Log in
Cranfield's research on improved soil management planning through enhanced spatial information has influenced policy development, allowed the adoption of new approaches to soil mapping, and enhanced the management of strategically important land assets. The research has provided key input to policy development nationally, within the European Union and across the globe. It has developed new technologies which have been used to survey soils at the scale of complete countries, saving significant cost and survey time compared to conventional methods. Cranfield's modelling has also supported the management of strategic land assets such as military training areas, and soil-related geohazards related to road networks and other linear infrastructure at the regional and national levels.
The applied use of earthworms in soil restoration, bio-monitoring, agro-ecosystems and organic waste management has had wide-reaching impact on the commercial sector and the public. A variety of commercial groups (such as the Forestry Commission and BAE Systems) have benefitted from this research in both the UK and abroad. In addition to this, earthworm research has also reached the public domain through outreach activities and media coverage. For example, this UoA was involved in a National Open Air Laboratories campaign. Our earthworm identification guide produced in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in London has now been widely distributed and used.
Newcastle research into improving commercial soil-based greenhouse productivity has led to an increase in profitability (due to higher yields and lower costs) and a significant reduction in the negative environmental impacts of commercial, organic and other soil-based greenhouse crop production systems in Europe (UK, Greece and Crete). Newcastle's research has led to improved profits to UK organic tomato farmers estimated to be up to £100,000/ha/year and has allowed large scale organic greenhouse production to be a viable option to meet the demands of the UK organic market. In Greece increased profits are estimated at €25,000 per ha/year and in Crete the estimated value of reduced soil disease control and pest management is €110,000 per ha/year.
Research by Dr Switzer since 2009 has led to scale-up and commercialisation of a new smouldering combustion-based remediation technology: Self-sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation (STAR). STAR is sold commercially by SiREM, a division of Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. that has an exclusive worldwide licence. Since its commercial launch in 2010, STAR has [text removed for publication] and now employs 5 staff. Clean-up rates for STAR far exceed those of other methods, achieving 99.9+% destruction of contaminants in the soil and delivering cleaned soil suitable for reuse.
Geography at Exeter has a well-established reputation for research on the effects of soil erosion and land management on soil quality, diffuse pollution, and on water quality in UK river systems. Since 2008, this research has been used to inform DEFRA policy, in relation to soils, water, and the DEFRA code of good agricultural practice. Dissemination of effective approaches to land management, most especially through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative has resulted in clearly demonstrable changes in farming practice by landowners in several priority river catchments within the UK, demonstrating a positive change in behaviour and improved management of environmental risk. In addition, research on agricultural erosion has been used in the development of new agricultural policy practices in Canada.