Research interests
My main research interest is in nutrient dynamics in the soil-plant-microorganism system and effects of soil and crop production system management on soil fertility and crop productivity.
Forest just cleared for growing crops. Slash-and-burn agriculture is a production system that becomes unsustainable at high population densities. Photo: Sigrun Dahlin.
Examples are:
- N dynamics in above and below ground parts of the soil-plant system including symbiotic N2 fixation, and management measures to enhance N use efficiency
- nutrient flows in grasslands, pastures and leys as affected by animal and plant management
- nutrient recycling via by-products and its effects on crop production and quality, and on soil chemical and biological variables.
My research has been carried out mostly in Sweden and in Eastern and Southern Africa.
PhD students
I supervise Marguerite Mukangango in her PhD project "Acacia angustissima, Mimosa scabrella and Leucaena pallida in agroforestry systems on Rwandan Oxisols: tree growth, palatability and effect on manure fertilizer value and soil fertility." I co-supervise Miriam Larsson in her PhD project "Nitrogen cycling in legume intercrop forages" and Sussy Munialo (University of Kenya/ICRAF) in her PhD project "Integrating remote sensing and ground-truthing to unravel biophysical and socio-economic causes of yield gap in maize for sustainable farming in Kenya". I also co-supervise Lisbeth Linse in her PhD project "Betydelsen av bor för vallbaljväxters etablering och uthållighet samt vallens innehåll av bor och andra näringsämnen".
Teaching
I am responsible for the soil module of course Markprojektering och markvetenskap(LK0255). I also contribute the soil biology block of course Soil science and geotechnics (MV0180).
As part of my teaching I have co-authored the tutorial book "Marklära" and "Vår mat".
