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Darwin Hickman

Darwin Thomas Hickman
My research interests centre upon plant-plant, more specifically crop-weed interactions and how they may alter the dynamics between these species. I specifically have a background in examining allelopathy: the developmental inhibition of one plant species by another through the release of toxic secondary metabolites. My vision is to integrate knowledge of crop-weed interactions into the context of a whole ecosystem where they may be affected by other biotic stressors and environmental factors, with the intention of better understanding and applying them for effective ecologically-minded weed management.

Presentation

Weeds are a major cause of crop yield losses through competition for resources. Many dominant weeds of agriculture are able to adapt quickly to attempts to manage them, for example through evolution or herbicide resistance or phenotypic alterations to tolerate or avoid attempts at physical control. My work at SLU involves both examining the behaviour of weed communities and their response and adaptation to management factors, and considering novel methods to reduce their detriment for crop yield, chiefly through my background in chemical ecology.

Background

  • 2023- Postdoctoral Researcher in Crop Production Ecology, SLU, Sweden.
  • 2017-2022- PhD in Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research/ University of Nottingham, UK.
  • 2016-2018- MRes in Biosciences, Swansea University, UK.
  • 2012-2016- BSc (Hons) in Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.
  • 2014-15- Undergraduate Placement Year in Biological Control of Weeds, Manaaki Whenua (Landcare Research), New Zealand.

Selected publications

  • Hickman, D. T., Comont, D., Rasmussen, A., & Birkett, M. A., 2023. Novel and holistic approaches are required to realize allelopathic potential for weed management. Ecology and Evolution, 13(4), e10018. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10018.
  • Hickman, D. T., Rasmussen, A., Ritz, K., Birkett, M. A. and Neve, P., 2021. Allelochemicals as multi‐kingdom plant defence compounds: towards an integrated approach. Pest Management Science, 77(3), pp.1121-1131. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6076.
  • Lange, C., Goeke, D. F., Hickman, D. T., Podolyan, A., & Houliston, G. J., 2018. Chloroplast diversity of giant buttercup (Ranunculus acris L., Ranunculaceae) in New Zealand and in its native range. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 56(4), pp. 385-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2018.1509877.

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Contact

Postdoctor at the Department of Crop Production Ecology; Ogräsekologi
Telephone: 0761355874
E-mail: darwin.hickman@slu.se
Postal address:
Inst för växtproduktionsekologi, Box 7043
75007 UPPSALA
Visiting address: Ulls väg 16, Uppsala