Protecting Crops and the Environment

TitleProtecting Crops and the Environment
TypeScience Department
InstituteRothamsted Research
HeadJulian Smith
Executive AssistantDiane Roberts

Outputs

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Improving the performance of machine learning algorithms for detection of individual pests and beneficial insects using feature selection techniques

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Aminu, R., Cook, S. M., Ljungberg, D., Hensel, O. and Nasirahmadi, A. 2025. Improving the performance of machine learning algorithms for detection of individual pests and beneficial insects using feature selection techniques. Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aiia.2025.03.008

Improved Extraction Methods to Isolate High Molecular Weight DNA From Magnaporthaceae and Other Grass Root Fungi for Long-Read Whole Genome Sequencing

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Grey, M. J., Freeman, J., Rudd, J. J., Irish, N., Canning, G., Chancellor, T., Palma-Guerrero, J., Hill, R., Hall, N., Hammond-Kosack, K. E. and McMullan, M. 2025. Improved Extraction Methods to Isolate High Molecular Weight DNA From Magnaporthaceae and Other Grass Root Fungi for Long-Read Whole Genome Sequencing. Bio-protocol. 15 (6), p. e5245. https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.5245

Volatile-Mediated Plant Interactions: An Innovative Approach to Cultivar Mixture Selection for Enhanced Pest Resilience

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Markovic, D., Seimandi-Corda, G., Harizanova, V., Stoeva, A., Himanen, S., Saussure, S., Radonjic, A., Djuric, G., Lalicevic, I., Kheam, S., Rensing, M., Gallinger, J., Cook, S. M. and Ninkovic, V. 2025. Volatile-Mediated Plant Interactions: An Innovative Approach to Cultivar Mixture Selection for Enhanced Pest Resilience. Frontiers in Plant Science. 16 (8 April), p. 1550678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1550678

Climate change is leading to an ecological trap in a migratory insect

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Zhang, S., Zhang, Y., Yang, F., Zhou, C., Shen, H., Wang, B., Zeng, J., Reynolds, D. R., Chapman, J. W. and Hu, G. 2025. Climate change is leading to an ecological trap in a migratory insect. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 122 (9), p. e2422595122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2422595122

Microfluidics for the biological analysis of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles: Perspectives and challenges

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Tarn, M. D., Shaw, K. J., Foster, P. B., West, J. S., Johnston, I. D., McCluskey, D. K., Peyman, S. A. and Murray, B. J. 2025. Microfluidics for the biological analysis of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles: Perspectives and challenges. Biomicrofluidics. 19 (1), p. 011502. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0236911

An agent-based model of farmer decision making: Application to shared water resources in Arid and semi-arid regions

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
El-Fartassi, I., Milne, A. E., Metcalfe, H., El Alami, R., Diarra, A., Alonso Chavez, V., Zawadzka, J., Waine, T. W. and Constanje, R. 2025. An agent-based model of farmer decision making: Application to shared water resources in Arid and semi-arid regions. Agricultural Water Management. 310 (April), p. 109357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109357

Transcriptomics-Driven Discovery of New Meroterpenoid Rhynchospenes Involved in the Virulence of the Barley Pathogen Rhynchosporium commune

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Darma, R., Shang, Z., Bracegirdle, J., Moggach, S., McDonald, M. C., Piggott, A. M., Solomon, P. S. and Chooi, Y. 2025. Transcriptomics-Driven Discovery of New Meroterpenoid Rhynchospenes Involved in the Virulence of the Barley Pathogen Rhynchosporium commune. ACS Chemical Biology. 20 (2), pp. 421-431. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.4c00731

Attraction of cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala) to host plant odors

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Rude, D., Ulber, B., Cook, S. M. and Rostas, M. 2025. Attraction of cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala) to host plant odors. Pest Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8697

The East Asian Insect Flyway: Geographical and Climatic Factors Driving Migration Among Diverse Crop Pests

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Hu, G., Feng, H., Otuka, A., Reynolds, D. R., Drake, V. A. and Chapman, J. W. 2025. The East Asian Insect Flyway: Geographical and Climatic Factors Driving Migration Among Diverse Crop Pests. Annual Review of Entomology. 70, pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-012524-124018

Trade-off between pollinator-wildflower diversity & grassland yields

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Balfour, N. J., Harris, C., Ratnieks, F. L. W. and Storkey, J. 2025. Trade-off between pollinator-wildflower diversity & grassland yields. npj Biodiversity. 4 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-024-00070-6

Differentially spliced mitochondrial CYP419A1 contributes to ethiprole resistance in Nilaparvata lugens

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Zeng, B., Hayward, A. J., Pym, A., Duarte, A., Garrood, W. T., Wu, S-F., Gao, C-F., Zimmer, C., Mallott, M., Davies, T. G. E., Nauen, R., Bass, C. G. and Troczka, B. J. 2025. Differentially spliced mitochondrial CYP419A1 contributes to ethiprole resistance in Nilaparvata lugens. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 177 (104260). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104260

De novo root regeneration from leaf explant: a mechanistic review of key factors behind cell fate transition

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Asghar, S., Hayat, F., Zhao, Z., Zheng, Z., Ghori, N., Lu, Z., Li, Y. and Chen, C. 2025. De novo root regeneration from leaf explant: a mechanistic review of key factors behind cell fate transition. Planta. 261 (33). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-025-04616-1

Urease Inhibitors Weaken the Efficiency of Nitrification Inhibitors in Mitigating N2O Emissions from Soils Irrigated with Alternative Water Resources

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Tao, Z., Li, Z., Li, S., Zhao, L., Gregory, A. S., Fan, X., Liu, C., Hu, C. and Liu, Y. 2025. Urease Inhibitors Weaken the Efficiency of Nitrification Inhibitors in Mitigating N2O Emissions from Soils Irrigated with Alternative Water Resources. Water Air And Soil Pollution. 236 (26). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07670-9

Nature–based nutrient management through returning agricultural organic waste enhances soil aggregate organic carbon stability

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Wang, Y., Yao, Y., Han, B., Willcock, S., Storkey, J., Dong, X., Zhong, Y., Wang, X., Deng, Y., Zhang, W., Li, Q., Chen, X. and Li, Z. 2025. Nature–based nutrient management through returning agricultural organic waste enhances soil aggregate organic carbon stability. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 381 (109467). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109467

Colletotrichum species associated with durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) in Hainan, China

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Xu, H., Zhang, Z., Zhou, Z., West, J. S., Wang, J. and Cao, X. 2025. Colletotrichum species associated with durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) in Hainan, China. Crop Protection. 188 (February), p. 107034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2024.107034

Investigating the threat to Sitka spruce from Ips typographus: discrimination and colonization of Britain's principal commercial conifer by a damaging forest pest

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Inward, D., Vuts, J., Thomas, G., Barnard, K., Caulfield, J. C., Powers, S. J., Uglow, A. and Reed, K. 2025. Investigating the threat to Sitka spruce from Ips typographus: discrimination and colonization of Britain's principal commercial conifer by a damaging forest pest. Pest Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8644

The Fusarium graminearum effector protease FgTPP1 suppresses immune responses and facilitates Fusarium Head Blight Disease

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Darino, M., Jaiswal, N., Darma, R., Kroll, E., Urban, M., Xiang, Y., Kim, H., Myers, A., Scofield, S., Innes, R. W., Hammond-Kosack, K. E. and Helm, M. 2025. The Fusarium graminearum effector protease FgTPP1 suppresses immune responses and facilitates Fusarium Head Blight Disease. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions - MPMI. (24 January). https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-24-0103-FI

Starship giant transposable elements cluster by host taxonomy using kmer-based phylogenetics

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Hill, R., Smith, D., Canning, G., Grey, M., Hammond-Kosack, K. E. and McMullan, M. 2025. Starship giant transposable elements cluster by host taxonomy using kmer-based phylogenetics. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. p. JKAF082. https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf082

Evolutionary genomics reveals variation in structure and genetic content implicated in virulence and lifestyle in the genus Gaeumannomyces

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Hammond-Kosack, K. E., Hill, R., Grey, M., Fedi, M. O., Smith, D. P., Ward, S. J., Canning, G., Irish, N., Smith, J., Mcmillan, V. E., Hammond, J., Osborne, S., Chancellor, T., Swarbreck, D., Hall, N., Palma-Guerrero, J. and McMullan, M. 2025. Evolutionary genomics reveals variation in structure and genetic content implicated in virulence and lifestyle in the genus Gaeumannomyces. BMC Genomics. 26, p. 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11432-0

Understanding insect predator–prey interactions using camera trapping: A review of current research and perspectives

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Seimandi-Corda, G., Hood, T. and Cook, S. M. 2025. Understanding insect predator–prey interactions using camera trapping: A review of current research and perspectives. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 27 (1), pp. 67-80. https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12646

Metabolite-Based Resistance in Wheat Varieties to Aphid Virus Vectors: Progress and Future Opportunities

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Borg, A. N., Vuts, J., Caulfield, J. C. and Birkett, M. A. 2025. Metabolite-Based Resistance in Wheat Varieties to Aphid Virus Vectors: Progress and Future Opportunities. Pest Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8780

A conserved fungal Knr4/Smi1 protein is crucial for maintaining cell wall stress tolerance and host plant pathogenesis

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Kroll, E., Bayon, C., Rudd, J. J., Armer, V., Magaji-Umashankar, A., Ames, R., Urban, M., Brown, N. A. and Hammond-Kosack, K. E. 2025. A conserved fungal Knr4/Smi1 protein is crucial for maintaining cell wall stress tolerance and host plant pathogenesis. PLOS Pathogens. 21 (1), p. e1012769. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012769

Trade-offs between forage nutrition and ruminant carrying capacity in response to fertiliser application – Findings from the Park Grass Long-Term Experiment (1860-2020)

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Cooke, A., Storkey, J., Acquah, G., Lee, M. R. F. and Rivero, M. J. 2025. Trade-offs between forage nutrition and ruminant carrying capacity in response to fertiliser application – Findings from the Park Grass Long-Term Experiment (1860-2020). Field Crops Research. 324 (April), p. 109791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109791

Pheromone stereochemical specificity in the biology of the bean beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Mohan-Kumar, A., Thomas, G., Withall, D.M, Caulfield, J. C. and Vuts, J. 2025. Pheromone stereochemical specificity in the biology of the bean beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus . Agricultural and Forest Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12685

Developmental constraint underlies the replicated evolution of grass awns

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Patterson, E. L., Macgregor, D., Heeney, M., Gallagher, J. P., Nuesslein, B., Cartwright, A. and Bartlett, M. 2025. Developmental constraint underlies the replicated evolution of grass awns. New Phytologist. 245 (2), pp. 835-848. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20268

The Unified Phenotype Ontology : a framework for cross-species integrative phenomics

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Matentzoglu, N., Bello, S. M., Stefancsik, R., Alghamdi, S. M., Anagnostopoulos, A. V., Balhoff, J. P., Balk, M. A., Bradford, Y. M., Bridges, Y., Callahan, T. J., Caufield, H., Cuzick, A., Carmody, L. C., Caron, A. R., Souza, V. D., Engel, S. R., Fey, P., Fisher, M., Gehrke, S., Grove, C., Hansen, P., Harris, N. L., Harris, M. A., Harris, L., Ibrahim, A., Jacobsen, J. O., Kohler, S., McMurry, J. A., Munoz-Fuentes, V., Munoz-Torres, M. C., Parkinson, H., Pendlington, Z. M., Pilgrim, C., Robb, S. M., Robinson, P. N., Seager, J., Segerdell, E., Smedley, D., Sollis, E., Toro, S., Vasilevsky, N., Wood, V., Haendel, M. A., Mungall, C. J., McLaughlin, J. A. and Osumi-Sutherland, D. 2024. The Unified Phenotype Ontology : a framework for cross-species integrative phenomics. Genetics. 229 (3), p. iyaf027. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyaf027

Identifying insect predators using camera traps reveal unexpected predator communities in oilseed rape fields

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Seimandi-Corda, G., Hood, T., Hampson, M., Jenkins, T., Blumgart, D., Hall, J., Jowett, K., Hoye, T. T. and Cook, S. M. 2024. Identifying insect predators using camera traps reveal unexpected predator communities in oilseed rape fields. Biological Control. 198, p. 105636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105636

Invasion and spread of the neotropical leafhopper Curtara insularis (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Africa and North America and the role of high-altitude windborne migration in invasive insects

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Nartey, R., Chamorro, L., Buffington, M., Afrane, Y. A., Mohammed, A. R., Owusu-Asenso, C. M., Akosah-Brempong, G., Pambit-Zong, C. M., Hendrix, S. V., Dao, A., Yaro, A. S., Diallo, M., Sanogo, Z. L., Djibril, S., Halbert, S. E., Bamou, R., Nance, C. E., Bartlett, C. R., Reynolds, D. R., Chapman, J. W., Obiri-Danso, K. and Lehmann, T. 2024. Invasion and spread of the neotropical leafhopper Curtara insularis (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Africa and North America and the role of high-altitude windborne migration in invasive insects. NeoBiota. 96, pp. 173-189. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.96.130615

Measuring the transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK with a co-designed experiment: design, methods and expected outcomes

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Berthon, K., Jaworski, C. C., Beacham, J. D., Jackson, P., Leake, J., McHugh, N. M., Capstick, L., Daniell, T., Krzywoszynska, A., Cameron, D., Holland, J., Hartley, S., Desneux, N., Jowett, K., Zhao, Y., Warr, P. J. and Dicks, L. V. 2024. Measuring the transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK with a co-designed experiment: design, methods and expected outcomes. Environmental Research Food Systems. 1 (2), p. 025007. https://doi.org/10.1088/2976-601X/ad7bbe

Soil nitrogen and phosphorus regulate decomposition of organic nitrogen compounds in the rothamsted experiment

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Tang, S., Pan, W., Zhou, J., Ma, Q., Yang, X., Wanek, W., Marsden, K. A., Kuzyakov, Y., Chadwick, D. R., Wu, L., Gregory, A. S. and Jones, D. L. 2024. Soil nitrogen and phosphorus regulate decomposition of organic nitrogen compounds in the rothamsted experiment. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 196, p. 109502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109502

Assessment of the influence of inhibitors on carbon dioxide and methane emissions from soils irrigated with alternative water resources

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Tao, Z., Li, Z., Li, S., Zhao, L., Gregory, A. S., Fan, X., Liu, C., Hu, C. and Liu, Y. 2024. Assessment of the influence of inhibitors on carbon dioxide and methane emissions from soils irrigated with alternative water resources. Irrigation Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-024-00988-6

Flight of the persciae

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Jowett, K. 2024. Flight of the persciae. Consilience - Journal of sustainable development. 19 (INSECTS).

Can grain P concentration be used as an indicator of fertilizer requirements in winter wheat?

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Haefele, S. M., Gregory, A. S., Poulton, P. R., Hernandez, J. M. B., White, R. P. and McGrath, S. P. 2024. Can grain P concentration be used as an indicator of fertilizer requirements in winter wheat? Field Crops Research. 322 (1 March), p. 109691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109691

Management choices in cereal production: Lessons from the Broadbalk Long-term trial

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Poulton, P. R., Powlson, D. S., Gregory, A. S., Glendining, M. J., White, R. P., Clark, S. J., Wilmer, W. S., Macdonald, A. J. and Johnston, A. E. 2024. Management choices in cereal production: Lessons from the Broadbalk Long-term trial. Proceedings of the International Fertiliser Society. 891, pp. 1-60. https://doi.org/10.23637/rothamstedlong-term-experiments-guide-2018

Bugs and bytes: Entomological biomonitoring through the integration of deep learning and molecular analysis for merged community and network analysis

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Suresh, M, D., Xin, T., Cook, S. M. and Evans, D.M 2024. Bugs and bytes: Entomological biomonitoring through the integration of deep learning and molecular analysis for merged community and network analysis. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12667

Using dynamic headspace collections for bacterial volatile sampling

D1 - Technical reports: non-confidential
Novakova, B., Caulfield, J. C., Withall, D., Birkett, M. A., Vuts, J. and Thomas, G. 2024. Using dynamic headspace collections for bacterial volatile sampling. https://doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.kqdg3q4eev25/v1

Understanding the mechanisms of host-tissue colonisation by Fusarium graminearum

F - Theses
Armer, V.J. 2024. Understanding the mechanisms of host-tissue colonisation by Fusarium graminearum. F - Theses University of Exeter / Rothamsted Research Protecting Crops and the Environment

How Tillage System Affects the Soil Carbon Dioxide Emission and Wheat Plants Physiological State

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Sawinska, Z., Radzikowska-Kujawska, D., Blecharczyk, A., Switek, S., Piechota, T., Cieslak, A., Cardenas, L. M., Louro-Lopez, A., Gregory, A. S., Coleman, K. and Lark, R. M. 2024. How Tillage System Affects the Soil Carbon Dioxide Emission and Wheat Plants Physiological State. Agronomy. 14 (10), p. 2220. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102220

Development and application of a qPCR-based method coupled with spore trapping to monitor airborne pathogens of wheat causing stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
A, Wang, Z, Shang, R, Jiang, M, Zhang, J, Wang, H, Li, B, Zhang, H, Tang, F, Xu, X, Hu, W, Liu, J, Fan, Y, Zhou and West, J. S. 2024. Development and application of a qPCR-based method coupled with spore trapping to monitor airborne pathogens of wheat causing stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-24-0548-SR

Impact of natural biochar on soil water retention capacity and quinoa plant growth in different soil textures

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals
Daraei, E., Bayat, H. and Gregory, A. S. 2024. Impact of natural biochar on soil water retention capacity and quinoa plant growth in different soil textures. Soil & Tillage Research. 244 (December), p. 106281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106281