Understanding water uptake in sugar beet
Jenny Bussell, Post Doc at University of Nottingham
The focus of this project is to understand water uptake in sugar beet. Drought is a serious threat to sugar beet yield in the UK and therefore more insight is needed. In this project we will look at the constraints to water uptake with a focus mainly on roots. The aim is to identify the main constraints and possibly find ways of resolving these limitations.
The effect of cover crops on soil structure and subsequent growth of sugar beet
Jake Richards, PhD at University of Nottingham
Spring drilling, as used for sugar beet, offers the opportunity for a cover crop during the previous autumn and winter. There are a number of claims about the growth and uses of cover crops and how these fit in with farming practices. Using a combination of glasshouse and field experiments, this project will look at the growth of different cover crop species, their impact on soil structure and how these changes to the soil impact the growth and yield of sugar beet.
