Assessing efficient application and emission reduction from using low carbon footprint fertilisers in potato agronomy – PhD

This is an exciting 4-year PhD project funded by the BBSRC CTP Sustainable Agricultural Innovation and PepsiCo, this CTP studentship will provide an annual maintenance stipend of £19,237, fee support of £4,786, a research training support grant of £5,000 and conference and UK fieldwork expenses of £300. This project focuses on potatoes and how we can use sustainable fertiliser solutions such as organo-mineral fertilisers to meet crop demands and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

With the price of mineral fertilisers increasing and the state of soil health decreasing, innovative solutions are needed to meet crop nutrient demands whilst ensuring that sufficient organic matter is conserved in the soil. One of such solution can be in the form of organo-mineral fertiliser (OMF). OMFs are a new concept that take organic waste products such as livestock manure or crop residues and combines them with reduced mineral fertilisers to produce a low carbon footprint product.  

This project will focus on potatoes as it is a key crop in the UK. Potatoes are grown in ridges which causes a lot of destruction in soil structure. OMF may play a role in not only providing the nutrient requirements but also provide organic matter to better preserve soil structure. The aim of this project will be to assess efficacy of OMF as a low carbon footprint fertiliser for potato production in the UK.

Cranfield University is a solely postgraduate university specialising in applied and fundamental research. In this project, a fantastic opportunity has arisen to collaborate with PepsiCo, a large multinational company where one of its focus crops is potatoes and wishes to explore opportunities to reduce its carbon footprint in its production with a focus on fertilisers. 

This is a timely and fantastic project involving collaboration with PepsiCo on their potato field sites located at various sites in the UK. We will utilise a novel form of OMF based on carbon capture technology pioneered by CCm Technologies Limited. We will carry out field experiments to assess efficacy of OMF as fertilisers. This will be coupled with more controlled glass house studies to unravel mechanisms on how OMF mineralise in soil and provide nutrients to meet potato demand. There will also be complementary measurements on greenhouse gas emissions and diffuse pollution to ensure the OMF can be truly classified as a sustainable low carbon footprint fertiliser

Placements are a key feature of CTP and UKRI-BBSRC expects all doctoral candidates on a CTP programme to undertake a placement. Placements can be in the form of research placements (3-18 months duration) or used more flexibly for experiential learning of professional skills for business and/or entrepreneurship. All placements are developed in collaboration between the partners with input from the doctoral candidate.

Students will have access to training in key bioscience areas (soil science, plant science, statistics) and generic soft skills such as oral presentation, written communication, academic journal writing, all facilitated through Cranfield Doctoral Training Programme to enhance employability and research capability. This will be offered through our in-house training scheme organised under DATES (Cranfield portal for courses) and through external inputs where necessary via specialist consultants. The student will be trained in laboratory methods for specialist analysis in soil science and use of specialist instrumentations such as ICPMS, GCMS. The student will have opportunities to use state-of-the-art facilities and collaborate closely with PepsiCo and present their work in national and international conferences. There will be opportunities to attend selected MSc modules at Cranfield University to upskill on suitable topics such as soil science and analytical chemistry.

At a glance

• Application deadline: 05 Jan 2025
• Award type(s): PhD
• Start date:29 Sep 2025
• Duration of award: 4 years
• Eligibility: UK
• Reference number: SWEE0273

Supervisor

1st Supervisor: Prof Ruben Sakrabani    

2nd Supervisor: Prof Wilfred Otten

Entry requirements

The successful candidate should have (or expect to have) an Honours Degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of 2.1 in Geography, Agronomy, Soil Science, Plant Science or other related science subjects. Students with an appropriate Masters degree are particularly encouraged to apply.

Funding

This is a fully funded studentship. Sponsored by BBSRC CTP for Sustainable Agricultural Innovation and PepsiCo, this CTP studentship will provide an annual maintenance stipend of £19,237, fee support of £4,786, a research training support grant of £5,000 and conference and UK fieldwork expenses of £300.     

We welcome UK/Home, EU, and international applicants. Candidates whose first language is not English must provide evidence that their English language is sufficient to meet the specific demands of their study. Candidates should check the requirements for each host organization they are applying to, but IELTS 6.5 (with no component below 6.0) or equivalent is usually the minimum standard. 

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or 

• Have settled status, or 

• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or 

• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter 

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an international student and must demonstrate the ability to meet the supplement in fees required for an international student.

How to apply

If you are eligible to apply for this studentship, please apply through the CTP website.

For further information please contact:      

Name: Prof Ruben Sakrabani

Email: [email protected]

This vacancy may be filled before the closing date so early application is strongly encouraged.

For further information about application please visit Applying for a research degree.