CAWR Newsletter

September 2020

Our monthly newsletters are an easy way to keep up-to-date with new developments at our research centre. From successful project bids to upcoming events, our newsletter informs you on how we are 'driving innovative transdisciplinary research on resilient food and water systems.'

The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Coventry University.

News

What is the impact of BOND?

As The BOND Project nears its conclusion, all 17 partners consider its societal impact in this new video. The project, to bring organisations and network development to higher levels in Europe’s farming sector, began with 60 representatives three years ago, but this number has grown to 165. Dissemination outreach is over 360 000 and our website is followed by 123 countries. More than 800 people attended policy roundtables and national workshops leading to 12 signed Memoranda of Understanding. As a direct result of one of these workshops BOND partner, Sindicato Labrego, successfully negotiated with the Spanish government to open Farmers Markets two weeks earlier than originally planned during COVID-19 lockdown.

Over 50 stories of collective action are available in The Barn, 34 young farmers from 34 European countries attended the online Youth Forum, three Lab experiments took place in Moldova and online, utilising partner experts from Norway, France and Romania, to showcase what can be achieved in an enabling environment. We've produced 10 publications, from regulatory framework to a booklet on gaming. We’ve trained representatives who have started associations and federations in their countries.

One thing we’ve learned - the landscape of European farming is brighter, together.

(BOND is an H2020 EU funded project.)

Vegan-organic tomatoes

Dr Dennis Touliatos preparing comfrey foliage to make tomato feed

Growing systems may exclude animal inputs for several reasons: the availability of animal manures, the grower/consumer requires the food to be completely vegan, or as part of a self-sustaining system without imported fertility. At Ryton, CAWR researchers are growing tomatoes using a range of plant derived nutrient sources that could potentially be grown/obtained on-farm. These include legume-meal, nettles and comfrey - Russian comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) is of particular relevance to the Ryton site, as the work of Garden Organic (HDRA) founder Lawrence D Hills was an important part of the mid-Twentieth century organic movement. This trial is part of the CAWR-led EU Horizon 2020 project, Organic-PLUS which aims to reduce the use of conventional (non-organic) manure currently permitted in organic systems.

UNDER PRESSURE: Making the most of open data to better understand the biodiversity crisis

Martin Wilkes recently completed the first piece of research in an ongoing collaboration with leading ecologists in Europe and North America. The collaboration seeks to harness the power of open biodiversity datasets to inform decision making on ecosystem management. Now published in Global Change Biology, a major output from the project is already being applied by partners to better understand when and where urgent conservation measures should be taken to address the biodiversity crisis. The team is now focusing on applications in freshwater ecosystems, which the Living Planet Report 2020 recently showed have suffered a staggering 84% average loss of animal populations since 1970.

Click here to view the article published in Global Change Biology.

Improving soil fertility in greenhouses and polytunnels

Dr Francis Rayns harvesting sweetcorn stems to assess total biomass 

The CAWR polytunnel yielded a bumper crop of sweetcorn in early September. Reaching over 3 metres in the sheltered conditions, the plants were a test crop to assess the benefits of a variety of 'green manures' (cover crops) grown over the preceding winter. Green manures are an important component of low-input systems, helping to conserve and improve soil health and nutrient levels. The high cost of infrastructure means, however, that they are often under-utilised in protected cropping, so as part of the TRUE project, CAWR researchers are investigating how they can be used most effectively. Initial measurements show an improved yield where green manures were grown and further analysis will help us make specific recommendations. Read more here. 

On the hoof: pack pony-trekking in the mountains of Wales

Donna Udall, who is working with Hoof Trek to protect Welsh mountain ponies, was featured in this The Guardian article. Click here to read more. 

Weed Suppressing Mulches

Dr Ulrich Schmutz, Principal Investigator of Organic-PLUS applying mulch materials

The Organic-PLUS project is working with farmers to reduce the use of plastic mulches and has so far focussed on alternative film-like materials. In 2020, we also wanted to examine a variety of 'loose mulches', particularly on-farm derived materials such as chipped wood and grass clippings. Working with 5 Acre Farm, the community supported agriculture scheme based at Ryton, we found a problem spot for weeds and laid a range of mulches at 2 different application rates. We are still taking measurements and assessing the results, but hay and grass clippings proved to be the most effective and we would like to carry out further trials on a larger scale with different weed species. 

Welcome Dr Ivan! 

Dr Ivan Kourtchev has joined CAWR as our new Assistant Professor in Environmental Analytical Chemistry. Ivan obtained his PhD in 2008 from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, and has since worked as a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer at University of Cambridge, University College Cork and the EU’s Joint Research Centre, and also as a private sector researcher.

Ivan’s research has largely centred on analytical and environmental chemistry, with a broad aim to better understand chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere and hydrosphere and their impacts on environment, climate and health. Within this, he has focussed on two main areas: 1) the development and application of new methods in mass spectrometry for molecular analysis; and 2) the identification of sources, abundances, and fate of environmental pollutants.

At CAWR Ivan intends to further his research in the area of new and emerging pollutants, especially in the context of water pollution research. He is also happy to collaborate with other research themes, and to contribute to existing or future projects at CAWR where his skills and expertise can be relevant.

Beans and bees

Specialised equipment to capture floral volatiles ready for assessment

This summer we scaled up our field trials for the TRUE project, growing four 70 metre rows of French and runner beans (a combination of modern cultivars and older varieties supplied by the Heritage Seed Library) at our Ryton site. To assess the attractiveness of the flowers to pollinating insects we used entrainment equipment to capture the volatile compounds exuded by the blooms; flowers are placed in sealed bags through which filtered air is drawn for eight hours. Following some interesting results in 2019, we are now starting to analyse this year's samples and look forward to sharing our findings. Find out more here.

Hannah's internship at CAWR 

"Having completed an internship with Gemma and Judith during summer 2017 for Blooms for Bees, I came away with a newfound interest in Botany and Entomology. I was able to put skills I had learnt during my Biological and Forensic Science degree into practice. The internship has provided lifelong skills and friends, which led to my return whilst I finished my degree. The flexibility and knowledge that Judith and Francis provided was most welcoming and I continue to keep up to date with CAWR, it studies and the great people I have met. A huge thank you to all of those at CAWR."

If you're interested in joining CAWR for an internship, please contact layla.riches@coventry.ac.uk 

Northern Real Farming Conference

CAWR are making several contributions to the Northern Real Farming Conference. On 1st October at 18:00 BST, Judith Conroy will be talking about the Organic-PLUS team's role in the Innovative Farmers 'Alternatives to Plastic Mulch' Field Lab. In another session on 6th October at 19.30 BST, Dennis Touliatos will lead a discussion tackling 'Alternatives to contentious inputs in organic horticulture'. Click here for more information about the event.

Funded Projects 

SOIL NEXUS - Building policy tools for water- and waste-based urban soil remediation

A consortium of partners from Europe, Africa, North and South America, led by Chiara Tornaghi at CAWR has been awarded $80,000 by FUTURE EARTH – Pegasus SUGI-NEXUS call, for the project “SOIL NEXUS - Building policy tools for water- and waste-based urban soil remediation”. The consortium, including 28 researchers from 2 municipalities in Argentina, a Spanish network of cities (Red Ciudad por la Agroecología), an informal settlements association in South Africa, academics from universities in the UK, Belgium, South Africa and the US (including Sue Charlesworth, Jana Fried and Francis Rayns), activists and practitioners from the international Soil Care Network, and business and a social enterprise in the UK, will run 4 online workshops to explore the practical, legal/policy and planning issues to enhance the understanding and uptake of agroecological soil remediation practices in urban and peri-urban contexts. The project builds on and takes further the ongoing Urbanising in Place and WASTE FEW ULL projects (involving several researcher at CAWR) and funded by JPI-Urban Europe under the sustainable urban global initiative call.

Female INSPIRES: International Network and Support Platform for Interdisciplinary Research Engineers/Scientists

Funded by RAEng - The Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness grant scheme.

The FemaleINSPIRES project (International Network and Support Platform for Interdisciplinary Research Engineers/Scientists, 2020-2021) will create an online support platform for female STEM early career researchers from Development Assistance Committee countries. It will strive to provide peer to peer support with focus on Malawi, Ghana, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria and Kazakhstan in the first step and then explore expanding this initiative globally.

PI – Dr Evi Viza (UWS), Co-I – Dr Anna Bogush (CAWR)

Identification and quantification of trace organic contaminants discharged from waste water treatment plants

Funded by BMSS (British Mass Spectrometry Society) research support grant.

The main purpose of this project is to generate pump priming data for novel applications of high resolution mass spectrometry methods for identification and quantification of organic pollutants discharged from waste water treatment plants. New instrumental developments will be tested and validated during this project.

PI – Dr Ramon Gonzalez-Mendez, Co-PI – Dr Anna Bogush.

Sirodotia kennedyi

This week, Michael Kennedy was honoured to have a new species of freshwater red algae named after him as described in this publication: 

Szinte, A. L., Taylor, J. C., Abosede, A. T., & Vis, M. L. (2020). Current status of freshwater red algal diversity (Rhodophyta) of the African continent including description of new taxa (Batrachospermales). Phycologia, 1-13.

"The specific epithet is named in honour of Dr. M. Kennedy of Coventry University, an aquatic macrophyte specialist/environmental scientist and participant in the Southern African River Assessment Scheme (SAFRASS) project in Zambia and who drove many thousands of kilometres to obtain samples."

PhD projects available 

Fully-funded PhD project "Portable Hand-washing Facility using Bio-based Materials for Sustainable Water Treatment: Increase Pandemic Preparedness." Application deadline: November 13th 2020.

 

Self-funded PhD project "Identification of sources and fate of emerging contaminants in surface and drinking water." Applications accepted all year round.

Water quality guidelines for pesticides

A number of the proposed Australian and New Zealand water quality guidelines for pesticides that Prof. Michael Warne has been working on have been released for public comment. Click here to view the guidelines. 

Welcome Sam!

Sam Towers has joined CAWR as our new Laboratory Technician. He has 15 years’ experience working within a laboratory setting and, in that time, he has worked for the Forensic Science Service and ALS Environmental in a Senior Technical role. This has allowed him to develop new analytical methodologies for various projects such as the Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) parts 1, 2 and 3, and for meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.

Leighton Buzzard hit by third earthquake in two weeks

Matthew Blackett commented on this news feature from BBC News. Click here to read the story. 

Australian national environment protection measure

Professor Michael Warne has been invited to give a presentation to the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) about the Australian National Environment Protection Measure for chemical guidelines in contaminated soil. This is part of EAWAG’s review of international soil quality guidelines which aims to develop a method for deriving guidelines for Switzerland. 

Bamboo: the mean green carbon fixing machine seminar 

If you missed our seminar this month with David Trujillo, you can catch the recording on our YouTube channel by clicking here. 

Call for Papers 

Techniques and Methodologies for Ensuring Sustainability in Urban Watersheds

The proposed Special Collection will include contributions that represent various aspects of urban sustainability with applications in drainage engineering, water resources management, air quality control and pollution treatment, and remediation systems.

The Special Collection will aim to provide a balanced account of:

• Urban aspects of land use, sediment pollution control and contaminant hydrology

• Sustainable urban drainage systems and urban flood mitigation techniques

• Chemical pollutants in urban environments

• Sustainable planning and design for urban environments

• Treatment of sewage discharged into urban rivers

• Riverbasin restoration and urban disaster mitigation

Please submit your manuscript via ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering website. Detailed information on the submission process is provided in the document “Publishing in ASCE Journals: A Guide for Authors”  Please note that this is an invitation to submit papers for peer review and does not imply acceptance for publication. Acceptance of submitted papers depends on the results of the normal refereed peer review process of the journal.

Deadline for Paper Submissions Submission deadline: January 31, 2021

Please note that all accepted papers submitted in response to this Call for Papers will be published in regular issues of the ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering and assembled online on a page dedicated to this Special Collection. 

Circular Economy within the Journal Frontiers in Sustainability 

The Circular Economy section in Frontiers in Sustainability provides an outlet for research covering all aspects of Circular Economy; from individual business or industrial zones to national, international, or global policies that will make feasible the effective application of circular economy principles for achieving sustainable growth. Click here to read more. 

Special Issue "Advanced Materials in Environmental Chemistry"

For the readers, this Special Issue will give an attractive opportunity to obtain information about research activities that are connected with the production of high-value materials derived from waste, and related technologies, able to reduce the environmental impact of some industrial sectors. Moreover, review articles by experts in the field will also be welcome. Click here to read more. 

Publications 

Bogush A., Viza E., Cano M., Akiyanova F., Afrifah M., El Maadawi Z., Mkandawire T., Phiri E., Nurhati I.S., Anyanwu S.O. (2020) FemaleINSPIRES - International Network and Support Platform for Interdisciplinary Research Engineers and Scientists: a Case Study. Gender Summit 2020 Global for SDGs (GS19). p. 22 

Buss, W., Bogush, A., Ignatyev, K., & Masek, O. (2020). Unlocking the Fertilizer Potential of Waste-Derived Biochar. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 8(32), 12295-12303.

Febles, N. Á., & Félix, G. F. (2020) Hurricane Maria, Agroecology, and Climate Change Resiliency. Climate Justice and Community Renewal: Resistance and Grassroots Solutions, 9.

McAllister, G. (2020) Participatory Action Research: Challenges and Rewards in Fifteen Field Lessons. In Mac Ginty, R., Brett, R., Vogel, B. (Eds.) The Companion to Peace and Conflict Field Work. Palgrave-Macmillan.

Lashford, C., Charlesworth, S., Warwick, F., & Blackett, M. (2020). Modelling the Role of SuDS Management Trains in Minimising Flood Risk, Using MicroDrainage. Water, 12(9), 2559.

Vandergragt, M.L., Warne, M.St.J, Borschmann, G. and Johns, C.V. (2020) Pervasive pesticide contamination of wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Area. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.

 Warne, M.St.J., Smith, R.A., and Turner, R.D.R. (2020) Analysis of Mixtures of Pesticides Discharged to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Environmental Pollution 

Xie, X., Zhang, T., Wang, C., Yang, Y., Bogush, A., Khayrulina, E., ... & Yu, Q. (2020). Mixture proportion design of pervious concrete based on the relationships between fundamental properties and skeleton structures. Cement and Concrete Composites, 113, 103693.