Name: Miracle Onyinyechi Iheanyichukwu – Project title: Regenerative Agriculture Contributions to Ecosystem Services – Subject Area: Sustainable Agriculture / Crop Science
Project/fieldwork highlights
What environmental challenge does your research tackle?
My research tackles the challenge of restoring soil health without sacrificing food security. While Regenerative Agriculture is fantastic for fixing degraded soils and capturing carbon, it creates a “tougher” physical environment for crops to grow in. I am working to ensure that farmers can switch to these eco-friendly practices without suffering crop failures by finding the right plants for the job.
What is one thing you want everyone to know about your project?
I want people to know that we might be using the wrong seeds for the right farming system. For the last 60 years, wheat has been bred for “perfect,” high-input conditions. My project asks whether these pampered varieties can handle the “off-road” conditions of a regenerative farm, or if we need to start using “tougher” varieties with better root systems.
What is the strangest or most surprising thing you have encountered during field/lab work?
The most surprising thing is seeing just how different the “hidden half” of the plant can be. When you dig deep soil cores (which is hard work!), you realise that while two wheat varieties might look identical above ground, below ground, one might have “lazy” roots that stay near the surface, while another has a massive root system punching deep into the soil to find nutrients. It completely changes how you look at a field of winter wheat!
Photo caption: Miracle Iheanyichukwu