert C, Cummings SP, Cooper JM. Impacts of Organic and Conventional Crop Management on Diversity and Activity of Free-Living Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria and Total Bacteria Are Subsidiary to Temporal Effects. PLoS One 2012, 7(12), e52891.
• Orr C, Leifert C, Cummings S, Cooper J. Impacts of organic and conventional crop management on diversity and activity of free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria and total bacteria are subsidiary to temporal effects. PLoS One 2012, 7(1), 12.
• Cooper JM, Burton D, Daniell TJ, Griffiths BS, Zebarth BJ. Carbon mineralization kinetics and soil biological characteristics as influenced by manure addition in soil incubated at a range of temperatures. European Journal of Soil Biology 2011, 47(6), 392-399.
• Orr CH, James A, Leifert C, Cooper JM, Cummings SP. Diversity and Activity of Free-Living Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria and Total Bacteria in Organic and Conventionally Managed Soils. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2011, 77(3), 911-919.
• Cooper J, Sanderson R, Cakmak I, Ozturk L, Shotton P, Carmichael A, Haghighi RS, Tetard-Jones C, Volakakis N, Eyre M, Leifert C. Effect of Organic and Conventional Crop Rotation, Fertilization, and Crop Protection Practices on Metal Contents in Wheat (Triticum aestivum). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011, 59(9), 4715-4724.
• Cooper JM, Butler G, Leifert C. Life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from organic and conventional food production systems, with and without bio-energy options. NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 2011, 58(3-4), 185-192.
• Lueck L, Cooper J, Schmidt C, Eyre MD, Shotton PN, Bennett RN, Rosa E, Daood H, Hajslova H, Schulzova V, Christensen LP, Leifert C. Effects of organic and conventional crop management practices on the yield and nutritional quality of field crops. In: 3rd International Congress on Food and Nutrition. 2009, Antalya, Turkey.