Earth Smart
In-field research and technology for sustainable food, climate resilience and healthy soil
By bringing research directly into the field, working with farmers, landowners and communities, we are co-creating sustainable land management strategies. We are developing practical approaches to using advanced agri-tech and sensor technology to provide rapid, real-world data that can be applied at the right time and in the right place for productive, sustainable, healthy landscapes.
At Plymouth, we are bridging the gap between research and action – we are Earth Smart.
Working closely with farmers and landowners to develop a ‘living laboratory’ where we test and prove practical agri-tech solutions for sustainable food production.
Building the evidence base for nature-based solutions to climate change by deploying novel sensor technology in the field to gather global environmental data.
Safeguarding healthy soils by ground-truthing advancements in soil analysis technology and co-creating strategies to empower communities to take control of land management.
No food, no future...
... can low-cost sensors ensure food security?
Our agricultural soils are becoming depleted, leading to growing pressure on our food production systems. Chemical inputs and intensive farming practices can only go so far in maintaining yields, and it is becoming ever more vital to find a balance where we can renew our landscapes without losing productivity.
At Plymouth, we are working across the entire South West agricultural system, from horticulture in Cornwall to pastoral land in Devon and arable farms in Somerset. This ‘living laboratory’ provides a unique proving ground where we can validate practical agri-tech solutions and develop the evidence base for best-practice approaches to agricultural regeneration, with both regional and national impact.
'Living laboratory' answers key sustainability questions
Drones with sophisticated mapping equipment, robots armed with a suite of sensors, in-field genetics testing kits to explore the biodiversity of soil – farmers and researchers are working together to develop a set of practical tools that can be adapted to local conditions and individual farms, for rapid, on-site analysis of crop health, animal welfare and environmental impacts.
Published in Farmers Weekly, 14 June
Featured sustainable food production research
Don't drain the swamp...
... can we measure the worth of peat as a nature-based solution?
Healthy landscapes don’t just provide fertile ground for sustainable food production, they can also provide potential solutions to a wide range of climate challenges. From sequestering carbon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to providing rich habitats that could support our declining biodiversity, careful land management can help us to build national climate resilience.
From peat bogs and forested wetlands in the UK, to Peruvian glaciers or the rainforests of Ghana, our transdisciplinary work connects research with practice and local communities. Novel applications of sensor technology and a hands-on approach to environmental data are allowing us to build the evidence base for nature-based solutions to climate change.
Peatlands are nature’s unsung climate warriors
Peatlands are among the most critical ecosystems on earth. It is surprising, then, that despite public support, many environmental protections for peatland have failed to materialise. From peat cutting and burning to the continuing sale of peat-based compost, these habitats are under threat. Has their public image led to them being misunderstood and underappreciated?
Find out why
Dr Scott Davidson
thinks we need to change our perspectives on peatlands and their value to climate resilience.
Published in the New Statesman, 6 June
Featured climate resilience research
Our soil is dying...
... can sensors provide practical solutions for healthy soils?
Tackling climate challenges needs to start from the ground up – healthy soils form the foundation for resilient, productive landscapes. Understanding the condition of our soil microbiomes could help us to develop adaptation strategies to ensure food security and healthy landscapes, even as the climate continues to change.
But climate-smart land management decisions require accurate and reliable environmental data. We collaborate with local farming communities around the world to validate and ground-truth the data that can be provided by novel environmental sensors, building capacity to tackle landscape-level challenges at a global scale.
How soil health collaborations are changing agriculture
A critical soil health challenge that we currently face is how to replicate laboratory data in the field, in a way that is more rapid, more representative of the real environment, and made in collaboration with the landowner. We’ve been developing approaches to using mobile environmental radioactivity sensors to allow farmers to make informed land management decisions at the right time, to improve food security, climate resilience and our ability to reach net zero.
Learn how
Professor Will Blake
is using nuclear and isotopic techniques to shine a light on soil health.
Published in New Scientist, 20 June
Featured soil health research
Practical solutions for healthier soils
Many of our agricultural soils are in trouble
Food production is often in opposition to biodiversity and ecosystem service preservation – we need to support farmers with incentives to protect soil, backed by a comprehensive soil assessment programme, if we are to improve the resilience of our food systems.
Research at the
Centre of Research excellence in Intelligent and Sustainable Productive Systems
aims to develop practical solutions for healthier soils and a secure food supply.
In this film,
Dr Jennifer Rowntree
explains how in-field research is essential in validating new sensor technology and approaches to soil analysis, and why agri-tech could help to improve soil biodiversity and the health of our farmlands.
Found out more about the full range of our soil technology research, in:
Published online in The Conversation, 10 July
Bringing research expertise into the field
We are keen to collaborate with farmers and industry partners to further develop our research-driven approach to agriculture and aquaculture.
Our work at the Centre of Research excellence in Intelligent and Sustainable Productive Systems contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by securing the future of sustainable food production.
For more information about our work, or to enquire about partnerships, please contact:
Professor Richard Preziosi, Director, CRISPS, and Head of School, Biological and Marine Sciences: richard.preziosi@plymouth.ac.uk
Centre of Research excellence in Intelligent and Sustainable Productive Systems (CRISPS)
CRISPS brings together a vibrant community of transdisciplinary researchers, working towards addressing the challenge of sustainably feeding a global population of 9 billion. Founded upon research excellence in aquaculture, agricultural technology and soil health, and underpinned by investment in cutting-edge facilities, the Centre will create the critical mass required to ensure impactful research and real-world deployment in the UK and beyond.
Sustainable Earth Institute
The Sustainable Earth Institute connects the University of Plymouth's world-leading research and expertise with the wider world.
We bring together researchers from natural and social sciences, engineering, arts, humanities, health and business, to take an interdisciplinary, systems-thinking approach to help tackle sustainability challenges.
Our research responds to the call of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to both global efforts, and the needs identified locally where our capabilities can make a difference.