Halfway point on a trip to @lancasteruni.bsky.social for a PhD viva.

Day 2 of meetings in Hawassa, Ethiopia is planning for CROSSROADS-SSA led by Jo Smith This project explores under-utilised plants to restore soils through biodiversity. An add-on is a rainfall siimulator we built last week to explore soil erosion mitigation. @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social

Day 1 of project meetings in Hawassa, starting off with SMILE Project, Ethiopia . Great work making soil restoration a marketable opportunity to improve rural incomes at the same time as the environment. Led by Awdenegest Moges (Dr.) from Hawassa University.

First year soil science practical to >180 students. I love teaching this one since its my only chance to get the entire @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social Biology (some some Geoscience) students interested in soils.

2nd year practical on soil compaction and root growth. PhD student Faraj Elasloul explaining root growth vs penetration resistance to one student.

Cool PhD project combatting soil erosion in Ethiopia with indigenous agricultural plants. Funded by @ukri.org QUARTILES DLA and complementary to a couple new projects with Ethiopian scientists funded by REDAA and GCBC so you will be surrounded by a team.

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Up in Shetland for Christmas. Passed a sheep that looks like a sheepdog.

We have a cake rota at research group meetings. Festive theme today with Xmas Brownies. Discussion topic is Rangifer tarandus soil compaction by Dr Nick Claus.

Posted this on X too. This screenshot is funny -

I’m at the British Society of Soil Science Annual Meeting at Glamorgan Cricket Ground Cardiff on World Soil Day. Impressive talk & posters so far. Cricket pitch tour showed it was all about soil physics.

Martyn Roberts celebrating his successful PhD viva. His main university PhD supervisor Josie Geris captured his topic of temporary storage areas to improve field hydrology brilliantly with the icing on the cake.

Group debates today by the Plants, Soils and Sustainability class arguing FOR or AGAINST either monocultures, regenerative agriculture, GM crops or animal production being effective uses of soils for food security. All science based and one included a soil 'aggregates are great’ slide.

Another snowy start in Aberdeen. Behind the glass is PhD student Faraj Elsakloul, harvesting a big greenhouse study exploring saline-sodicity impacts on physical constraints to root growth.

A snowy start of the day in Aberdeen.

From an Honours project. Light soil is a real Links (sand) golf course. Darker soil is a sandy loam golf course, 1 km inland. This is after 48 hours wetting and the Links is still completely hydrophobic. Devised a clever ball bounce test to play with this week.

That’s a wrap for my 2024 soil science lectures. Many of these students are going to be tomorrow’s superstars. A really nice class. @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social