UNEW - University of Newcastle - UK

The Agricultural Production Systems research group within the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at UNEW covers a wide range of both crop and livestock production, with a particular focus on optimising sustainable farming practices through Integrated Farm Management, farmer engagement with agri-environment schemes, innovative cropping systems for nutrient-use efficiency and improved grazing strategies for dairy management.

Role in the project

UNEW will contribute to work packages 1, 3, 5 and 6 within SolACE. Specifically, it will (i) advise on the standard protocols to assess NUE and PUE in field experiments, based on experience from previous projects (Task 1.1); (ii) assist with the transfer of relevant data generated in previous projects (NUE-CROPS, IMPROVE-P) to work package 1 (Task 1.2); (iii) play an advisory role on agronomic strategies to improve NUE, PUE and WUE in work package 3 (Task 3.1); (iv) lead work package 5 which focuses on the evaluation of novel genotypes and agronomic innovations within a European on-farm experiment network (work package 5, Task 5.1); (v) lead Task 6.1, including establishing the stakeholder forum, providing tools and protocols to document stakeholder engagement and attitudes towards new innovations, and coordination of the top-down and bottom-up assessment of barriers and enablers to uptake.

Key persons involved

• Dr. Julia Cooper, Leader Work Package 5
• Dr. Amelia Magistrali, Leader Task 5.1 and Task 6.1
• Dr. Leonidas Rempelos, Task 5.2
• Dr. Glyn Jones (FERA), Task 6.1