Monique Smith

As a plant ecologist now specializing in agricultural systems, I offer a strong background that spans from grassland restoration to innovative agroecological research. During my PhD at the University of Adelaide, I developed expertise in restoration management, weed ecology and plant-soil interactions. As a postdoctoral researcher at SLU, I utilized long-term experimental data to investigate how diversifying crop rotations can enhance yields. During that time, my research portfolio expanded to include many projects that use agroecological principals to improve crop performance, including topics such as, nutrient cycling, pest control, and climate resilience of crop production. My diverse experience positions me at the forefront of integrating ecological principles with sustainable agricultural practices. 

An independent researcher, I have combined my experiences in plant ecology and agroecology to explore how wheat cultivars of different origin utilise associations with their microbial communities to overcome stress. In particular, I like to explore how changes in the microbial communities impact the plants response to herbivore pests above ground. I'm exploring this in different ways including using a climate gradiant, looking at impacts of organic amedments impact this relationship. 

Overall, I am interested in continuing to develop my knowledge in soil and plant ecology to find alternatives to overcome the heavy reliance on agrochemicals that food production currently faces. Contact me if this sounds interesting to you! 

I am the course coordinator and principal teacher for the PhD course in Scientific Writing and Peer Review (5 ECTS).

I also lecture for Molecular and Microbial Ecology (15 ECTS, bachelor’s level G2F). 

Supervised PhD students who have received a PhD degree. 

• Janina Heinen 2020-2023, Multi-level trophic interactions in diversified cropping systems (co-supervisor)
• Alessio Costa 2020-2024, Diversifying crop rotations for sustainable calorie and macronutrient production and climate change adaptation (co-supervisor)

Current PhD supervision

• Sara Capitan, expected to defend 2025, Insect- and plant-based circular systems (co-supervisor)
• Louisa-Marlen Tägtmeyer, expected to defend 2028, The dynamics of plant-microbe interactions (co-supervisor)